Casual English Manor

It's not every day that we start from scratch on a home, but in this client's situation, they had recently moved into a new home...and due to busy schedules and a lack of design direction, this house had yet to be turned into a home!  Now this family is a dynamic group...full of energy, loads of hobbies and interests...and they desired their home to reflect who they are...after our first meeting, we knew exactly what direction we wanted to go to transform this home from empty and echo-y, to warm and inviting...

"Before"

 

 

We took the family's love for all things outdoors and blended it with their overall classic aesthetic to create a "casual english manor"...

 

 

 

 

Our first order of business was to strengthen the focal point of the room, the fireplace.  We also needed to work out a furniture plan that was both functional and welcoming and took advantage of an irregular space.  Then the crowning touch was the addition of the ceiling beams to add warmth, architectual interest and a little wow!!

 

 

We were able to include seating for 6-8 without crowding the space!  The woven shades in the windows repeat the darker wood tones of the rich beams, which pull out the chocolate undertones in the lighter oak flooring.  The "beam" mantel was created by our contractor. 

 

 

 

In the eat-in kitchen, an updated light fixture, new table, window shades, a few personal pieces and a smartly-tailored valance pull the space from lonely to welcoming!

 

 

Around the corner in the new dining room, the stage has been set for grand dinner parties, or cozy family gatherings...

 

 

 

 

 

According to these clients, AsterHouse "nailed it"...their home perfectly reflects

them and the way they live and function there...what greater compliment could you ask for??!!! 

Thanks to all of our clients for the amazing priviledge of working in your most precious, sacred, private spaces...your homes!!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

A spec sneak...

This summer has been a whirlwind of activity around here!!  We have had multiple large projects in production…which simply means a lot of details to keep up with and lots of car time…driving from project to project to check in on progress, double check stain colors and answer questions from contractors!!  It is a little similar to a pregnancy…waiting, anticipating, preparing, waiting, wondering, excited, and finally, with little say on the timing...(haha...the nature of constructions!!) the thrilling reveal!!!

Not unlike a pregnancy, there is a lot happening before any noticeable changes take place…take our current spec home, for instance…the contractor hired us to bring a fresh look to his project…our challenge was to bring some updated finishes to a home that needed to appeal to the majority of buyers, since this was not a custom build.

So we started here…way back at the beginning...

Original floorplan

with a floorplan…reviewing the layout, the traffic flow, the storage options…we tweaked it…(no mudroom?? must have!!)…and then we moved on to visualizing and presenting a design concept…

"...inspired by a modern mountain retreat. A comfortable mix of traditional designs with contemporary clean lines and updated finishes, along with a fresh color palette that is inviting and compatible with any design style, truly sets this home apart." -listing details per AHD

...and then added the details that would take our inspiration and make it the home of someone's dreams!!!!

And here is a sneak at the spec house progress….

We are thrilled with the outcome!!  It looks awesome!!! 

And the builder is pleased to say this one is now sold!! 

Final pictures to come!!

Who does your space look like??

Anytime someone walks into the room, they say, "it looks just like you!" Perfect!!-- AsterHouse Design Client

This note just came across our desk and I must say, that is about the biggest compliment Amanda and I could ever receive!! We are passionate about making design decisions for our clients that reflect those that live in the space...we often tell our clients that when the project is complete we each go home to our homes and we don't live in this new space but they do!! It is so important that their space fits them, both in function and aesthetic!!

When our client called to say that she and her husband had decided to give each other the Christmas gift of a new living room, we were delighteed to help out. Her request to us was to keep things very livable as they have three young children and actually "live" in their living room!! They had decided to freshen their furniture, but really liked the color palette already in the space. They just felt the room lacked depth and character............

And here is what we left this sweet family with...

We added a layer of warmth with a muted paint finish on the fireplace wall and in the tray ceiling.

(The glider will be replaced with a camel colored armchair in leather

and the ottomans for the sofa should arrive anyday!)

We adjusted the window treatments to add depth and raised the rod to add volume to the space. We freshened the accessories, keeping in mind small children and their habit of "loving" on anything and everything!!

We even brought out some "trial art" from our local gallery for the dining space!!

Amazing what a little color can do to a space!

Does your home reflect you and those who live there??

Oh, the places you'll go!!!!!

We were recently called upon to consult on a hotel lobby gift shop...only thing is...the hotel is still under construction!! So, we donned our hard hats for a tour of what we can tell is going to be a fabulous new stop on the Manhattan road map!! Make sure you stop in after the Grand Opening and check out the new Convention Center!! And don't forget to puruse the gift shop...I hear the flooring and paint colors are going to be gorgeous!!

AsterHouse, defined

New England foliage...Southern charm...West Coast beaches...Northwest mountain ranges....Midwest....hmmmm....

As much as Amanda and I both love to visit these gorgeous destinations, we don't live there....we live in small-town-midwest America...and most days, we love it! It is where our families are being raised, our husbands work and we play (and do a little work of our own!!). There are so many blessings to small town living.

As we sat down to brainstorm ideas for our business name, descriptors flowed fast...simple, approachable, casual, elegant, unique, crisp, clean, comfortable...Our desire was to find a word or phrase that pulled those things together. We loved the thought of a beach house...a place that oozes comfort, family, memories, simplicity, and welcome...alas, we are miles and miles and miles from any beach... In fact, we are almost smack dab in the center of the country...as far away from any said beach as you can possibly get...so, how could we find a word that communicated those same qualities, yet celebrated our flint hills, small town locale??

Aster: name of a flower prolific in the plains and hills

of Kansas...the name comes fromthe ancient greek word

meaning "star"

"Ad Astra per Aspera": our state motto...meaning "To the Stars with Difficulty...the aspiration of Kansas is to reach the unattainable; its dream is the realization of the impossible"

From the outset of our business, our desire has been to stay true to our midwest roots all the while aspiring to bring quality, welcome, simplicity, creativity and great design to each of our clients...We hope these words will quickly become synonymous with AsterHouse Design!!

Campus Office

We recently had the opportunity to assist in the redesign of an office at our local university. This particular office houses a campus ministry that works closely with many International students...

Before:

The need was clear...refresh the space...create an atmosphere of welcome for the students and the facilitators...and bring some desperately needed light into the room.

Our inspiration for the space came from two vintage cushions found in the original chapel...the beautiful brocade fabric had just the right amount of color...a perfect jumping off place for the whole room.

We pulled the wall color...a cool gray with a hint of purple and the key accent colors, cobalt blue and a fun tangerine from the fabric and used the same fabric to reapholster a pair of beautiful chairs that had been donated.

The deeper gray/purple band around the top of the room draws your eye to the thick molding that is a wonderful architectural feature of the room.

We tracked down a map in just the right colors for an artistic take on a typical world map!

Due to electrical restrictions we were unable to add any hardwired fixtures...so, we found these great lamps that give off a ton of light...as well as a ton of personality to the space!!

One of my favorite features in this space celebrates the diversity of those who frequent the office...a wall of clocks set to the time zones of the various cities around the world...a little bit of home and a lota bit of welcome!

Vintage Modern Kitchen

A kitchen is an amazing undertaking....layer upon layer...First off plumbing, and then wiring...cabinetry and then more plumbing...a little more wiring then more cabinetry...then a pause as you wait for the countertops...then more plumbing and, you guessed it, a little more wiring...then backsplash...and finally the last of the cabintry. Whew!! But just like when the layers of a great cake come together and make something beautiful...the last few months of this kitchen "model" have come together and made a kitchen that is even better than I ever imagined!! I walk into my kitchen and can't hardly believe it is really mine!!






The design of this kitchen was very straight forward. I had been collecting pictures of kitchens that I liked for years!! And with a very rare exception, every single picture had white cabinetry. And a very simple door frame (more often than not "Shaker" style). So I was able to choose the cabinetry very quickly and confidently!! The other big ticket, style-defining item in a kitchen is the countertop choice...this was almost as easy...I have always loved white and gray marble...it is timeless and evokes a feeling of history...and we were given several slabs of just such marble by my generous father-in-law!! Knowing that marble is a little higher maintenance, we opted for a totally different look on the island. We were going for durable and slightly industrial...stainless steel fit the bill!! And given that Jeff could purchase the material at cost and his brother could oversee the fabrication...it was a very cost effective option for an island that ended up being right at 12 feet long!!

The backsplash is a gorgeous black slate...it has been on that wall for almost 100 years. It was the original green chalkboard that we took off the wall turned around to show the black side and had cut into 7 x 13 1/2 rectangular "tiles" and remounted as backsplash! I love the black and I love the fact that it was original to the building!!
The pendants over the island were a garage sale find...seriously!! My mother found them and brought them to us...and they are perfect!! Just the perfect finishing touch!!
So what began as a 12ft x 24ft open space...

has quickly become the heart of our (School)Home!!