If you've ever renovated a room in your house, then you know stressful it can be, but can you imagine what it's like for an entire home? Kimberly Boomer, Vice President of Interior Design at Fit + Finish Design, eliminated the stress for Lucia Cassidy of Bethesda, Maryland, when she was hired to help take on the entire home renovation.
Lucia and her husband purchased a Bethesda home a few years ago with plans to renovate and update the interior. Slowly they began making updates to the house with the help of Lucia's father, who would visit from Kansas City, Lucia's hometown. Sadly, Lucia's father passed away before the updates were complete. It was then that Lucia was more determined to create a home that worked for the family—a home with her late father's fingerprints.
Lucia hired Mark Kramer of Kramer Architects to create a modified layout to improve the efficiency of the home. Using Joel Flax Associates, a builder well-known for their high-end residential work, Lucia sought to have Mark's plans come to life. It was Joel who introduced Lucia to Kimberly of Fit + Finish Design to create a consistent and cohesive modern traditional design aesthetic.
Upon meeting for the first time, Kimberly and Lucia toured the house so Kimberly could learn Lucia's interior style in conjunction with the family's lifestyle. Lucia had a very traditional style and wanted to keep and reuse the majority of her existing furniture. After that meeting, Kimberly went to work! A design board was created with Lucia's style in mind. "I was absolutely impressed by Kimberly's designs at the presentation meeting. She picked out tiles and wallpaper for the bathroom, kitchen, and dining room that blew me away!" said Lucia.
Photos taken prior to the start of the renovation.
"A complete home renovation is challenging and fun because it allows you to rethink the entire area completely," said Kimberly. When this Bethesda home was completed, there was a new entry into the kitchen to create a butler's pantry as well as a desk area. Painted interior wood trim was added throughout the home to give a traditional design aesthetic. Specifically, in the breakfast room, wood trim was strategically added to create a datum line for where the ceiling height met the back wall of windows, which merged the angled skylights above. This trim also added a traditional visual layer.
View of new entry into the butler's pantry.
Breakfast room with added wood trim.
Carpet: Stanton
On the second floor, a tile pattern in the master bathroom was used to accent the existing skylight for visual integration of the room. One large custom mirror was designed to accommodate the existing windows above each vanity. A second bathroom was designed with Lucia's two young daughters in mind. Playful stripes, chic shaped mirrors, and whimsical crystal light fixtures keep the traditional aesthetic flowing in a youthful way. The final touch of this renovation was reorganizing Lucia's existing furniture, which involved purchasing a few new pieces and reupholstering existing chairs to give a casual, traditional feel. Blue and pink, Lucia's favorite colors, blend throughout the home with interior finishes, fabrics used, and artwork, including a painting of a younger Lucia with her father.
Master bathroom.
Tile: Tilebar
Countertop: Cambria
Cassidy daughters' bathroom.
Tile: Tilebar
Countertop: Cambria
"Kimberly completely understood my conservative taste and even helped me branch out a bit of my comfort zone. She completely nailed my taste in a way I could never imagine. The dining room is the most incredible room I've ever seen! I have never been so unbelievably impressed!" said Lucia.
Dining room with commissioned artwork.
What do you think? We'd love for you to comment below or check out additional photos of this completed project.