SIMPLY SMART

The Front:

 

• Raleigh is a very traditional community, but it’s also very welcoming.  So outside, you get a real cottage kind of feel.  But inside, you get the modern touches that you would expect from a smart home.

 

• I had to color inside the lines of the neighborhood association’s rules (no bright colors, for example).  So, we decided to paint the brick to give the whole thing a subdued and chic look.  

 

The Back:

 

• When I designed the screened in porch, I wanted to give the living room a run for it’s money.  I love the feel of it.  It’s like “drinking iced tea with the Vanderbilt family on a Sunday afternoon, and shoes are off people”.  Classy, but not stuffy.

 

• The yellow chairs are just great.  Bold and they really draw the eye with a splash of sunshine.

 

• Oh, and did I mention the living wall?  That’s right, it’s a huge art piece with succulents living in the frame.​

 

• Wireless locks and a garage door that all be control with an app on your smartphone or tablet.

 

• The porch features skylights with built in rain detectors that close when it starts to rain.  How cool is that?

 

The Dining Room

 

• The Dining room is the first thing you see when you enter the open floor plan.  It seats six and I love the huge artworks on the wall.  They are hand painted and a bit aggressive.

 

• You’ve also got this rustic barn table with these ladder back chairs.  This is where the cottage meets the city, in my book anyway.

 

• You’ve got these beige and neutral walls throughout the space that lets bits of color to really come out.

• And what can I say about this chandelier, black with bits of amber all around.  Just, wow. 

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The Kitchen

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• The kitchen is the heart of the home and that’s especially true in this house because of it’s location between the living and dining rooms.  So, I had to be very aware of colors matching.  I actually upholstered the barstools around the island in the same fabric as the dining room chairs to make everything match.

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• These hand painted Spanish tiles are really where I started.  I built the rest of the color scheme around them.  They were so wrong, that, it’s just right!

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• This island is massive people.  It’s a quartz top counter, perfect for dinner parties or just hanging out with the fam.  Or taking a nap if you’re too tired to go to the bedroom.  Yeah, it’s that big.

 

• Motion sensor faucets and a boatload of stainless steel, state of the art appliances.  Did I mention the mother of all cappuccino machines?

 

 

The Living Room

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• This living room is uber comfy.  It’s the perfect space to unwind, as a family, after a long day.

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• I love how the living room leads straight into the covered porch, with massive windows that give you tons of light.

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• The beefy mantel over the fireplace matches the hardwood floor.  And that great piece of contemporary art on the mantel brings together all the accents of the room.

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• This huge light fixture is made out of iron.  So cool.  What a find!

 

• A wall mounted tablet that controls the thermostat, lighting, windows and even the locks on the doors.

 

Master Bedroom

 

• I felt like I was a couple’s counselor for this room.  Designing for two different people with distinct tastes is not easy.  You also have a massive amount of space to balance out.

 

• I decided to create a gentle tug of war, by creating a “mini-living room” by the windows and by balancing the masculine and feminine elements around the bed.

 

• The TV is mounted in a double sided mirror on the wall.  When it’s off, it’s a mirror.  When it’s on, you get a beautiful HD picture.  Whoa.

 

• The bed adjusts firmness and tilt on each side.

 

• A rain shower head in the master bath, with additional body sprayers, makes for an immersive shower experience.  You’ve also got a warmer drawer for your towels.  Hot towels anyone?

 

Second Floor

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• Upstairs is where the business gets done.  Whether your business is in the office or with the dirty diapers in the nursery.

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• I love how the office, just sort of nestles into the “flex space” between the upstairs rooms.  Since its in the open, I had to find creative ways to hide clutter, like the massive drawers that house the printer and scanner.

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• The smart TV on the wall will communicate with your tablet, so you can get a larger view of your work or even set it up for video games for the kids.

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Basement

 

• Downstairs is where we go to play!  There’s a media room for the movie nights or epic video game battles.  There’s also a full size exercise room and guest room for slumber parties!

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The Lucky Winner

 

• You should have seen Theresa’s face when I told her she won.  In fact, you can.  Check out the video here:  http://www.hgtv.com/design/hgtv-smart-home/2016/articles/hgtv-smart-home-2016-winner-announcement 

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• She does a happy dance!  Wow, that felt great!

 

Whew.  That’s pretty much it.  It’s truly a masterpiece and I’m sure Theresa is loving every minute of living there.  

 

Again, you can find loads more at: http://www.hgtv.com/design/hgtv-smart-home/hgtv-smart-home-2016-behind-the-build/articles/interior-design-plan-at-hgtv-smart-home-2016