City Charm Home Remodel- According to a LiLu Client

City Charm

According to a LiLu Client

Location and Charm
Alison is a hospitalist with a passion for travel—often to Hawaii, where her grandparents met. She recently moved from her modern Minneapolis condo (which we helped her with) to a different style of home: a 1920s, single-family house in St. Paul. She chose the house, “a place with old charm, with the inherent cool nature of an older home,” Alison says, in part to be closer to work. But she also wanted an open, welcoming, and highly functional kitchen and dining area that flows to and from a backyard for entertaining family and friends.

Quiet, Restful Spaces

She needed, as well, quiet and restful spaces in which to retreat. “Work can be very stressful,” she explains. “I need to come home and breathe. Good sleep is really important to me.” Alison also wanted her new home to “incorporate elements of what I love from my travels, including the serene color palettes and tropical feel of Hawaii.” All without compromising the home’s historic charm, she adds. In short, Alison wanted a city charm home remodel.

City Charm Home Remodel Kitchen

We transformed the back wall of the kitchen into an icebox-style, pull-out pantry (painted a classic blue, Alison’s favorite color), to bring period fun and easy-access storage to the kitchen. Blocking off a stairway created additional counter space (including for a coffee station) and upper cabinets. The peninsula cooktop overlooking the dining area and backyard allows Alison to visit with family and friends while preparing food. Guests can help themselves to beverages in the wine frig built into the peninsula. A new powder room next to the back door, replete with a lively Hawaii-inspired wallpaper, occupies a former radiator nook.
SEE THE ENTIRE HOME HERE

Alison On Her Kitchen

“Now the kitchen is a perfect blend of the practical and the pretty, with a triangle workflow pattern that really works,” Alison says. “Entertaining family and friends is so much more fun now, with bright. open kitchen and dining spaces, and a powder room nearby.”

An Ensuite was Created

Upstairs, two bedrooms became a large suite that breathes “aaahhhh” with a quiet blue and neutral color palette, super-soft floor rug, cozy velvet chair with subtle glam accents, and an abstract waterscape painted by LiLu’s Jennifer Possis. For the master bath, Alison requested durability, low maintenance, and nooks for everyday needs. Keeping within the angled footprint of another bedroom, we inserted a unique vanity with wash-up on one side, a mirrored makeup area on the other, and handy cubbies for daily necessities. The seaglass color palette imparts tranquility. The ombre-tile and Corian shower and Corian countertops ensure easy clean up.

Alison on Living in Her Remodeled Home

We were delighted to hear from Alison recently, who thanked us for melding historic style, functionality, and her love of Hawaii—both its vibrant and tranquil aspects—into her new home. “I’ve been cooking and baking a ton because the kitchen works super well,” she said. “I also love relaxing in my master suite, where the colors are so calming and the spaces flow together so beautifully.”
In the end, she was very happy with the city charm home remodel LiLu Interiors designed for her.
Want to hear from more LiLu clients about how it was to work with our design team?
Check out According to LiLu Clients on our blog. There are 25 posts with testimonials from our clients!
VIEW THE ENTIRE CITY CHARM PROJECT