Minimalism in a Village Home

How to Love the Home You Have

Lorri moved to The Village at Prestonwood a few months before we did in 2020, and is a nearby neighbor.  The first time I visited her, I loved her minimalist approach to decorating.  Her home is a calm and peaceful haven.  So how has she achieved this?  Let's take a closer look at all the elements Lorri has incorporated in telling her story in her lovely home.

Lorri is a highly successful career woman.  Having sold her business in 2019, she left Nebraska and moved to Plano to be near her daughter, who is now expecting a baby in July.  Wanting to maintain her condo in Nebraska, Lorri had the opportunity to start from scratch in her new home.

She bought an Abby floor plan which is just over 1,500 sq. ft.  The previous owners had already done some updates that were acceptable to Lorri; however, to make this home hers, there were a few changes yet to be made.

Her favorite is the transformation of the laundry room.

By removing the existing closet and putting in cabinetry she not only increased her usable space but made it more functional.  She also added a niche for the microwave, small appliances and a beverage station.

She replaced the bi-fold doors by adding a lovely glazed glass-paned barn door that allows plenty of light from both sides.

All of the light fixtures were replaced with contemporary designs that, as Lorri describes, give the effect of being "celestial."  Perhaps the most dramatic change though was in the kitchen.

 

She created a focal point with these lighted, glass-paned cabinets.

To maintain the clean, contemporary design, she relocated the switches and plugs to under the cabinets and replaced the backsplash with a textured black tile.  She also painted the peninsula black.  She topped off this room with a gas range, contemporary appliances and new accent hardware.  These changes not only make the kitchen a very pleasing place to work, but extremely functional as well.

Now, let's see how she added her personal touches to the home and made it hers.

With interior design a second passion, Lorri went to work finding sources for all things contemporary and unique in the Dallas area.  "I always start with an inspiration piece, and that piece was a set of crane artwork in black/white accent colors, already in my possession."  Everything else, fell right into place.

From here, she began with layers in her chosen color scheme to tie the entire décor of the home together.  Lorri told me that "layering is somewhat signature in my designs, so if you don't like pillows, you won't like my style."

The foundation layer is this beautiful rug of muted shades that anchors the angled seating arrangement in the living room.  From here, she brings out the touches of golds and grays in various objects and accessories.  The thing that brings continuity to the home is that she continues this theme in various ways throughout the other rooms as well.

Lorri loves finding starving artists that speak her language which is contemporary and colorful.

She commissioned several pieces and designed around them.  Mixed with the contemporary furnishings are heirloom pieces that have been jazzed up or made to look like they belong with the otherwise newer styles.  In my eye, they bring character, warmth, and interest to a space.

The sunroom is where Lorri spends most of her time, since she has continued to be involved in the transition of the sale of her business, and it is here that you will find her favorite piece of furniture.

This marble inlaid desk is from India.  She said it is not only beautiful but functional, and I would think makes working a bit more pleasant.

Now, let's visit the bedrooms.  One of the secrets for using minimalism décor successfully is in adding pops of color through accessories.  Lorri has done this well, especially in her bedrooms.

The colorful bench is one of the heirlooms Lorri has that belonged to her mother.  In this room, she continues the black/white theme but has added the colorful fabric and brought out the touch of lime as an accent.

Lorri chose a lovely shade of coral to brighten up her own room.

The primary bedroom most reflects Lorri's personality, I think.

I asked her what she loves most about this room and her answer was, "It makes me feel like the queen I am."  I think that is exactly what a lady's bedroom should do, don't you?

This solid wood Art Deco chest is a recent purchase and was handmade in France.  It is such an anchoring piece to this otherwise feminine room.  This is the only room in the house with curtains and the filmy fabric definitely adds charm and femininity.

This heirloom clock was a wedding gift of her paternal grandparents and holds a place of honor.

What more could a lady ask for than luxurious bedding, a comfortable chaise and an elegant chandelier to make her feel like a queen?

Lorri explained how this large piece of art came to be the accent of her room.  When her daughter married, Lorri hosted the rehearsal dinner outdoors.  Her dream was to have this chandelier hanging over the bridal table, and she made it happen.

Both bathrooms were part of the inherited renovations and are lovely.  Of course, Lorri added her own touch with the light fixtures and accessories that blend with the rest of the home.

Another of her heirlooms is this fascinating "family tree' that belonged to Lorri's mother.

There are so many lessons of decorating found in how Lorri has lovingly furnished her home.  She has united her décor in the repetition of color, shapes, and styles.  She loves Art Deco and uses it in every room of the house.

This is not a test, but did you notice how many ways she incorporated  the gold/bronze and curves found in her inspirational paintings, throughout her home?  You probably wouldn't have because once established, your brain expects to see it.  But I can just tell you, too many to count.

Thank you, Lorri for inviting us into your lovely home and making us feel so special for having been here.

And, should you happen to be walking down her street, feel free to join the group meeting for fellowship, drinks and a Bridge game in her garage.

Loving Your Home in the Village

Love Your Home

Several years ago, in 2016, I did a series entitled "Love Your Home" by showcasing homes whose owners had learned how to love their home by making it THEIRS.

They were as varied as the people who lived inside, because that is how to truly

"Love Your Home!" 

Now that I am in a new location and a totally different type neighborhood, I thought it would be interesting to show how my neighbors have taken a unit much like everyone else's and made it theirs.

We have four different floorplans in our Village, so it will be interesting to see how each owner has personalized their home specifically for themselves.  I will be featuring two in each quarter's newsletter.

Let me introduce you to Dick and Dena Blackwell.

They moved to The Village at Prestonwood 12 years ago from a very large house here in the Dallas area.  Downsizing was a huge concern, so to simplify matters, Dena told me she got rid of all her furniture except the family piano and her beautiful glass-top dining table. They simply just started over.

Not only did they refurbish furniture wise, they made major changes inside the unit.  And that's the story of this blog.

One of the things in common in the larger units, is the fireplace and mantel.  They are all a molded white stone.

One of the first things they did to make their new home "theirs" was to remove the old fireplace and surround and replace it with a new unit and natural stones that covered the entire wall.

It updated the room and makes such a nice statement.

In this unit, there are two bedrooms with an optional office/3rd bdrm.  The built-ins were already there when they bought the house, so they did the most ingenious addition to provide a sometimes needed 3rd bedroom.

Behind these lovely finished doors is a queen-sized Murphy bed, which their granddaughters love to use.  It is operated with a hydraulic mechanism so can easily be lowered and then put back into place.  And who is the wiser!

The Blackwells took what were mundane white bathrooms and converted them into lovely spas.  Their choice of stone and design created a masterwork of pattern and color.  A linen closet was removed in order to have space for this large freestanding vanity and storage.

This bath is perfect for making guests feel at home.

The master bath is truly 5-Star worthy.

  Dena designed the low dressing table just for her and every thing is at her fingertips.

Again, the tiles were selected with great care and the shower designed for easy access.

Nothing was left undone.

Originally, the kitchen cabinets were stained and in good shape, so they simply had them painted white and changed the hardware and backsplash.

The lovely glass backsplash reflects the new undercabinet lighting.

Another adjustment was in the laundry room.  Dena wanted folding space and easy access storage.  She got both by adding the granite top and purchasing smaller front-load appliances.

The extra space gave her room for these convenient storage drawers that she needed.

Their most prized change though is not inside the house but out.

The highly sealed, red-stained garage floor is the perfect anchor for all the white wall-to-wall cabinets and storage/work space they personally designed.

Dena has all her seasonal decor carefully labeled and stored for easy access.

Dick made sure whatever Dena wanted, could be easily reached and that goes for the Christmas trees, conveniently tucked away in their own little niche.

His cherished red truck is the inspiration for the red floor and is Dick's favorite piece.

The lovely decor inside the home speaks to their combined taste and chosen use of the space.  The large orange poppy painting is the focal point and around which the house's color scheme is built.

Art work plays a large part in expressing the couple's personality.

This piece is without a doubt their favorite.  It was a gift from their daughter on their 50th wedding anniversary.  It captures all the momentous occasions in their 50 years together.  Dick said he still can find something new he hasn't seen before.

The sunroom, painted a warm chocolate is where they both spend most of their time.  Wanting to use their living room for entertaining, they chose to put their TV in this room and it is where they most enjoy being.

I can understand why they would enjoy spending time in this warm and inviting room.

Perhaps the master bedroom best reveals Dena's taste though.  She calls it her animal room and she loves the dramatic contrast to the rest of the house.

The massive lacquered cabinets and chest provide much needed extra storage and they balance the large bed and wall hanging.

This pretty wall light fixture sums up their personalities to a tee.  It bespeaks of Dick's analytical background and nature and Dena's love for femininity and drama.

This picture holds a special significance for them.  Dena tells the story of this "Butt Sketch" being done at a party many years ago when they had much smaller butts.

 Thank you Dick and Dena for sharing with us how you truly "Love Your Home!"

To see the series I did back in 2016 click this link,

Love Your Home Series Part 1

then follow the links on the bottom of the post.