Vanessa Crescent
A Little Bit of Palm Springs Please.
I was just about to embark on a major renovation with these clients when they announced they were putting the project on hold because they had bought a new house!
It was completely unexpected, especially for them. They merely popped in during the open home for a nosey because they like mid-century architecture, little did they anticipate falling head over heels in love!
The Brief
CLIENT Q & A
What was the brief for your home?
We needed help to redesign and renovate two bathrooms and a powder room which were very old, dilapidated, and stuck in the 1970s. I had some ideas about what I liked and the general style I wanted but didn’t trust that my ideas would suit the property or how to even implement them. For example, I really love mid-century modern design… “Can I have something with a bit of Palm Springs vibe Lesley?!”
What challenges did you face?
I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the job, not least because the builder had a narrow window of opportunity after the Christmas and New Year holidays, which left very little time to plan. We bought the house end of November and were taking possession the day the builder started in January, so really, we had three weeks!
What were your expectations?
As I was working full time, I hoped that Lesley would be able to take the hassle out of the process and the multitude of decisions to be made. I hoped she would make sense of the jumbled ideas in my head and help me achieve my vision.
How did you find the process?
Fantastic. After a brief visit to the house, Lesley instantly saw how the floor plan could be reconfigured to achieve more practical layouts for the family bathroom and en-suite. She presented us with options I would not have considered for fear of getting it wrong. I love that she encouraged me to do so as the result is amazing and the new layouts function really well. Lesley totally nailed it!
Sometime later...
Once we moved in and the dust settled, I asked Lesley for more help with window treatments and furniture and fabric selection, including 4 upholstered headboards as I really appreciate Lesley’s excellent sense of style when it comes to colours, textures, and fabrics.
The Design
As soon as my client said she wanted a little bit of Palm Springs I instantly knew which wallpaper to present. Her love of green and blues is replicated through the bathrooms and furnishings.
The biggest challenge for this project was time. Heading into Christmas, decisions had to made quickly and everything had to be in stock, ready for delivery in early January. Not only that, but I was still away on holiday when the builder was due to start so the plans had to be super detailed and pages of notes were produced for the trades to follow.
The Result
While the fabric of the house needs a lot more work in due course, my clients could move in knowing that the interior had a fresh coat of paint, totally new bathrooms and updated kitchen. This gave them some breathing space and time to contemplate drapes and furniture.