We have been busy little beavs over here! We just wrapped up (for now) the Kelly Beach House Makeover and I'm so excited to share this delicious wallpaper moment that came to be on the second floor. If you read part one of this two part makeover, I shared what we did to the first floor and this post is all about what we did upstairs. When we first came to the project, the homeowners weren't sure what needed to be done upstairs—they had just had it painted a sandy beige color which is perfect for the beach, but it was still feeling a little flat. We knew it needed some texture and some punch so we decided to lime wash the walls in a similar tone and to add a very textural natural weave wallpaper to the sunken wet bar area.
BEFORE
It's just a little too basic for this cool, hip family of four... First, the ceiling fans were huge and the ceiling is kind of low, so combine that with a many-margarita dance party and you've got trouble. The tv is dwarfing the media cabinet (which was inherited when they bought the house) and it needed a serious upgrade. The window grids also dated the house. They were easily removable, so we just popped them out to give it a fresher, cleaner look. The walls needed some new and improved art and the space needed a pop of greenery.
DURING!
AFTER!
I wanted the walls to evoke driftwood and sand so we used Portola's Mission limewash paint. It goes on much darker (as you can see from the during shot) so beware, but overall it's a very subtle hit of texture. We added a new throw rug over the existing jute to give it some flair and replaced that crap cabinet with this amazing new one we found at the Brush Factory on Kings. Dru also painted the grate over the tv the same color as the walls. That small detail makes such a difference!
I found that set of sea fan prints at—shhh... MARSHALLS! It really was a score, never to be had again I'm sure...
We tightened up the fan game as well as added to the plant game. We could only use fake plants throughout the house because ongoing plant maintenance was not possible, so the fiddle in the corner is artificial, but I think it looks pretty rad.
Small changes like adding the oar, removing the window grids and popping in a few lamps and greenery made a huge difference in the vibe. The dining table came with the house and the chairs came from the dining table downstairs after we replaced those with a new set.
Dru reclaimed all of the cheesy beach art that came with the house and made new custom masterpieces for the family to have forever!
A view from the tv area. Upstairs became a tonal, treehouse-like retreat with notes of toasty sand and warm browns and a few hits of dark blue while the downstairs is a pale blue grey that feels like sky and sea (you can see it coming up the stairway). It all talks to each other.
Bam! This wallpaper tho! It's just so good and so textural! The paper is Phillip Jeffries' St. Barts Serenity in Sun Drenched. It really feels like a little island getaway up here!
I can imagine this wall being converted into a low bar with small stools! (That's Phase 2...)
The owners love it and their recent guests all gave a high approval rating! Hoping this now feels like the island vibes beach retreat they will always long to come back to.
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