When Life Gives you Lemons

Illustration by moi.

I'm due to deliver Baby Quinn anytime between now and June 16th, but that doesn't mean my other baby, Project Maltman, the duplex project I began a while back, is on the back-burner. NOPE. My team of contractors are chugging along... full-force ahead. It's important to acknowledge that I'm used to getting in and out of projects rather quickly (think 3 months max), but this particular renovation has kept me busy for nearly 9 months to date! What came to me as a cosmetic fixer turned out to be a total rebuild. We're talking major water damage, termite damage, asbestos findings, foundation issues... But as the saying goes, "When life give you lemons..." KEEP THEM. BECAUSE HEY, FREE LEMONS.

Well, good things come to those who wait, and the guts of this place will soon be flawless. With that said, I am now focusing on beautifying the joint, but as you can imagine, the cost of reframing, rewiring, replumbing, not to mention the cost of new flooring, new HVAC, new water heaters, and new decks have left me with little wiggle room for the good stuff. Finishes. But constraints can be a blessing. (I'm trying to think positively here!) There's no shame in installing simple subway tile. When combined with black and nickel or chrome hardware, classic subway tile can be totally refreshing.

"I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony." 

- Coco Chanel

"Bright and airy. Lots of white with touches of charcoal for contrast. Open, modern, relaxed with an industrial and vintage twist." That's what I scribbled in my notebook while brainstorming "the look" at my neighborhood Starbucks. Heaven knows how this project will turn out. It's been incubating longer than my second child...

A peek at what's been cooking in the kitchens. Both upper and lower units. 

Let's start with the upper: 

Pictured to the right of the kitchen is the entryway. More on that space later.

The kitchen's orignal layout was an L with an island. Remember THIS POST? Well, I have since reframed the entry way to the kitchen and have also centered the only window in the space. The kitchen's new formation will be a galley, but the square footage remains the same. 8.5 wide' and 14.5' long. SKINNY! Layout drawings of the two sides of the space here:

It took a while to convince my millworks guy that an offset range looks rad. I showed him inspiration pics like these:

DISC Interiors

Pinterest

Remodelista

Fresh, yeah?! Now one nice thing about this configuration is that the project can save on tiling. Because we're only tiling up to the floating walnut shelf, I suggested we go with a dramatic glossy black Heath tile for a crisp look like this:

 

IKEA

When used in moderation, black subway tile can look incredibly fab. Just enough drama. And hey, if it's good enough for Olivia Pope (I'm a die-hard Scandal fan, and her kitchen backsplash is black), I say it's good enough for everybody.

Back to the entryway. How happy would you be if you were greeted with this Tom Dixon pendant on your way in? 

Instead of this:

You'd be greeted with this:

He comes in several finishes, but at the moment, I'm totally in love with the copper. Decisions, decisions.

Moving on... The lower unit is currently looking like this. 

Demolished and reframed.

This is wall unto which much of the lower unit kitchen will be installed:

The kitchen will be open to the living room and will feature a small island that can seat two. The layout has yet to be finalized, but it will likely look something like this (the island will sit in front of the wall, not next to it):

Because the lower unit does not capture as much natural light as the upper unit (upper unit balconies block a good deal of the sun shining down below), the cabinets will be some shade of white. The island, however, may either get painted a shade of off-black and topped off with a slab of carrara or encased in wood for warmth. Goodness, I can't decide. Some inspiration images:

Pinterest

 Doherty Lynch

Athena Calderon's kitchen as featured in Harper's Bazaar

To save on tiling expense, the strip of backsplash behind the range will likely be stainless steel. I've never installed stainless steel as a backsplash before, so this will be a first. Hoping it looks good. But if I opt to top the island off in butcher block, how beautiful would a slab of natural stone be?

And how cool would it be to have this Brass T fixture hanging above the little island?

Allied Maker

I haven't ordered the fixture yet out of fear that I may change my mind and want to go for two small milk pendants... Thoughts?

This project is scheduled for completion mid-July. Hopefully I'll find time to post more updates. But between Quinn and Maltman (name of the duplex), and Olive, I'm juggling more than enough babies!

Anything But Vanilla

Photo credit: Aileen Cheng

In my next life, I'd like to be reborn as either Tina Fey (I lurv her) or an incredibly chic gay man. For whenever I flip open an issue of Elle Decor, Architectural Digest (or when I'm feeling particularly "fahnnnncy", an issue of World of Interiors), I find it difficult not to fall in love with the fearless interior work of some gent with an eye for bohemian-luxe. Inviting rooms are layered with texture, color, print and evidence of a well-traveled life; yet nary in sight are the cheesy tchotchkes that fill up my everyday life. These fellas' lives are are carefully edited, and their homes are never short of fresh-cut flowers and fiddle leaf figs. I bet Ina Garten and Jeffrey would have me over at her Hamptons pad, like, all the time...

My natural design instinct isn't "more is more", but I'd like to think that I too, possess a personal style. Not just with respect to my closet, but my renovation and interior designs as well. I aspire to create relaxed, inviting spaces. I like embracing the traditional and old and peppering it with a little "sumthin' sumthin'". Yes. I just typed those words for the world (aka all 10 followers of my blog) to read. I appreciate clean lines, but I'm no minimalist. And not a work day goes by that I don't consider that Don Draper line, "Make it simple, but significant." That's right. I just quoted an imaginary man... 

While I have a look that I prefer, I ultimately look to my clients for final approval. I'm in the business of service, and unlike some of the fahnnnnncy decorators featured on Million Dollar Decorators (I miss that show so much), I actually care if the final product I deliver is sustainable for my clients. I can tablescape and style the heck out of a space for a photo shoot, but what good is it if my clients find their home un-liveable? 

Anyhow.... there really isn't too much of a point to this blog entry other than to share an image of my new business cards with y'all. The talented Aileen Cheng did all the dirty work after reviewing the Pinterest board I pulled together with images I felt best described the feel of my business. We decided to go with a palette of navy and warm white with matte copper foil text. I love the final outcome... hope y'all do as well.

Mama Said Knock You Out

When not on hovering over my daughter to keep her Dora the Explorer underpants dry (we're potty training season here in the Huang household), I can be found wallowing in self-pity over my manatee state. Seriously? I don't even own a full-length mirror because for as long as we've lived in this house, I've been incubating little humans (first with Olive, now with baby Quinn). Pregnancy is not a good look for me (Snork snout bellybutton, veiny breasts topped with intimidating nipples). Seeing my reflection depresses me.

However, when not preoccupied with either of the above-mentioned, I've been enjoying myself at Refuge Design Build. Visuals of a few of the projects I've been up to:

Project Maltman. Duplex renovation. The whole shebang.

I asked the guys to take the stairs.

They did as they were told.

GASP.

Photo from the first day of demolition at Maltman.

Back-to-basics.

Love it.

Lower unit of Maltman.

Looking like a feature on HGTV's House Hunters Gone International.

Lower unit of Maltman. 

More framing to come down to make for an open floor plan.

Imagine Jenna Lyon's former kitchen inserted into this space.

 You know, the much-loved, much-pinned space from her Brooklyn brownstone...

Yes. It's happening.

Project West Hollywood. Single-family residence renovation. Kitchen and then-some.

Shot from cabinetry install day.

Farrow & Ball's Cornforth White is never a bad way to go, people.

West Hollywood.

Breakfast nook to come.

West Hollywood.

A masculine palette of denim, ticking stripe and linens for the nook.

In a nutshell? I've been knocking a lot of stuff down (with the help of my contractors). Finished product photos due mid-April. Just had to share some work-in-progress shots. I find perfection in the imperfection!

P.S. Refuge Design Build business cards designed by the talented Aileen Cheng are in and they are gorgeous! So thankful for you, Aileen!

I Swallowed a Beach Ball

As is typical of my FREQUENT blog posts* I shall open with an apology. An apology for being so darn absent. For those of you raising little human beings, you understand. We have to keep the munchkins alive and healthy (the baseline for motherhood), and it's not as easy as it looks. Look at what I'm dealing with:

Ahh... The beauty of potty training. In the kitchen. 

Anyhow, Olive aside (she's a time-suckage, so a photo was warranted), I have been juggling my day job. Refuge Design Build completed two home renovations in time to ring in 2014, and is now attempting to deliver three more happy homes before ankle-biter 2.0 makes her grand debut in June. Lots to look forward to. But in the meantime...

I am looking like I swallowed a beach ball. 

I'm a mere 5 months along, but am looking the way some women look at 8 or 9 months. I suppose it doesn't help that my torso is like that of a midget. Where else is baby Quinn supposed to go?** Even Olive has taken notice of her mother's rapidly expanding waistline. 

"Mama, BIG."

"BIG MAMA."

"Mama, mountain." (Pointing at my stomach.) 

In the work place, I'm a proprietor of good taste, or well, one of slightly-above-average taste. I try my best to look presentable, but baby Quinn's lil' condo is hindering my usual fashion choices. I'm She-Hulking out of my go-to shrunken leather jackets, my button-ups are pulling at the chest, and my pants... let's just stay I'll be looking into our crawlspace tonight in search of the maternity jeans I wore when incubating Olive. My jeans are getting uber-tight, and the last thing I want to be doing is running down Sunset Junction chasing a button that's sprung from my beloved Rag & Bones. My only connection to fashion as of late is how similar my belly button is to Michael Kors' nasty belly button.*** WARNING: You cannot unsee what you are about to see, so look away if you don't want to scar your eyeballs for life. 

Ay-yai-yai.

Will be posting more regularly in the coming weeks because I've been having more and more thoughts about my munchkins which I feel are worth sharing, exploring, and making fun of...

* Line should be typed out in font, SARCASTICA. 

** That's right, people. We're naming ankle-biter 2.0, "Quinn". Olive's favorite name, one which she refers to Thomas the Steam Engine by, is "Quimby." When le huz and I found out ankle-biter 2.0 would be a girl, we thought, "Why not let Olive name her future tormentor? It's only fair." So "Quinn B. Huang" it is. We've yet to figure out what that middle initial "B" is going to stand for, but are open to suggestions. 

*** I don't have an outy, but my inny (by the way, am I spelling these technical terms correctly?), but my inny is totally flipping itself inside out to become one. OMIGOSH. I'm grossing myself out.

Homemaker

Inspired. (Click to tour Faye Toogood's home. It's gorg.)

In case you haven't heard, a couple months ago, I started a new venture: REFUGE Design Build

So it's official. I've got a logo design in the works (thank you, Aileen Cheng), which makes this entire venture that much more real.

Inspiration behind the look of Refuge - as was dictated to Aileen by yours truly:

A sneak-peek at the fabulousness that Aileen concocted for me 
(just one of many concepts she had up her sleeve):

Goofing off with cardstock options. Ooh, the possibilities!

As much as I've denied the label, I've become an interior designer. What-what?!? Yes, who would've thunk?

I'm currently working on five projects and I can't wait to share the rad end results with you all.

Bears hugs and slobbery kisses.