This is the moment I live for, and I know
it's the moment my clients will never forget. It's the moment the client gets to
see their home for the first time. This is after we finished building
the home, and now we've also furnished it. We welcome you to see what they see
when they arrive. And this is The Reveal. Welcome to, what I call, Fresh Traditional with a
hint of modern. This home is a family home. It's in Alpine, Utah and we had a budget. Believe it or
not, I like to work within a budget, and we had to decide where we would spend and where we
would wait and spend later through the years. Isn't that what we do often? Let's make sure the
bones are right and can last a long time, and then there'll be things we could add to our homes as we
grow in those homes. So this is a great example of that. I think we got a long way with the budget
that we had and made some smart decisions. I'll show you those while we're here, but let's start
in the entryway. This is where it all happened. The night of the reveal, the doorbell rang, we went to
the door, we couldn't tell what was going to happen. We opened the door, and there were 37 people here
to greet us for their reveal experience. There is nothing like it. It was the time of my life and
it always brings tears for me, and usually for the client, if i'm lucky. In the entryway, we wanted
to give a little feel of integrity, as always, and a little fun. You can see that this light fixture
here is one of our highest quality lights in the house. We did that because we thought it had to
happen at the front door, and the rest of the way, we were able to save a little bit on our lighting
choices. Here we have our press-dried flowers, something just very subtle, an art light, I love the
integration of an art light into a space. Not just because of the light it provides, but the texture,
the brass. Adjacent to our entry, is the office. You can see in the office, we totally brought in
that blue color that I love. I feel like every man needs a little bit of blue. They look good in blue,
too. So we just put the cabinetry behind the desk in that blue, and really popped that brass color,
which always works, and then gave him a lovely, very small office. Picking a light picture that
was a little fun and affordable, and then spending the money on the desk itself, that really, I feel,
that most people will have their desks forever, if they choose a good one that can stand the test
of time. And to me, this desk is forever traditional. I want to point out just a few things on the
cabinetry that are good little tricks for the trade. It's always nice to add library lights
to the top of your cabinetry to light your open shelves, and also to mix it up, to have something
else on your cabinetry besides just the wood. Another interesting thing we do is,
instead of having each of the cabinets separated as a full panel, we split that panel
and make one big, wide panel. That's interesting, that's unexpected. It doesn't cost more to come up
with ideas that make things a little more special. So, the family room. They have four children.
We're always thinking about who lives here, and we had to add up with the amount of seats
we put in this room. So as you see, we've got a ton of space here. We're looking at two
groupings. We've got this by the fireplace, and a TV. All right, I couldn't win, we have a TV
in the room. No, we know people are real, and they watch, so by doing a beautiful limestone fireplace,
we really were able to ignore the fact that we had a TV above. When it comes to the floor coverings in
this home, I wanted to keep it light and white oak. I also wanted this textured finish on it so that
it felt informal and could handle the dog that lives here, too. I collected some rugs for this
house along the way. I remember finding this rug when I was in Paris at a great show, and I called
the client. I said, I know, you know, it's kind of expensive, it's really large, it's going
to be hard for me to find a rug that big. May I? And they said, we trust you. Those are golden words
to any designer. And then, I found this beautiful runner that also incorporates all the blues and
the yellows that we love throughout the house. This is the adjacent powder bath and it really had
to speak to all the guests that come and stay here. I love the flavor of the vanity, the
mirror, the shape of the mirror, and this vinyl wall covering, but it's all about
the sconces in this space. The floral Dogwood, oh, my gosh. We also love this flooring, so still
going from the white oak, but instead, moving to a chevron pattern. It's good to remember that
you can use wood flooring in your bathrooms. The trick in these large rooms is setting up
two conversation areas. So this is more of our intimate setting, our conversation area, maybe
our game-playing, and also, still adjacent to the kitchen because, of course, we can never get
anyone out of the kitchen. You'll see behind me is what I call, home central. Instead of putting
your office, or the place where you do homework, or pay bills into your own private office behind
a closed door, I love leaving it open. And again, we call it "home central" because that's where you're
going to pick the movies you're going to go to, you you're going to plan your vacation, your kids
might be doing homework and have questions, and I might need a recipe, so keeping the computer
adjacent to the kitchen is actually a really good idea. It's just a question of doing it well, and
I think this is a good example of that. When you look up in this room, you can see we definitely
knew we needed to spend the money on the beams. That was something we couldn't wait until later
to do, so we splurged and got our white oak beams in the ceiling, got our limestone fireplace, did
the beautiful cabinets to the left and right of the fireplace, and added the beautiful brass
netting inside. Some places we'll handle later, like the big windows, which need a drape. You
can do drapes anytime. Let's go see the kitchen. I don't feel like I need to say much when you're
filming in this kitchen. It really delivers. There's a lot of quality, there are good colors that speak
to one another, it's really gelling, and it's cozy. It's hard to say that it doesn't start with
the hood. There is no question that the hood is one of the most important parts of your kitchen,
so you have to think, what is my theme? Who am I in my house? For me, this hood defines the house. It's
a little modern, but yet, it has traditional bones, and they were so smart to splurge on the hood.
You can see something unique happened here. Instead of running the backsplash like we all do,
all over the backsplash, I decided to use cabinetry as the backsplash on the two sides. So when you
get up close, you can see this is actually just a wood panel made by the cabinet shop, instead
of running the tile. Price wise, probably sixes, but interest wise, it's a winner. You can see, once
again, I love a chopping block in the kitchen, and I like to use it. Nothing for me is really for
show. I want us to use the things that we have, but I want to make them beautiful. So we left this,
the light maple wood that it is, and we created that slit in the top, and the trash can below, so
we can work here.The countertops are gorgeous Taj Mahal quartzite. What is quartzite? It's
natural, it's as hard as granite, it's as pretty as marble. So it's gushy, it's soft, it's resilient, it's
hard, but it is the look that I love. And the colors are warm, sultry like the kitchen. So I have the
blue brought into my two islands, and then the rest is this light Pashmina color that I have a crush
on. When it comes to two islands, let me explain how much i love two islands. This is my work island. I
can get a lot done here and I'm adjacent to the stove and the range. I can work simultaneously,
two people in one space, if I give enough room in between. And then, as you come over to
the other island here, you can see that this is a complete work surface. I could wrap presents here, I
could roll out bread, I wish I did that more often. I can do so many things here without a sink in my
way. And then, I can serve, and serve buffet style, as well, off the second island. So that is why I love
two islands in a space this grand, this large, this high. It was the right thing to do, two chandeliers,
and not hang them too low, but they helped to fill the massing that this room has, and cozy it
up a bit. But my favorite lights in the house are always the mac. You can see the level of detail
in these, the brass with the enamel slate blue, and the brass underneath. There's nothing like the
way these workings were done to create the hooks. I get into this stuff and these are the prettiest
thing in the house. To save money, we went with two instead of the expected three, so just a rule
correction for you guys. It's no longer about threes and uneven numbers. I actually am very
settled with the even numbers, and even just two. So, now looking into the dining room right next to
the kitchen. Everything is meant to be really easy to flow. I think the floor plan is a winner. This
family can just let loose in here and everyone can be a part of everyone's lives. I love this
light fixture, too, and this is where I was able to emit a little bit of a more modern flavor.
You can see it's a little edgier, kind of cool. And the future holds window coverings,
perhaps, in this room, and of course, outdoor furniture. All things that can wait
because we want to get the bones just right. All right. Let's go into the adjacent room,
which we're going to call the butler's pantry. What's not to love about a butler's pantry?
It's an opportunity to switch it up, make it fun, bring in light, and actually do some hard
work. So we set this baby up. It's beautiful with the brass shelving that you know I
love, which makes it easy to set the table, grab a glass. We also set this up as a wet bar
underneath. Here we have our big kitchen sink and another dishwasher. We've got double ovens
in here and we just have extra pantry storage. But I want you to see that I had a little fun.
Look at this floor design. We so wanted to have a little gesture, a little spark, a little punch
mixed with our blue and the brass. I think it's really fun, and why not go the extra mile
in a small area? So that's how we decided, we would know when to hold them, and know
when to fold them, and this had to happen. There's no question the powder bath has to
do some talking. Again, a small space, an easy space to design and have a little fun. So we used
feather wall covering to bring in color, and you'll see how it brings us blues and yellows and greens,
We left for open vanity so we could store some baskets underneath with the toilet paper, but
also just feel a little less formal. The floor, also, another really cool, fun, flavored design in
an octagon, which makes it interesting. And then, of course, the mirror with a flower shape around it.
Kind of cool. Always a sconce to mix it up a little bit. I really rely on lighting to be the art in a
room, so as you're picking your lighting, it's not just a practical thing. It counts and it really
helps tell the story of the design in your home. Right next to the great room is the master suite,
and we have this little nook before you enter. I love a vestibule. I was so happy when they let me
use the shiplap all throughout this vestibule, in the ceiling, on the sidewalls. It's not that
expensive to add just a little bit of detail. And we had to pick a light fixture that, you know,
kind of mixed it up a little bit. On to the master. All right, I still feel that sense of sanctuary
when I come in here. It's, as I said, it's been about a year since I've been here. They have lived
so well in here and kept it so nice. I love how the bed is in the center of the room, and I've
got a beautiful limestone fireplace in front of me, a TV because, you know, a lovely spot for their
books and a lounge chair, and then easy access to the outside. The goal was really, simply to make it
quiet and beautiful. It mattered what light fixture we picked because we also needed to spend a little
money there to make a difference. Hey, guys, if you ever have a vaulted ceiling, try to always put a
beam in the center of it. This is a good example. A lot of times, you'll end up with a vaulted ceiling
just because of the way your roofs are designed, but if you leave it empty, it just looks, well, empty.
And so, I suggest run a beam in there, and it can just be a boxed white oak beam. It's not that
hard to add that little bit of an extra touch. I love the rug in here, and the softness, and
we lead into the master with the same vibes. When I design a master suite bathroom, I want it
to feel roomy, lovely, luxurious, and like a spa. For this one, we had the luxury of enough space to
do two separate vanities with a beautiful tub in between. I remember the day I thought, oh could
we please do diamond windows in this little spot? And they did it. So once again, you got to know when
to spend and when to hold. You can always do more later, but they spent on the things that really
mattered. We have a beautiful limestone floor in this room, and of course, another quartzite on the
countertops. You can see, I have a choice when it comes to the details on these countertops. For me, I
wanted it to feel a little bit traditional. We have the straightness of the vanity, the modernness of
these brass knobs, but you can see this Dupont edge adding that little touch of softness. This, again is,
a quartzite. It is Macaubas, and one of my favorites because it brings in a little energy with all of
these lines, and yet the body of it is succulent, and soft, and grayish, if you will. Love the mirror
and the offset of the sconce. Remember, we don't always want to have the sink in the middle, making
each side of the vanity a little small. Instead, you simply place the sink to one side, so you have all
this room to do your hair and your makeup. It makes sense. And then, I just simply love the asymmetry
of the design between the light and the mirror. The adjacent shower, of course, has a
Euro glass door with the brass hinges. We left this as an awning window when we need
to release the steam in the shower. This is a steam shower, so you have to run the glass all
the way up. I love this travertine on the walls. Yes, it's travertine. I know it's not 1990, but we
still like this travertine because of its organic, sedimentary, linear nature. I think
you can appreciate the settling that this feels. We put in a shower bench, beautiful
brass hardware, and remember, it's okay if the brass looks like it's been here. We want it to have
age, that's what's so beautiful about brass. This is one of the daughters' rooms, and we liked
letting her do it herself. So she put together her bed and her bedding, and even this little spot.
The only thing I had to do in this spot was come up with the drapes, and I love the feminine, soft
pink and gray drapery. It's fun. We raised it on to a platform, so it felt like a different little
space, and of course, you can see she's kind of foxy. I love the bathroom in this space. It's just the
right feel. You can see as you walk in here that you're somewhere special. I always look for a way
to create a focal point on that bathroom wall. Of course, wall covering is an easy way to achieve
it, and affordable. I love the shape of the mirror, the brass lighting, and of course, the fun in
the shower. It's a simple bathroom. It didn't raise the budget too much, but we tried to give
it a look, something fun for these young girls. Once again, the girls did their own room. I helped
them a little bit, but look at the character that they brought in, the fun. You can tell the two
girls are different. One likes pink, the other one, blue. We've got a brass surfboard in here,
a very chic light fixture, lots of fun. I really give these girls credit, but their bathroom, I did
have something to do with. It was a bit of a trick because we were creating a Jack and Jill bath.
But you can see, this wonderful wall covering with all the birds, and the brass, and then this very
glamorous sconce, really made it come about. Once again, placing that sink on one side, so they
have plenty of room to do what they need to. Of course, these girls did this room,
as well. Can you imagine, three girls, one boy? I'll show you his room in a minute. Look
at this light fixture. This is incredible. Again, they chose where to spend the money, and then the
rest, they'll continue to build. This had to happen. When it comes to a lower level, the last thing
I want is to feel like I'm in a basement. So, we decided to really elevate the finishes down
here and really make it fun for these kids. Starting with this platform-height sofa sectional
that can just be parts and pieces thrown about. We have a great focal point for the large TV.
When is the TV ever large enough? This one's pretty big, but you know what, in the future, they
could go bigger. We left space. Always putting a wall covering behind the TV really warms the TV,
and connects it to the wall it's hanging naked on. So for me, I had to beg and get that wallpaper,
and I think the client's very happy we did. Of course, we had to do cabinets on either side for
all of their games, and their fun things, and maybe their Wii, and their Xbox. But most of that is hidden,
so the area feels clean and very cool. We've got an adjacent kitchenette full of candy and snacks that
are easy and at hand. We've got fridge drawers, but not a whole kitchen. The goal with kitchenettes is
to plan down a little bit, make them self-service, and make them not look like a kitchen. Now, the
theater. This is adjacent, wide open to all of the experience here for the family, so this is where
we get the projector TV, and we get comfortable seating that kind of turns into beds. I don't know
if that's wise or not, but for me, I would love it. In this family home, the boy ended up in
the basement, so I wanted this room to be fantastic, and of course, masculine. I think he
likes being away from those girls upstairs. Look at this space. I love how dark and rich it
is. The flavors really just say, boy, and texture. He's a cool kid, too. Really smart, very handsome,
and this room just speaks of him. You can see, I did get away with adding the nickel board on
one of the walls, just to create some interest. Painting your nickel board, or your shiplap,
whatever you want to call it, is a good idea. It's an opportunity to switch it up a little bit.
All of the furnishings were meant to feel a little vibe-y, a little cool and edgy, because this guy
cared, just like his father. This house was driven by the husband more than the wife, in my experience,
and I loved it. I loved that he had an opinion. I always like when I've got both of my
clients interested and engaged in our projects, and I think this house shows that
both the husband and the wife were involved. Totally a boy's bathroom here,
and it all started with the floor. If you want to look at how cool this is, it looks
like an old man's chevron suit, with like, a wool texture, and really it's just porcelain tile.
Not expensive. Then, when we come to the vanity, once again, we've got a quartz material. Actually,
this is quartz instead of the quartzite because we could save some money here. We have
the wonderful brass mirror, wall covering, and I love this hardware, if you get up close. The
fact that it's got that campaign-style hardware, but always the brass. Even the younger boy
knew brass was cool. The shower's awesome. We were able to spend some money here on the
blue marble. You can see it back in the back. And we offset the cost of the marble by going with
a blue ceramic tile. This bathroom definitely did what I needed it to, made the boy feel like he had
his own space. It was masculine and it was quality. Overall, this house just feels delightful.
It's bright, it's arid, it's very fresh. I love the color scheme, and I feel good in it. I've asked my
client one year later, how they feel in the house, and it makes me feel very good to know that
they love being here and being here as a family. I'm Anne-Marie Barton for The Reveal.
