A fresh, new look

 Gray has been a popular neutral color for decorating as of late, and if a sleek, cool and contemporary look is what you’re after, then using various shades of gray is a no-brainer.  But, if you want to use gray, but also want a warm, cozy feel in your home like these clients did, then things get a little more tricky.When we started on this West Chester project, the couple had already thought about moving and starting over, but—not surprisingly—couldn’t find anything they liked better.  Their home has been lovingly cared for, added onto over the years, and has beautiful, mature landscaping.  It was also the backdrop to many fond memories made while raising their family.  The issue was that they were tired of what the wife called the “Chester County Day” look—the traditional/ hunt country/ colonial style that has been so popular in this area for many decades.  They wanted something totally different.  The first order of business was opening up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room.  The kitchen was already open on two sides, and it made sense to open up the third side to allow more light in, and to extend the view in that direction.  While keeping the lower cabinets in place, we removed the upper cabinets, and replaced them with reclaimed wood shelves, suspended by metal rods.  The remaining cabinets were to be painted a lighter off-white for better light reflection, and for a little interest, we painted the island a dark green color to pick up the color in the granite countertop.  We also needed to replace the backsplash and chose a green glass, and replaced the traditional hardware with satin nickel bar pulls.  New light fixtures over the island and table were selected, and the wood floors throughout most of the first floor were refinished to a nice dark brown in a matte finish.  Originally, we had chosen different paint colors, all shades of gray, for the various spaces, but the clients liked one in particular so much—SW Light French Gray—that they used it throughout the first floor.  This is a great color that changes in different lights, gives depth to the walls but isn’t too dark, and has a warmer appearance than a straight-up gray.  It also works well with warmer tones.                The large family room addition had a heavy brass chandelier, and plenty of other accents that no longer suited the desired look.  The clients literally cleared the entire room of all of the accessories, then only added in what they really wanted at the end, when everything else was completed.  A new sectional, rug, lighting and custom window treatments completed this space.  Shades of teal and green give the room color and work well with the green in the adjacent kitchen.       The fireplace room needed better lighting, accomplished by putting recessed lights in the ceiling, with two spots for the fireplace, and track lighting in the loft area.  We demoed the existing fireplace surround, and installed a new stone veneer in various shades of gray.  An old piece of barn wood was used for the mantel.  To distinguish the fireplace wall from the others, we installed cedar ship-lap and washed it with white and gray to give it some color dimension.  The wool carpet we chose has a herringbone pattern to give the room a little “edge” and the fabric for the panels is a large-repeat, contemporary damask, providing some color and pattern, without being too bold.  We suggested a different layout for the furniture, which opened up the room to the kitchen.  The dark gray velvet on the sofa provides a counterbalance to the black corner cabinet, but all the other furnishings are light and neutral.  The clients found a beautiful piece of art for above the fireplace, adding some warmer tones to the space and reminding them of their travels.  The clients chose gold as the accent color, and used it sparingly throughout the space for some warmth and color pop.            In the dining room, working off of the brown wood tones from the new shelves, we chose a more casual style and finish for the dining table, and replaced the chippendale china cabinet with a decorative, silver-front cabinet.  A nice, neutral texture covers the very comfortable chairs.  Taking center stage are the two large light fixtures that add an air of relaxed ease, and the resulting combination is a space that welcomes use for larger gatherings or intimate dinners.  The fact that it’s now open to the kitchen is a wonderful feature of this updated design that will be a great background for making many more happy memories with family and friends!     "After" Photography by: http://www.kingdomworksmedia.com