Inspiring Before/After Photos: Interior Design Delaware County Pa
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The family room is the heart of the home, a place to spend time with loved ones, relax and casually entertain. So when our clients in Wallingford, PA decided it was time to transform their family room into a space they could truly enjoy, the team at Lisa Quale Interiors, a Delaware County PA interior design firm, couldn’t wait to get started.

 

Before

You can see in the before picture that the room has a fair amount of natural light and great hardwood floors. Not pictured here, (but visible in the later photos) is a beautiful stone fireplace on the right hand side, which we knew would be a perfect focal point. There were a couple of unique challenges in redesigning this room. First, it’s a long and narrow space, which doesn’t allow for much flexibility in furniture placement. And, this older home, like many in Delaware County PA, does not have a separate formal living room, so the interior design plan has to meet both their entertaining and family life needs.

After



Our interior design plan started with a low contrast color scheme of beige and spa blue. To create visual interest, we selected fabrics and draperies with differing, but complementary textures and patterns. To make this family room feel larger, we hung silk curtains in a shade only slightly darker than the walls and had a rug in a custom size installed.

To highlight this older home’s traditional style, we added crown molding and custom millwork above the fireplace to surround the mounted television. In selecting furnishings, we opted for classic pieces like these wooden end tables with turned legs, which beautifully suit one of our client’s favorite pieces, the secretary desk. The finished room delivers exactly what our clients wanted, a relaxing and luxurious space that was still comfortable enough for everyday use.

 

Client Testimonial

“Thank you for creating my perfect space! It’s the serene spot where I go to curl up with a good book, the inviting room where we welcome friends to spend time enjoying each other’s company, and the family retreat for Friday movie nights. Our family room has absolutely become the heart of our home. It’s beautiful, comfortable, peaceful, and inviting… all I wanted and more. I love it!” – Liz, Wallingford, Delaware County PA

If you’d like to dramatically transform your space, email us today, or learn more about Lisa Quale, interior designer for Delaware County PA here.

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4 Ways DIY Fireplace Makeovers Go Wrong
by | posted in: Blog, Fireplace, Makeover, Renovation | 0

Where DIY Fireplace Makeovers Go Wrong

Your dated brick fireplace has been driving you crazy ever since you moved in. Be careful looking on Pinterest for inspiration. I have recently been pinning some inspirational fireplace surrounds, but noticed a lot of DIY makeovers that get it all wrong. Look for these 4 offending elements:

1) FIRE!! – I have seen many DIY fireplace makeovers with wood slats installed right up to the firebox, which is very dangerous! Check with your local municipal building authority to determine what codes requirements are in your home, but many require you meet ‘International Residential Code’ requirements:

” R1001.11 Fireplace clearance.
Exception 4. Exposed combustible mantels or trim may be placed directly on the masonry fireplace front surrounding the fireplace opening providing such combustible materials are not placed within 6 inches (152 mm) of a fireplace opening. Combustible material within 12 inches (306 mm) of the fireplace opening shall not project more than 1/8 inch (3 mm) for each 1-inch (25 mm) distance from such an opening. “

2) Materials – I have nothing against painting brick. Some DIY makeovers get great results with Chalk Paint or whitewash. Where people get it wrong is by using the latest trendy grey paint or grey stone veneer when everything else in the room is beige. If you want to keep your carpet, your new surround material needs to work with it! Glass tile belongs in a bathroom, not on a fireplace. Avoid trendy tile patterns like chevron or Moroccan patterns or large grout lines.

3) Proportion – Getting proportions correct can be difficult for a DIYer. Designers, who work with proportion everyday, use elevation drawings as a tool to work out proportions on paper first.

4) Depth – When adding a stone veneer or tile, a lot of DIY makeovers do not take into account the depth of the added material in relation to any wood pilasters. I have seen a lot of examples where the new stone projects beyond the wood, or is only set back 1/4″ or so. This makes the entire surround feel very flat and one-dimensional.