ginger brewton interiors

in celebration of the impending new year we are featuring ginger brewton, house beautiful's number one pick for the 'next 20, next wave' interior designers of 2010!

ginger hit the scene in 2005 when she founded ginger brewton interiors, llc, her charleston, south carolina interiors firm. gbi is blessed to have clients from all different areas, allowing each project to be full of different wants, needs and ideas, including today's transformed home, a kiawah island, south carolina stunner. ginger transformed what was originally a lackluster, bland residence into a luxurious private retreat. i would especially like to thank her for sending me photos of this renovation!

i will be enjoying another short break. my dear friend jacque is tying the knot on new year's eve in ohio, and then tyler and i are celebrating his january second birthday at a ski retreat in upstate new york. posting will resume on tuesday, 5 january with a transformation from the talented john willey. have a happy, healthy, and safe new year!

grace happens kitchen

happy post christmas! blogger grace of grace happens, her husband collin and their adorable son harper just spent their first holiday in their newly renovated encinitas, california residence. grace and collin are a restoration dream team. they recently purchased their older beach home and have been transformation beasts since their late october closing date.
their christmas dinner was prepared to perfection in their brand spanking new kitchen. collin did all of the kitchen construction on his own including demolition, wall removal, refinishing work and floor installation. grace was the project designer and decorator. with a beachy, classic, and traditional aesthetic she chose polished nickel fixtures, white carrara marble counters, antique glass knobs, bamboo stools and stunning turquoise lanterns. and harper, well he was simply ridiculously cute and cooperative along the way.
fall in love with the array of before + after photos i'm offering and then get lost in the magic of grace happens.

ps. raenovate has been nominated as a top home design blog over at apartment therapy's annual shelter blog awards, the homies. yippee! if you'd like to vote for raenovate please click here, i'd love your lovin!

home for the holidays

tonight, i go home for the holidays, so my mom asked me what she could prepare for dinner. i requested milk and cookies; please call me santa claus. i'll be enjoying a little holiday break and will resume posting on monday. until then enjoy a few photos of my holiday season thus far. happy christmas!

william wurster update

what do you get when you combine a four-level urban courtyard house designed by famed architect, william wurster in 1960 with a group of innovative designers in 2009? today's fabulous redesign by kuth ranieri architects!
the kuth ranieri team strived to establish a new relationship between this wurster home and its location in san francisco; in doing so they've enriched the visual connections between its interiors and the city, bay, and distant landscapes beyond. the original organization and volume was also adjusted to strengthen the home's relationship with its courtyard. broad new expanses of the horizon are now balanced with intimate connections to the entry garden.

the team also adjusted the floor plan in order to initiate relationships between the living spaces and the home's functional cores. rather than a residence with distinct boundaries and many stark rooms the space is now open and the circulation continuous. spaces overlap one another and are expressed through subtle shifts in material and detail. kuth ranieri architects not only paid homage to the great william wurster but enhanced his direct, simple style.

i'd like to give a big thank you and happy holidays to ms. gretta tritch at kuth ranieri architects for taking the time to send me photos and stories from their san francisco firm. i'd also like to credit the always talented sharon risedorph for shooting the afters.

chelsea triplex

we got a whopping two feet of snow in haddonfield this weekend! it was the perfect pre-christmas weekend; i was forced to lay low in front of the fire, wrap presents, make DIY gift bows, watch home alone, and frolic in the backyard with tyler and the dogs. although it was nice and cozy at home, i would not have minded being snowed in at this manhattan triplex in chelsea. redesigned by the talented kimberly hall creative, this home received a full service makeover. the bland interior is now infused with a natural sense of practicality and timelessness, making it a home that wants to be lived in, especially on snow days.


i'd once again like to thank kim hall, founder of kimberly hall creative for sending me photos from her new york, new york firm!

retail therapy

with christmas less than a week away shopping is the number one priority on most people's to- do lists. it would be practically painless if every store was as beautiful as today's renovation reveal. my favorite new york firm, rodriguez studio, restored this boutique located at 1124 3rd avenue in manhattan. their client, cream new york, purchased the uninspiring storefront for the flagship location of their women's luxury apparel shop.

with a bright porcelain facade and lyrical neon signage, rodriguez studio created a glowing storefront. upon entering you're welcomed into a space that is both luxurious and comfortable. the strict planer interior architecture provides a contrasting supportive backdrop for the soft fabrics and flowing lines of the clothing. my favorite detail is the reveals in the walls and ceiling exposing the existing structure. i also can't get enough of the back of the boutique. translucent, crushed satin-encapsulated resin panels screen the plush lounge and intimate fitting rooms. hello holiday shopping oasis.

i'd once again like to thank carlos rodriguez at rodriguez studio for taking the time to send me photos and stories of his terrific renovations! the after photos were shot by the brilliant j.c. paz and the construction was performed by michael amnon renovation services.

eichler home addition

i would love to live in an eichler home. i suppose that would involve relocating to california, but that's just a minor detail. the san francisco architecture firm ChrDAUER recently added a master suite onto one of joseph eichler's palo alto homes, and let me tell you, it's a stunning addition. the original cramped master quarters have expanded into a flexible, light-filled, suite that invites garden-side breakfasts in bed.

eichler homes are known for their open and interconnected indoor/outdoor public spaces, however, the modesty of the era rarely afforded such generosity of design to the more necessary and personal spaces of the houses; fortunately we live in an era that is a tad less modest. other familiar eichler elements have also been highlighted in the addition including, exposed beams, douglas fir roof decking, and a brightly colored partition. what's best is that the 'headboard' is made of re-purposed eichler 'thinline' exterior siding and complimented by cantilevered maple tables and shelves.

i'd like to thank christian dauer founder of ChrDAUER architects for sharing this project with us! i'd also like to credit the talented sharon risedorph for shooting the stunning afters.