apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Gorgeous place. Not sure how a non-Mission-style person ends up in such a stellar example, but anywho...

Go painted wood, but of the (modern) Chinese variety. Black painted wood tall cabinets. I just used really nice ones from Safevieh on a job that would work here.

For me, white walls would be too much of a contrast and would only exacerbate all that wood.

Keep the loveseat only if it is a secondary sofa. It's too small for the space, and not taillored enough (imho).

I'd do a low, tailored sectional in a slightly-lighter-than-charcoal fabric, with a steel leg.

And check out Room & Board (a showroom, if possible). They do a great job of getting modern (but earthy) in a less-than-modern envelopes.

If you have to do more non-painted wood, do it in a tone to match, but get really clean-lined and modern pieces. Same thing with lighting... use Craftsmen-style materials (bronze, copper, wrought iron) but in really clean, gutsy modern shapes.

I actually like the green in this house, although I think a liighter green would help brighten things up a bit. However, I would leave the original woodwork alone.

Given the rustic/woodsy/warm feel of the space, perhaps it should be counterbalanced with a cool material palette of metals, plastics, masonry, etc. Oranges, dark reds and yellows contrasted against white or light colored rugs would look pretty neat. I agree that neutrals and earthtones should be avoided.

(But, even if you are not "Mission variety" please honor this really gorgeous example of the style. Let the house tell you what to do.)

Where are you, btw? Need a designer??! :)

I'd LOVE to do a "modern mission" interior...

What a great house!

I wouldn't do white, I'd do wallpaper. Maybe start with a William Morris fruit-pattern for one room and then paint the other in a coordinating color -- yellow if you're doing lemons, orange if you're doing the orange pattern, or the green from the leaves.

(someone will know this: what's the name of that "it" decorator-to-the-stars in LA? Handsome young guy? He has a house like this with very traditional Morris dark wallpaper and really modern furniture and it looks great. If I could think of his name I'd google you up some pics of his house.)

Or - if that's too Craftsmen for you, I'd do a modern patterned wallpaper.

OR - if you want to paint, I love deep pink with wood like this.

I say NO Way to painting any of your wood. Don't try to fight it or ignore it. Paint your walls a light enough color not to bury the wood, but use something with enough vibrance to create a little more energy.

keep the wood well oiled to make it shine and add warmth and architectural interest. I think vintage Danish Modern furniture would probably work pretty well--clean lines that would look good painted in strong, solid colors. That should take you out of "Mission" and into "Warm Modern".

Definitely go for pops of strong color and pattern--large graphic florals come to mind for me personally. Simple, graphic art on the walls. Spot lighting with halogen bulbs so you get really crisp, clear light and colors.

Simple, bright accessories like sculptural vases on your mantel. You could get away with opaque stuff and glass. Just keep it simple and colorful.

You have a beautiful home. Best of luck!

The easiest way to play down all that oak is to paint the walls in a beige that matches -- or is a little lighter than -- the color of the wood. Voila! One neutral canvas where the woodwork is just a pattern of texture, light, and shadow!

Please, please, please, don't paint that gorgeous oak woodwork or stair! As a residential architect who works on mostly historical homes - painting that wood would be a mistake. Although I think there are many options you can employ to down-play the oakyness. Definately lighten up the walls and all lots of punches of color in furniture and accessories. Once the space has more furniture/pictures/stuff in it, the oak will fade into the background. Definately live plants and flowers would help, too. Great space!

Um, she said she is *not* going to paint the woodwork... everybody chill!!!

And when I said painted wood, I was refering to furniture.

I agree, what a great space you have and definately use what you have there to your advantage.

If you use enough things that coordinate together in areas such as texture, color etc, yiou can then mix and match styles and I've seen examples of people mixing MCM, or simply modern pieces in a space similar to this and it worked very well. The trick is to stuff that has some kind of commonality to it in whatever you choose - especially if going eclectic.

Beige may not be the best choice, but a warm white or color that has more vibrancy to it will help tremendously in adding pop and pizazz to the room, which it definately seems to be lacking now. Also, the furniture placement does not seem to be working and such either. I'd try to perhaps use the fireplace as a focal point, the armoir, if it houses TV can be a secondary focal point, but there again, not on the opposite side of the room from the fireplace if at all possible if using one seating group. If your space seems to require it, make 2 focal points with 2 seperate seating areas, one for the armoir/tv, the other for the fireplace. Just some thoughts to toss out there.

But whatever you do, a nice rug to anchor the furniture grouping, but in a color that pops against the dark flooring, a color that will downplay all that wood for the walls, but still allow a vibrancy to the space will do you the most good, I think. Olive green, while it can be lovely isn't the liveliest color out there in the greens. Chartreuse might work, although not sure if you like that type of green, but it's a starting point on something vibrant for the space.

Whatever you do, good luck with it and share with us what you end up doing.

I would say to look for furniture pieces that have more "heft." The 2 leggy-woven chairs get kinda lost in all of that strong craftsman architecture. End-tables are also kinda leggy - more solidity would help.

The corner armoire is perfect...don't be a matchy-matchy slave to an architectural/historical style. But the armoire piece works in the space.

Agree with all the comments about rugs...it will help tone down the woody-ness.

Whatever you do, stay away from "shabby chic" furniture. It will just look messy and un-modern with all that bare wood. Go for clean lines. Danish Modern sounds about right.

The good thing about a Craftsman house is that it's very geometric and balanced. You can do anything as long as it's strong enough to compete with the space and is of a definite style.

(No oversized marshmallow Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn stuff, please!)

Patrick(too), thank goodness you clarified your comment about the painted wood. Sometimes painted woodwork is an improvement (the design shows seem to do it all the time), but in this example it could very well be criminal ;-).

My biggest concern is the "weight" of the fireplace presently. It seems oppressive. Is it already painted? Hard to tell in th pix. Sorry, but I don't have any great constructive solutions. Maybe some larger vertical art piece or mirror above the mantle to draw the eye up more? Also a bookcase/storage would help in that nook to the left of it.

Great woodwork! Some of the most memorable (to me) modern interiors are those that are set against very traditional backgrounds.

P(too), what do you have in mind for modern Mission? You must have something/body in mind...

The predominance of wood in your home remided me a bit of an AT Europe house tour where the guy had done a faux wood finish on all of his living room walls. Different style than what you are going for, I think, but the pics might provide some inspiration nonetheless.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-europe/at-europe-london-hughs-living-room-atelier-026040

In the house tour, the black laquered fireplace with blue facade look great against the warm wood, so I don't think you should be afraid to use painted/laquered wood in your home. I also agree with previous comments that painting the walls a soft, warm tone will downplay the wood. And with that, I am tapped out for design tips.

Please don't paint that wood! I live in a 1924 bungalow, and have a good collection of mid-century Danish modern furniture. It matches the warm wood found in my home quite well and you can easily upholster the cushions in a modern print. Figure out a 'look' that will fit with what you have: If you're hoping for leather and chrome, you've got the wrong house.

Is it possible to paint that fireplace? Mine was already painted, but was most likely that dark color originally. I think that would help brighten the dark end of that room.

Don't be afraid of using bright paint colors. You'll have to experiment a bit until you find something that works well with the warmth of the wood, but it will help brighten and modernize the rooms immensely.

My kitchen (with an already painted wood wall cupboard) is Red, with accents of chrome, black, white and Jadeite green. The dining room is a rich warm yellow that just glows in the sunlight, and matches the wood trim beautifully. I also have painted walls in deep midnight violet (bdrm), sage green (lr), sandstone (lr) and bright electric green (office). Several of my rooms already had painted trim, that I repainted a unifying white.

Don't try and fight the character of your house. You can successfully create a warm, eclectic, modern home that will be beautiful and you'll enjoy living in.

I'd paint the fireplace. Brick to me is a workhorse material, not something of beauty (like your wood work).

I'd add in modern light fixtures. Keep the ones that exist (if they are original) in boxes for safekeeping. They may have value- if not to you, to the next homeowner. Fun fixtures is a good way to draw folks away from a house's style (or towards it, I suppose) and towards the rest of your decor.

I'd lose the current furniture when you can- it's not doing anything for the space

Find or have made (make friends with a metal guy) a modern fireplace screen. I loathe the colonial one that came in my mid-century split...but can't find an alternative one yet.

Does your home have pocket doors? Just curious. I love pocket doors...

Wow. Beautiful house!!!!
I am trying to wrap my head around how a person who doesn't like craftsman ended up in this place.

Please honor the house by letting it be what it is. Hopefully you will come to appreciate it over time. It should leave it's mark on you.... not the other way around.

Here's a peek at my favorite California Craftsman. It is very much decorated in the craftsman style, but maybe it can provide inspiration in seeing furniture and touches that don't overwhelm you. http://www.clickchick.photosite.com/Album3/

So happy you won't be painting the beautiful wood. Thank you for that.

Moving on...
I find that Craftsman blends well with modern clean lines. As someone else said... that sofa is too poufy/ chunky, but maybe that's because it's white. What's under it? If it's a vintage piece the original upholstry might work. I'm thinking something textured, knobby and probably green or pink! (I'm picturing an older deco sofa with wood detailing following up the arms - is that what you have? That would be awesome!) That could be cool balanced with something less chunky.

That's how I finally put my finger on my style. I knew I liked Mission and Craftsman - but I don't want to be overwhelmed by it. So I realized that what I like about those styles are the nice clean lines, sharp angles - square shapes. I also try to let the style of the home determine what goes in it. In an older home, I use more wood and antique. Now I'm in a post war building - and I lean more toward Mid Century.
Anyway, that's how I settled on this sofa.
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=252660&CategoryID=30247&LinkType=SiteAd&LinkLoc=29391&AdID=37172

Maybe it would fit the bill for you?

I love, love, (and you may not) mixing Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie School style with Organic Modern and California Craftsman pieces. The best example I've seen is on the show MONK on USA. (Although they rarely use Organic Modern)

Now, most mission style especially from the midwest is dark, but the California Craftsman and the Modern pieces mixed in give it a lighter, but still serious feel. It's beautiful.

Do some research on the Prairie School style. It wasn't his most famous era, but I think his best. It was about horizontal planes and bringing out the best qualities of the material being used. And that's where it ties into modern design.

Most Mission style work, I don't like, because it becomes decorative and moves away from 'form follows function'. So I pick my favorite pieces out of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie school style and mix it with organic modern and California craftsman.

No no no!!!
That fireplace is GORGEOUS!!!!
Don't paint it.

These people are crazy... like that blasted Hildy on Trading Spaces who went around painting every fireplace she saw! I hated her for that!

Brick is beautiful... and a fireplace that gorgeous... I'll come cut off your hands if you paint it.

Grrrr.

I don't think that fireplace is brick. I think it is vintage ceramic tile.

And to clarify one more time, SHE IS NOT PAINTING THE WOOD. And I am not recommending paiting the wood.

I am talking about painted wood FURNITURE.

Jon_B--
Nothing particular in mind, I just salivate at the proposition of "modernizing" any genre of decor... especialy one I've not worked in.

I'd bring in natural materials, but with a *really* limited palette... ivory and charcoal wool, leather... in solid colors and blocky shapes.

And kibitzknitz, I beg to differ about chrome and leather here... a leather and chrome Mies daybed would be awesome here... as an accent.

You should check out 1912Bungalow, this is the first house blog I saw and still the best. This is such an incredible house, they were featured on a few TV shows, and they have a great gallery of pics of the house. Enjoy!
http://www.1912bungalow.com/archives/2006/02/

Btw, David on COlor Splash just did a Craftsman cottage redo (living and dining room) but he went whole-hog Mission/Craftsman.

Sorry, now I am obsessing...!
I'd actually add some more oak... built-in bookcases (with doors) flanking the fireplace.Very true to the era/style of the house while addressing modern storage needs.

honestly the deco and modern stuff looks great in the craftsman bungalo... what I cringe at are the folks that try to do 100% craftman or 100% deco, so dull and uninspired... In my place I did all traditional furniture with high tech modern lighting to get this effect.

Ooh, if the fireplace is glazed tile, that would be a keeper. I saw the sheen and assumed that it was some sort of glaze on brick, in which case, yuck.

BTW, I am no design buff but isn't Big Space Small Style a better use of one's time than Trading Suburban Spaces?

Something about this space (to me) also wants something Noguchi, mainly lighting.

If in the area, buy these two Coach leather chairs of Craigslist:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/phpclass/ad.php?adid=4858

Whoops, I meant ApartmentTherapy classifieds!

Here's an example of the kind of "modern Mission" style I could see in here (a pendant lighting fixture):
http://gumps.com/jump.jsp?itemID=8652&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C6%2C155%2C171&iProductID=8652

For inspiration, check out http://www.warymeyers.com/interiordesign.html

even though there aren't any craftsman examples there, they have a way of mixing it up with old/new and color/texture that I think would look beautiful with your lovely "new" house.

What a beautiful house! I dream about finding such a place...

A, you're house looks similar to our 1924 house. We have an Arts & Crafts style with oak floors, baseboards and window trim. When we moved in, the rooms were painted dark greens and blues. With all that wood, the end result was gloomy and heavy. We painted the walls a warm white and were very happy with the result. Something we found was that because the oak has a lot of red tones, whites that leaned toward a green undertone worked best (whites with a red undertone were the worst). In one of the smaller rooms, we went with a soft mocha color. We brought in bits of bright colors through furnishings, art, etc.

The rule we set for ourselves is: If it's original to the house, it stays. If it's some update from prior owners that we don't like, it goes. That way were respected the house's roots and brought in our own style.

A lot of our friends told us we couldn't do modern in this house because it wouldn't fit the "period" of the house. But that's rubbish. We have modern furniture, lighting, and art work and it blends just fine. We've also mixed in a few antique pieces, but that's because we like mixing, not because we felt bound by a certain time period.

Something that made a big difference for us was redoing the kitchen. It had ugly, cheap oak cabinets from the 80s. We did white IKEA Akurum cabinets because we felt there were already enough wood tones in the house. So now the kitchen feels bright and modern and helps tie in the rest of the decor.

It's easy to get brainwashed by design magazines that you need sleek, white modern architecture to express your modern style (sometimes I suffer from temporary brainwashing), but don't believe it. Take your time, and experiment with one room first maybe. And someday soon people will say how cool it is the way you mixed this great historical home with modern.

A good place to look for inspiration is the magazine Living Etc. They show more blended styles than Dwell and some others. Good luck.

I'd definitely take down the existing drapes and (matchstick?) shades and get something less obtrusive. In a house with that much wood, the light is your friend. Roman shades, roller shades, even cafe curtains. Love the woodwork, though. If the fireplace is already painted, which based on the shine it looks like it is, I'd also repaint in a lighter color.

If you really want to get spendy, you can refinish the wood in a lighter stain. One guy we met who did that said a lot of the Craftsman woodwork was originally much lighter, but the stains of the era were unstable and darkened a lot over time. True or not, the final result looked gorgeous.

My first reaction was also to shriek, don't paint the wood! don't paint the fireplace! Preserve the historical elements.

I agree this house needs more substantial couches/seats, like the one in the Macy's link. Unless you have P(too) design it for you, I'd say research Craftsman design picture books to get ideas.

I think the "furnishing" of a home should come with time. But as a quick fix on the path toward further inspiration, I'd also suggest to start by getting more light in the room. Get rid of the old blinds. Unless you like them, dark wall colors can be depressing and unstimulating so I suggest as a start, to paint the walls a light color so you can see what you've got (you can always change it later when you know what you want).

I think the seating you choose should be light colored, as you've already got a lot of dark wood. Color can be introduced in pillows, throws. Throw in some shine, such as mirrors, old silver. And use some polish to make the wood shiny too.

Add plenty of light, I like Patrick's suggestion of Noguchi lamps, or something in that style. Remember that the style of the house was in fact uncluttered/modern for its day, with plenty of nods to Japanese influences, so you can have fun with the space. Reds and greens are cliches in Craftsman style; I'd consider some bright yellows and turqoise to make the space feel new. And A, if you want to paint any of the wood, go ahead....it's your house! (There would be a consequence with resale, of course, but it's your place.)

I think Sarah Susanka's books would be a great resource for you....if you look at this link, you'll see a house tour of a showhouse she designed along with her explanation of the design principles she follows.
http://www.notsobigshowhouse.com/2005/virtualtour/default.asp
To me her homes are the modern equivalent to the craftsman home....She uses similar woods, so you can look at the color schemes she uses that bring light into the spaces. I too live in a craftsman bungalow and my taste runs to the contemporary, mcm, with asian and eclectic touches. We own a lot of Danish modern furniture, and it definitely works well in a craftsman home.

I think she should paint ALL the wood and the fireplace.



I'm kidding.

Oh monroe, I want to see your house. It sounds dreamy.

Seriously! You people that want to paint that fireplace are crazy!!! If you want to paint a fireplace like that, you don't really want a fireplace. You want a wall heater.
I agree that paint, rugs, some warm lighting, and the right furniture will make the difference. I think the color scheme in the link that J posted would be beautiful with your wood, but I wouldn't add any faux wood. It's not a bad idea to go with warm white walls because if you don't like the feel of it, at least you've prepped if for another color. I would also consider how you want to use that room. If you want the fireplace to be the focus, then go for a more warm, comfy feel. I could totally see myself curling up on a comfy couch with a book in front of a fire in that room.

I'd love clarification from the owner on whether the fireplace is vintage tile or glazed brick--you guys are right, if it's the latter, PAINT IT. But we have a tile surround on our fireplace that could be identical, it's just hard to tell from the photos. If it's tile like ours, it's this lovely brick-meets-subway tile with variations in the tone. Ours is moss green, other apartments in our building have lighter green and red. Building is 1901. But we have a wood mantel to lighten up the green!

I say start with creamy walls, as per Maxwell's suggestion. With all that wood you have plenty of warmth and detail and what you need it to pull light into the space.

i say paint the walls tinted white. would you paint the brick mantel? i'd paint it white also. or pistachio. and make some delicious "eclectic-painted-wood-girl" type curtains (like this? http://www.reprodepot.com/ngpvrv.html or this http://www.reprodepot.com/snbldl.html or this http://www.reprodepot.com/ngprlv.html )
if you are itching to paint some wood, get furniture you can paint. that's always fun.

I am not a wood-all-over girl either! But this wood is amazing and well crafted. I would add other elements whenever possible: metal, marble, tile, a great rug, paper, pottery, stone, etc.

If you have animals, I would stick with washable slipcovers eventually, but I would focus on bringing other elements into the area. I like the idea of painted furniture too. And light walls.

Have fun. Select each piece because you LOVE it. Think big!

lots of great ideas here, so I'll keep this short:

get some plants!!!!!!!! and flower print wallhangings~ and maybe some sconces! and how about a wreath or two? and some greenery wrapped around that gorgeous bannister?

Yikes. I sooooo don't see florals, of the printed or actual varieties, in this space at all.

Have we heard from the homeowner yet?

God, if you painted those walls salmon or coral, and brought in some huge warm-white objects (a great big nubby sectional with a colorful rug underneath it, or a big cream-colored shaggy rug with a charcoal mid-c sofa on it) and a few shots of yellow and grass green, I'd move into your living room and never leave.

Craftsman style all the way is too blocky, too straight-lines for me. But I love Craftsman-style homes, and if I had one I'd go straight to my Alphonse Mucha art books. Those two periods aren't separated by much time, and the colors are so rich and vibrant they'd bring all that wood to life. I don't know if I'd actually put up a Mucha, or go as swirly and curvy as the art goes, but treat it like a color palette and a touchstone for how brighter, richer colors interact with the dark anchor colors (your wood, in this case).

http://images.google.com/images?q=mucha&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=bJ2&um=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title

Oooh, salmon and coral tones do sound nice!

1. Paint the walls a creamy white.

2. Lighter/smaller window treatments.

3. You probably need more lighting, Craftsman homes tend to be on the dark side. I really like the link P2 gave for a light fixture, and I agree with his advice.

4. Those stairs need a runner. Maybe have the runner extended to make an area rug for that landing. Don't be afraid of pattern there, and don't make it too dark.

5. I think a Craftsman can handle a very eclectic mix of 20th century design. You know what would look good? A metal Thonet rocker. There are different styles - this one is tubular chrome, which I'm not crazy about, but it will give you a general idea: http://cgi.ebay.com/CHROME-70s-THONET-STYLE-ROCKING-CHAIR-hollywood-regency_W0QQitemZ260152528513QQihZ016QQcategoryZ63568QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I think if you paint the walls white, you can do almost anything in terms of color for the rug(s) and upholstery. Get a big, colorful, rug for the living room. Have fun with the decorating, don't be afraid to mix things up. I would stay away from natural wood tones with the furniture, but stick with other natural materials. Metal, leather, stone, glass. If you're buying wood pieces, buy them painted (or paint them yourself)!

I agree with the poster that recommended salmon and coral. I'd also consider cantaloupe orange or a green or blue in that color range. White walls will just emphasize the wood work and make it seem darker.

I'm not convinced of the recent suggestions about using salmon, coral and the green or blue for that matter. Why? In my limited experience I always thought the right (buttery) shade of yellow works best with an abundance of wood.
I've seen these lovely, free form scrolly fireplace "screens" that look like a free-standing piece of art.
I'm no window treatment expert but i would probably resort to venetian style blinds framed with those huge grommeted (white)drapery panels and rods (mounted high), from IKEA.
The loveseat should go. it looks so uncomfortable too. The chairs are nice, but how about using them outside on a deck or other cozy corner?
Just research good lighting principles (dimmers, up-lighting, etc).
Furniture with some visual weight sounds good: clean-lined dark leather maybe?
I like the fireplace as it is.

This looks a lot like a house that was for sale near Hudson NY. Do you mind saying where the house is located? I bought one nearby recently and I wondered about this one.

I recommend looking at European decor magazines for inspiration. American magazines tend to be about starting from scratch. Europeans are used to creating contemporary interiors in historic buildings. (I think that combination is the key to European style.)