Client Spotlight: Laura Chapman

One thing our team loves more than transforming homes is getting to know the owners behind them. Trusting a designer to bring your personality and vision to life is no small decision, and we take pride in getting to know our clients on a personal level to be sure they shine through every detail. We’re thrilled to introduce a client who’s project was as special as she is. 

Meet Laura Chapman. Laura has been on staff at Rolling Hills Community Church for 17 years, currently serving as the Care and Connections Pastor. With a passion for community service and volunteerism, Laura is also part of Justice and Mercy International, a nonprofit organization devoted to human trafficking prevention, crisis and family care, pastoral training and equipping, caring for vulnerable children and teens and mobilizing churches in the Amazon and Moldova, which is the poorest country in Eastern Europe with a shockingly high rate of sex trafficking. 

We were humbled to be trusted with Laura’s home transformation, one where her passions and personality shined through every detail. The project was a whirlwind, with phase one beginning in early 2021 when supply chain challenges were still at the forefront – so much so that we waited 11 months to receive her kitchen stools! The challenges of the pandemic bonded us through adversity, and we ultimately kicked off phase two of the renovation in May 2022. 

We were able to make upgrades and changes without a major overhaul, but rather through thoughtfully rearranging Laura’s existing furniture and incorporating a handful of upgrades. In her guestrooms, we refreshed each space with new bedding and drapery that blended beautifully with her existing heirloom pieces. Throughout her home, we added decorative details like displaying her China collection on the walls and framing a weathered family recipe to display. Laura was thrilled to see antique pieces passed down from her family incorporated into each room in a fresh new way. 

In addition to rearranging and redecorating Laura’s home, we also transformed the kitchen and dining room into timeless spaces bathed in light blue, one that merged seamlessly into her beautifully southern living room marked by a light blue fireplace. It’s the perfect space for entertaining friends and family. 

Before

We partnered with our painter, Arturo Calderon, owner of Peacock Painting, who touched nearly every surface of Laura’s home, and once completed, he commented that her personality shines in every room now. We couldn’t agree more! 

If you feel called to learn more about Justice and Mercy International or to learn how you can provide support, visit justiceandmercy.org. To keep up with Laura and her mission, follow along at instagram.com/thelaurachap.  

Don’t Wait to Renovate (or Redecorate!)

We may be celebrating summer’s finale and the excitement of back-to-school, but as fall looms, so does the holiday season. Porches will soon be covered in pumpkins and mums, dining tables will soon be set for a gratitude-filled feast, and evergreen trees will soon be trimmed in red and green. 

If you’re hosting for the holidays this year and you’re hoping to refresh your space before the guests arrive, it’s time to start the process! But, did you know? When you work with a designer, it doesn’t always mean a major renovation. We specialize in refreshing spaces based on our clients’ individual wants and needs, whether that’s knocking down walls or simply reworking furniture in a thoughtful way. 

From refreshing guest rooms to rearranging decor, here are a few ways you can refresh your space now before the holiday hustle and bustle begins. 

Guest Bedroom Refresh

Treat your visiting guests to luxurious accommodations with a refresh of your guest bedroom. We recently helped a client revamp three rooms with simple-yet-elevated touches like new curtains, bedding and decor that created a cohesive look and feel. Adding elegant curtains and blinds are simple enhancements to elevate a room, made even more luxurious with oversized throw pillows and plush bedding in a complementary style. These permanent touches go a long way with impressing your guests – just add a vase of fresh flowers before their arrival and you’re holiday ready!  

Rearranging is Redecorating

While it can be exciting to hit the store or go antiquing to find new accessories to decorate with, sometimes all it takes is some thoughtful rearranging. In this home, we utilized our client’s existing pieces like family heirlooms, curated art, and even fine china to revamp the space. We paid extra attention to detail, adding a gallery wall of beautiful dishes above a seating area, and even framing timeworn family recipes for a meaningful piece of wall art. 

Create an Entertainment Space 

If you’re hoping to go all out on in-home entertainment, we love helping our clients reimagine their existing spaces to become havens for hosting. We’ve built a bar on the back of a fireplace, a stunning scullery devoted to coffee and storage, and even a bespoke entertainment space inside a client’s original dining room. 

We’re here to help you get guest-ready in time for the holidays. But don’t wait! Book your consultation today.

Breakdowns and Behind the Scenes: A Custom Bar Space

No matter the project, home renovations require an extensive amount of thoughtful planning. We’ve heard plenty of horror stories about remodels that, once complete, had left out a detail a client would’ve never considered on their own. Working with a qualified designer can help alleviate any of those concerns, as experience should help ensure no small detail is left unaddressed. 

Go behind-the-scenes of our recent custom bar space remodel, from planning through construction and, of course, the big reveal!

Planning and Construction

Despite this project being a relatively small space, it’s important to understand just how many moving parts play into home design. In this project, we worked around an air return, carefully planned the electrical to route through brick and center everything perfectly, added plugs into the quartz backsplash and designed around a taxidermy statement piece (a gift from Luke Bryan!). We even considered things like storage for larger liquor bottles, which we achieved through oversized, strong custom drawers.

With all of the hidden details squared away, we turned toward planning the visual elements, like custom paint colors, hardware and finishes. We opted for Brizo hardware to match the Brizo faucet finish, and added a stunning gold Rhol lacquered sink. 

Now with the design in place, it was time to begin construction. Considering our brick backdrop, precision was paramount toward achieving our goals. 

Final Result

Time for the big reveal! We were absolutely thrilled with the results of this build, from the stunning custom green working seamlessly with the existing brick, to the infinite details that made this space perfect for our clients: floating shelves to display barware and collectibles, drawers for refrigeration, ice and bar storage, a small sink for easy clean-up and a perfectly centered sconce. Towering above it all (also perfectly centered, might we add) is the family’s meaningful mounted deer. 

Coffee, Cocktails and Coolers: Customizing Your In-Home Bar

Whether you’re a coffee, cocktail or wine connoisseur, having an in-home bar area dedicated to your craft of choice is a game changer. We love taking an existing space and adapting it to a custom bar of our clients’ dreams, whether that’s transforming a pantry to a dedicated coffee nook or tacking a cooler space onto an outdoor fireplace. 

It’s safe to say, if you can dream it, we can do it. Check out how we helped create the perfect bar space in these Tennessee homes. 

Coffee

Pantries are some of the most versatile spaces in your home, and are completely customizable depending on what kitchen storage is needed for each individual family. In a recent remodel in Franklin, we converted a pantry closet to a coffee bar to keep our clients perfectly caffeinated. In doing so, we were able to create a bright space for a morning joe while also keeping storage space for lesser-used appliances. We also added a mini beverage fridge to store cans, wines and, of course, all the coffee creamers. 

As the icing on the cake (or the sugar in the coffee), we swapped the existing door with wooden barn doors to hide the space when not in use and ensured we left space for a nugget ice maker and a barista-level cappuccino machine. 

Cocktails

We’d be remiss not to mention this stunning mid-century modern masterpiece by Broken Compass Woodworking in a recent remodel. We converted an existing space in our client’s home to the ultimate entertainment center, complete with built-in seating and custom storage. The project’s focal point is the custom bar that beautifully displays our client’s collection of barware, heirlooms and pieces purchased while traveling.

When it comes to cocktail bars, we have a few tricks up our sleeves we can’t wait to debut soon. Stay tuned! 

Wine Cooler

Having an in-home wine cellar or dedicated storage space is a luxury, and we were honored to have designed a few custom spaces over the years. One in particular came about during a design meeting, when we noticed a large collection of wine inside a side table. We thought, why not create a space for entertaining centered around wine? We added a wine fridge that can hold more than 30 bottles, plus seeded glass cabinet doors with visible wine racks for those meant to be at room temperature. We added storage for barware, cocktail napkins and accessories, and a small sink for convenience. 

In a separate project, we created a completely custom space for our wine connoisseur clients leveraging their exterior brick fireplace. Formerly a screened in porch, the new addition kept the chimney, allowing us to add floating shelves, lighting and other bar-specific elements. The bar space has everything needed for entertainment, from a draws specifically for refrigeration and ice, and even one measured and weighted precisely for holding taller liquor bottles. 

Thinking about adding a dedicated bar space in your home? We’d love to help. Schedule your consultation!

How to Elevate a Guest Bathroom

Any renovation project is an undertaking, even when transforming a small space. In bathroom remodels, specifically, an equal amount of plumbing, fixtures and design decisions are required whether outfitting a grandiose primary bath or a modest guest bath. In a recent project in Franklin, we tackled remodels for both at the same time, which helped streamline the process and share resources between the two. 

We unpacked the stunning (and eccentric) primary bathroom remodel in a recent blog, but the design choices in the smaller space were just as transformative. 

Check out this bathroom redesign Q&A and deeper look into the “Break the Status Quo” project. 

Is it better to tackle projects at the same time, or stagger them? 

The choice ultimately comes down to personal preference, but we recommend bundling projects into one as opposed to separating them out. In any remodel, your home becomes a construction zone, so knocking projects out in one swoop reduces the amount of time your home will be disrupted. Plus, in many cases, there may be opportunities to share labor or materials between spaces. If a tiling or plumbing team is already there to outfit a kitchen, it can sometimes be a cost saver to tackle the bathroom at the same time. 

How can you maximize space in a small bathroom?

In our recent guest bath remodel, which was certainly a small space, we maximized every inch by looking up and looking in. We added floating shelving above the toilet to maximize the room’s height and create a space for attractive storage and decoration. We also selected a vanity with several drawers and shelving for additional storage.

In the shower, we created a niche wall to house and display toiletry items. By utilizing space within the drywall, we were able to leverage an area that wouldn’t otherwise be used to give guests a touch of extra room when showering. 

What can I expect from a bathroom remodel? 

All remodels are different, and we love customizing design choices and plans based on each client’s desires. But, it’s important to note that bathroom renovations big or small are intricate processes. The options are endless when it comes to rerouting plumbing and transforming the entire space, or simply opting to upgrade fixtures, flooring and paint. 

How can I incorporate color into a bathroom or powder room?

In this project, we kept neutral walls and added pops of color through the navy blue vanity, gold and silver fixtures and penny tile in shades of blue on the shower floor and backdropping the niche wall. Our clients loved unique patterns and textures, so we selected a geometric tile for the floor in black and white, creating a stunning modern focal point for the entire space.  

Have other questions we didn’t address here? We have answers. Contact us here!