MURRAY BUNGALOW : LAUNDRY & DROP ZONE PLAN

Last week, we covered the plan to relocate the kitchen to a new, more central position in the home (catch up here if you missed it!). Today we're sharing what will take the place of the old kitchen: a new mudroom!

BACKGROUND

In its current layout, the Murray house simply lacks the space for a proper mudroom on the main level. Laundry units are located in the basement, translating into lots of trips up and down stairs, and a single coat closet serves the entire first floor.

INSPIRATION

The best mudrooms are designed with purpose & organization in mind -- lots of built-in storage, cubbies, wall hooks, etc. -- thoughtful details that help these hard-working rooms hum with efficiency :). Aesthetically, we love these rooms to be beautiful but simple, providing a calm & clean setting for the tasks at hand. Below are two perfect examples.

SOURCES :
|1| Studio McGee, |2| Studio McGee.

DESIGN PLAN

Luckily, in moving the kitchen to its new home along the north wall, we found the perfect location for a new mudroom -- the former kitchen! Here, directly off of the back stairwell, we're able to lay out the mudroom in an l-shape with laundry lining the back wall and drop zone built in along the other. With this configuration, the laundry is tucked away from view, yet super accessible to upstairs bedrooms and the kitchen, and the drop zone is located just steps away from the back door, within easy reach of the back yard and driveway. As an added bonus, we gain a handy broom closet on the backside (directly off the main hallway), doubling the number of closets on the main floor.

With the layout locked in, here's the design plan:

WALLS & FLOORS | The laundry nook and drop zone spaces will receive new paint and oak wood flooring to match the rest of the house.

LAUNDRY NOOK | We'll build out a super functional laundry nook on the west end of the room, taking advantage of the full height of the room. Front-loading washer & dryer units will rest below a new wood countertop (perfect for folding clothes or stowing a laundry basket). We'll hang new cabinetry above, in a white matte shaker-style to match the kitchen, and extend all the way to the ceiling. Vertical v-groove paneling will line the back wall.

DROP ZONE | The drop zone will include more wall-hung cabinetry, shelving, and a built-in bench. Vertical paneling will cover the back wall, where we'll install a row of wall hooks for coats & bags.

SELECTIONS + MATERIALS | Last, finish materials & selections will build on the warm, modern bungalow aesthetic that we've developed for the project (learn more on that here). The design is intentionally pared down to maintain a sense of calm in these busy, hard-working spaces.

We're so excited about this room and know that it will have a huge impact on the livability of the house. Though functional spaces like mudrooms don't always enjoy the design spotlight, when these areas are given due attention & care, it can be such a game-changer -- the difference between a home that feels clumsy and difficult in the day-to-day, and one that just works.

Next week, we'll wrap up plans for the main level with our main bath design post. Then on the upper level, exterior, and landscape plans. Can't wait!

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : KITCHEN PLAN

Hi, there! Today's post is a big one. We're covering plans for the kitchen at the Murray Bungalow, where we have some major changes in store.

BACKGROUND

The existing kitchen resides in the southeast corner of the house. We knew right away when touring the house for the first time that the kitchen would be a big focus in this project. In its current state, a number of factors hold it back -- its small-ish footprint, interaction with back door and stairwell traffic, lack of integration with other rooms in the house, and overall condition (pretty much everything would need to be replaced or improved).

INSPIRATION

In thinking about the form & function of the bungalow's future kitchen, we're inspired by kitchens that feel fresh, light, and open -- clean lines, natural tones, plenty of counter space, and room to congregate. Below are three beautiful examples.

SOURCES :
|1| Amber Interiors, |2| Amber Interiors, |3| Amber Interiors.

DESIGN PLAN

In order to address the shortcomings of the current space and help move the house toward our design vision, we came up with a great solution : to relocate the kitchen to a brand new spot, the space currently functioning as the family room. In relocating the entire room to this new location on the north side, we happily secure the kitchen's rightful place as central hub of the home (read more about this and all other floor plan changes in a previous post here).

Here are the big changes:

WALLS & FLOORS | Like every other room in the house, we'll update the walls & floors with lighter, brighter materials & color palette (read more about the home's general interior design direction here).

LINKAGE TO LIVING & FAMILY/SUNROOM | We'll connect the kitchen to the other main living spaces in the house by building out wide, cased openings between rooms.

BANK OF CABINETS | We'll pack the north wall of the kitchen with as much function as possible, inlcuding floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, counter-depth french-door refrigerator, gas oven/range, and custom hood vent. We'll run beautiful glazed brick tile as the backsplash, set against new Caesarstone countertops.

CUSTOM ISLAND | A large custom island will anchor the room. We'll top it with Caesarstone, creating a clean, wide-open workspace. The north side of the island will house the sink cabinet, dishwasher, microwave cabinet, and additional storage. On the flip side (the south elevation), the island will fulfill its social role by accommodating a row of counter stools. We'll finish the island with pretty trim and vertical paneling for a tailored, custom look.

SELECTIONS + MATERIALS | As for the finishes, we'll build on the warm & minimal bungalow design direction, installing a beautiful mix of selections & materials: stainless steel Kitchenaid appliance suite, white matte shaker-style cabinetry, gorgeous oak wood flooring (carried throughout the house), Misty Carrera Caesarstone countertops, glazed brick tile backsplash, and satin brass metallic accents.

Truly, the kitchen is on its way to becoming the star of the home -- super functional, polished, and inviting on its own, while fostering a more open & fluid dynamic for the home at large. Can't you just see the potential?

It's a tall order, but one that we're very excited about. Wish us luck!

And stay tuned -- more plans to come next week :).

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : LIVING ROOM PLAN

Hello, and Happy Friday!! Today, we're sharing our plan for the living room at the Murray Bungalow property. Generous in size, the living room is located directly off the front entry, adjacent to the dining room (see below).

BACKGROUND

A few things stand out when considering the form & function of the living room in its existing state. First, all of the inherent charm: the pretty light and lovely view to the street courtesy of the west window bank, the accompanying built-in window seat along this wall, the pair of original lead glass transoms, and the soaring height of the ceiling (~8.5'!), accentuated by wood beams spanning the width of the room ... all features that we'll aim to retain and highlight. In terms of deficiencies, the main ones are the color scheme (too dim), and lack of connection to other parts of the home.

INSPIRATION

Since the ceiling beams truly define the living room -- they lend a feeling of grandness to the space, and set it apart visually from every other room in the home -- it was easy to draw inspiration from living rooms that similarly enjoy strong ceiling treatments. What we love most in the inspiration photos below is that all of these living rooms feel special (with those beams working their magic), yet integrally connected to other parts of the home. And of course, all of these spaces feel light, bright, warm, and modern -- in perfect alignment with our design hopes for this project.

SOURCES :
|1| Wit & Delight, |2| Wendy Word Design, |3| unknown.

DESIGN PLAN

So, the trick with the living room will be to balance bungalow appeal with the need to lighten, brighten, and modernize the space. Here's how we plan to tackle it:

WINDOWS & TRIM | Similar to the dining room, we'll keep the original windows in this room, with their difficult-to-replicate charm, but refinish all of the dark woodwork in a fresh, clean white.

WALLS + FLOORS| We'll update the walls & floors with lighter, brighter materials & color palette, the approach that we're taking throughout the home (read more about that here).

WOOD BEAMS | We love the cedar ceiling beams and the added character & definition they bring, however will plan to lighten their weight in the room by refinishing in a pretty white or soft neutral paint hue.

BUILT-IN WINDOW BENCH | We'll overhaul the window bench with a new wood top and fresh paint. Picture a sweet built-in spot for greeting guests as they come and go, relaxing with a book, and/or displaying pretty plants and housewares, etc. You get the idea :).

LINKAGE TO KITCHEN | Last, in the future layout of the house (catch up on all of our proposed floorplan changes here), the living room will enjoy much improved proximity to the heart of the home -- the kitchen. To take advantage of this, we'll open the wall between them via a wide cased opening, linking the two rooms together while allowing each to retain its own identity.

We can't wait to unlock this room's potential! Will keep you posted on progress.

More room plans to come soon, including the home's most exciting transformation -- the kitchen. Thanks for following along :).

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : DINING ROOM PLAN

Today, we move into the room-by-room design plans for the Murray Bungalow, starting with the first room that you see upon passing through the front door: the dining room.

While the size and configuration of the dining room will not change in the new floorplan (see location below), this space will receive plenty of updates.

BACKGROUND

The dining room captured our attention from the very first walk-through of the property. First & foremost, the light! A trio of double-hung windows lines the room to the west, with another large picture window facing south, so the room feels airy and bright no matter the time of day. Even more natural light will permeate the space once we open up the front of the house (our plan is to convert the screened-in porch to an open air room). In addition, the room is blessed with beautiful millwork -- thick, hardwood trim surrounding the windows, substantial baseboards, and a framed-out cased opening that connects to the adjoining living room. Plus, a gorgeous hutch embedded into the back wall -- a thoughtful, hand-crafted feature that exemplifies the home's Prairie school design influence. There's no need for excess furnishing in here -- the perfect vessel to hold all of your entertaining essentials is built right in :).

INSPIRATION

The dining room in this house is the one space that has the ability to go formal. It's easy to imagine seasonal entertaining, cocktail parties, and holiday gatherings, all centered right here. As we update the room's aesthetic, the looks that inspire us most strike that perfect balance between comfort & sophistication -- at once warm & inviting, understated & elegant. We are especially drawn to the combination of goregous natural wood flooring and crisp white walls & trim, puncutated with a striking, matte black ceiling light fixture -- a mix showcased beautifully in all three of the dining inspiration images below.

SOURCES :
|1| Avenue Design Studio, |2| unknown, |3| Wendell Home.

DESIGN PLAN

Inspired to find the perfect combination of comfort + elegance, our goal is to highlight the room's cozy bungalow appeal while adding a touch of sophistication, all in keeping with the "warm modern" design direction for the home.

WINDOWS & TRIM | We plan to work with the original windows of the home -- they bring so much character & authenticity to the space, difficult if not impossible to replicate. That said, all of the trim framing the windows will receive crisp white paint. Likewise, we'll paint the cased opening trim and baseboards to match.

WALL TREATMENT | We'll remove all of the peeling mauve wallpaper and replace with new drywall. In lieu of the existing chair-rail, we'll surround the room with a half-wall of vertical v-groove paneling, painted white to match the rest of the trim, to add coziness and bungalow-appropriate visual interest.

BUILT-IN HUTCH | We love the built-in hutch and 100% plan to keep it, though not in its current state. Originally, we had hoped to re-store the hutch to a natural wood tone, but later found that a portion of the material had been painted over (chocolate brown). Instead, we'll re-finish the piece with one single neutral paint color (i.e. a soft white or grey), salvaging as much of the hardware and chicken-wire door paneling as possible.

LIGHTING | Last, we'll update the ceiling fixture. Given the abundant natural light in this room, there's no need for additional fixtures -- just one beautiful piece to ground the room, make a statement, and add a little bit of a modern edge..

Should be quite a turn-around, right? We're looking forward to diving in! We'll be sure to loop back around a little later this spring to reveal the completed space. Lots more to come :).

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MURRAY BUNGALOW : INTERIOR DESIGN DIRECTION

Hello! The bungalow is coming along so nicely! When we last left off, we had shared the final floor plans for the main level and upper level of the house (catch up here and here if needed!). Today we'd like to present the interior design direction for the home.

By design direction, we refer to the overall aesthetic vision for the property, including the common visual elements to be installed throughout the house to deliver an overarching look & feel.

The importance of setting a design direction for a home cannnot be overstated. Too often in remodels, a piecemeal approach is taken where one room fails to relate aesthetically to the next. At DAILY HOME CO., we believe in "whole house" design: investing time & effort up front to establish an overall design vision for the home, and selecting beautiful, repeating design elements to pull a whole house together visually. A consistent color palette, complementary materials, uniform millwork, coordinating tones & textures, flooring & finishes that flow uninterupted from space to space ... when done right, all of these "whole house" design details can add up to produce a cohesive & polished home that looks & feels greater than the sum of its parts.

So, let's get to it! For the Murray property, our aesthetic vision is to create a "modern bungalow": a fresh, clean, pared-down interior with lots of warmth and natural touches, elegant in its simplicity. A space that feels comfortable in every season -- light & bright in summer months, cozy & warm when the temperatures drop. And a home that's filled with character, true to its Prairie bungalow roots, yet fully refreshed and modernized for today.

Here is our inspiration board, which captures the warm, modern design direction for the project pefectly. (For more inspirational imagery, visit our DAILY HOME CO. Pinterest boards here).

SOURCES :
|1| Amber Interiors, |2| Amber Interiors, |3| Avenue Design Studio,
|4| Studio McGee, |5| unknown, |6| Anne Sage, |7| Avenue Design Studio.

A collection of common finishes & materials will be woven throughout the home to provide a connecting design framework. For color palette, we'll apply crisp, clean white across all trim, casing, wall paneling, and cabinetry, offset by warm, gray, neutral tones on the walls. Beautiful, light grey oak flooring, installed upstairs and down, will bring warmth and texture. Stone & tile finishes will be simple & sophisticated, including natural honed carerra marble, glazed brick, classic subway tile, and refined Ceasarstone. Dressing things up, we'll introduce hits of our favorite metallics -- matte black, polished nickel, & satin brass -- via hardware and light fixtures.

We can't wait to see these selections in place and the effect that they have on freshening up & unifying the visual profile of the house. Taken together, they'll form the perfect canvas on which to further develop each individual room.

Coming soon will be room-by-room details, where we'll share our design plans for each space. Thank you, as always, for following along :).

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