Secrets of Design Professionals

Get the inside scoop on Dwelling Place Interior’s latest project in Compass Pointe.

By Rochelle Grass

The creative team at Dwelling Place Interiors recently completed a renovation of a home we called the Bostonian, named for their clients who divide their time between Leland and Boston. The professional couple decided to build their forever home in the location of their dreams while finishing out their careers up north. The timing of their new build coincided with the pandemic, making all things just a bit harder. The end result was a beautiful home, but there were a few installation issues. Dwelling Place Interiors loves problem solving and finding creative solutions, and here are a few of the ways we fixed this home to the satisfaction of the owners.

The Problem: Kitchen

The kitchen was a top pain point for the homeowners. The builder installation was less than stellar, and everything was white upon white, which did not allow any of the elements to stand out. The cabinet trim was small, and did not take advantage of the 10-foot ceilings.

The homeowners have great taste and had made a few improvements, but being out of town, they were not well-connected with the area’s top tradespeople. As busy professionals, their time was also limited to work on a large project from a distance. They were a little bit stuck on how to pull everything together. She craved color and warmth; he said he just wanted the house to be a “WOW!”

The Solution: Stunning

The couple found Dwelling Place Interiors through an online referral, and they asked what could be done to take their dream home to the next level. It took some convincing, but our team was confident they could rework the existing cabinets, saving thousands of dollars in the process. We added custom trim to the top, made repairs and then painted the cabinets a rich caramel color. Now, the kitchen is a show stopper, and all the details pop, like the white subway tile and the cool chevron barn door.

The new caramel cabinets pair wonderfully with the grid grass cloth wallpaper they added to make the living room coffered ceiling stand out. Now, the grid architecture truly says, “wow” when you walk into the home.

The Problem: Dining

As with many open concept homes, there is only one dining area. How do you make it special? How do you give it a unique personality and yet have it flow with the open space?

What do you do with the awkward green paint around the tray ceiling that is not seen anywhere else in the room? And where do you stop painting accent colors when you’ve got those great rounded wall corners? How do you highlight the cool light fixture that you really can’t see against the white walls?

The Solution: Delicious

We used the same golden tones from the cabinets on the tray ceiling in a simple, yet exquisite gold metallic wallpaper. This ties the dining space to the living room and to the kitchen.

Painting the back window wall and bar wall the same rich green allows the space to stand alone and envelopes the room in warmth. Now, the lonely band of green looks intentional because it is repeated. We added custom glass shelves to maximize space in the bar, giving the clients function as well as beauty.

Artful embroidered window treatments add softness and draw the eye to the expansive window with golf course views. Finally, a textured rug in gold and tray grounds the marble table and defines the eating space. Now the dining area is a cohesive space and the client’s favorite room in the house.

The Problem: Lackluster Laundry Room

The laundry room is a good size with natural light but had only the builder basic cabinets and flooring. The location of this room is off the primary suite and off the front hallway, so it gets seen a lot. The room was also a bit disjointed with two different cabinet colors. The challenge was to make the utilitarian space feel inviting.

The Solution: Laundry Oasis

The client loves wallpaper and we fell in love with a scenic print from Thibaut. It simply transforms the room to a destination. A custom window treatment, soft carpet runner and a gorgeous Chinoiserie mirror complete the experience. Now the room feels cohesive, the cabinet colors are purposeful and the room visually expanded. I even offered to do the client’s laundry just to spend more time in that room.

To see more of Dwelling Place Interiors’ work, visit Dwelling Place Interiors | Leland, NC.

Rochelle Grass – Photo by Drewe and Kate

Photography by Allie Weaver