Feature Friday: Willow Decor

Recently, I met a new blog friend, Gina with Willow Decor.  She lives in a beautiful and stately old home in Boston, MA and I can’t wait to show you what she’s done to this house, careful all the while to keep its historical integrity with their renovations.   She describes her blog as classic, traditional design with a European Country twist.  A New England girl inspired by her years living in Europe.

And that’s just what Gina has created in her vintage home.  I’ll share some Before and After pics from Gina’s home, and let her tell you all about it:

My house is a 1930 Royal Barry Wills Colonial.  RBW is a famous architect in MA,  but also across the country for creating the house we know as “the Cape” – My house is a colonial, but it is built like a tank and very well designed.  It has a slate roof and gorgeous original crown moldings, brass door hinges and glass door knobs.  I feel very responsible for this house – to keep its integrity and not ruin it with too many additions, so I was very careful to keep the integrity of the house in everything I did which meant slate roof on the addition, custom matched crown moldings, period hardware, etc.

BEFORE: First up in the renovations is the Butler’s pantry.

We wanted to recreate the office off the kitchen into a real old fashioned Pantry with marble counters and glass front cabinets.  The original plan had  it as a small room off the kitchen, it may have been originally a Butler’s Pantry.

AFTER:

As a busy Mom I needed to have a workspace, so when I designed the pantry, one side has hidden file drawers, a place for the hard drive and printer and the other side has space for a kitchen aid mixer, serving platters and a microwave.

We also wanted to house my antique china. We really accomplished everything we hoped for.  Here is the link that explains this in detail.

BEFORE: Kitchen

The second renovation we did was the Kitchen area.  

We wanted to get rid of the upper cabinets that blocked the view between the two rooms and also create a center island.

We removed the upper cabinets, added beadboard to the recess ceiling and removed four bottom cabinets to create a center island eating area.

We also replaced the corian with soapstone (which was originally what was used in New England at that time)  and created a spice niche box out behind the stove area.

We also changed the  upper cabinets by the stove to glass front and added beadboard in the back.  Here is the link that explains everything in more detail.

BEFORE: Breakfast Room

The final renovation (or part three), was the addition of an all glass breakfast room and revamp of the TV cabinet space to a gas fireplace with TV over mantel.

We needed a bigger eating area and wanted a fireplace and larger TV.

Table is a Belgian antique and chandelier is Niermann Weeks – curtains and slipcovers were made from $6/yd linen.

BEFORE: Family Room

AFTER: Family Room (Check out Gina’s trash find of the antique mantel hanging over the sofa. WOW!)

Almost every architect we spoke to wanted to do a big cathedral room, but we wanted the additon to flow with the house and for people not to be sure where we added on.  We also added beadboard ceilings and returned the moldings which had been removed by others during previous renovations. The addition included another window and  a slate roof to match the existing house.  Here is the link that explains that in more detail.

Thank you, Gina, for stopping by and sharing your home renovations with us!  What an absolutely beautiful home you have created, it is just outstanding.  I totally love your style!

Please drop by and visit Gina, she has lots more inspiring photos of her house on her blog, Willow Decor.

Here are some fun weekend links from BlogHer:

“Bury Me in These Shoes”: Share your favorite pair to win a prize.

How could this be? Beverly Cleary is 94! Were you a fan as a kid?   Awww, I loved her books.  Ramona and Beezus forever. 🙂

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