Karen Bertelsen at The Art of Doing Stuff shares her own home redo with Style At Home and expresses how the final purchase of a modern sectional caused her to uproot most of her granny antiques and reinvent her space in a lighter, more contemporary image.
One last antique vestige in the home is an oil portrait that Bertelsen combines with rustic wood furniture, modern Panton chairs, and a paper lantern for an eclectic vibe in the dining room. The living room sectional that inspired the entire shift in thinking sits among shiny chrome finishes, transparent glass art, and just one ornate antique gilt mirror. Though Bertelsen would have liked to purge the matching bedroom set from her boudoir, it had unfortunately become stuck in the space due to a former renovation, so she didn't sweat it and just added some contemporary accessories to lighten things up. The kitchen is a charming unrenovated space that has been facelifted with paint and some decorative touches. Finally, the bathroom's brass finishes and beadboard are all original to the house, and have been revamped with paint, polish, and luxurious accessories.
If you'd like to see the rest of this personal home makeover, please visit Style At Home.
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The bedroom and bathroom are by far my favorites (which apparently she did the least work to)--they are gorgeous! The foyer and living room, however, just look like blah catalog pics to me. Very pretty, but in my opinion they don't have the individuality or warmth of the rooms where she mixes old and new.
The space is nicely done, if a bit neutral for my taste, but you describe it as "de-grannified" and "reinvented," and without Before pictures, there's no transformation to see. I realize that's an issue with the article itself, but I wish I could see what her traditional look was like so I could compare.
Hi all! It's me. The owner of the house that was featured in Style at Home. You can see a full set of the pictures and behind the scenes explanations on this post of mine - http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/my-house
You can see the "before" pictures in this post ... http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/i-have-a-red-room-and-i-want-to-paint-it-white
~ karen
This sounds very familiar to me. My house has evolved 'organically' to say the least, and whilst I quite like the mix of old and new, I am often tempted to just throw out the Louis something secrétaire/commode with the drawer permanently jammed shut with one too many of my daughter's board games.
Oh, and white is great - you might have liked the antiques more if you had painted before purging. Still, the remodel looks lovely, and well done on sorting out proper storage.
Karen, I love your home. You've done a great job of mixing antiques and more modern pieces. Antique portraits of people named Margaret -- just the thing I'll eventually inherit. :)
Thank you for sharing the before pics, Karen! The change is so dramatic. I'm not usually a fan of all-white walls, but they've brightened up your space and made it feel more open. The vibe is completely different and very serene. Beautifully done!
Oh, I LOVE this house!!! Will definitely pop over to Karen's blog to see more...
Anyone who can successfully paint a red room white and not go insane deserves a bravo!
I LOVE that antique oil painting.
Karen is awesome..you should do an article on her garden, too!
Hi Karen! I'm currently on the hunt for a sectional and I love yours...where did you find it?