Hi and welcome to Room for Change. I'm Joanne Liebler.
Believe it or not, the house behind me used to be a trolley depot.
Now granted it's been reconfigured and remodeled a little bit.
But the homeowners love the authentic little cottage in the woods feeling.
So keeping that in mind, we're going to transform two different rooms.
The first is a kitchen, and it's a bit on the primitive side right now, but we're going to create an elegant French country look.
Then we'll visit the sunroom, and that's a bit on the predictable side.
And we're going to transform that into a very rich, regal European look. Stay with us.
Hi. Today we're in a most unusual home. Why, you ask?
This house used to be a trolley depot. And you can sort of get a sense of that as you look down this hallway into the living room.
The house is sort of on the long and narrow side. There's a lot of pine in the house, both on the walls and on the floors.
And the people who live here love the look of old. In fact, they're avid collectors of antiques.
So we'll be working with some of those antiques later in the show. But we're going to start in the kitchen.
Now the kitchen has an old-time feeling in it, and part of that is due to the floor here.
This pine floor actually used to be the ceiling of an old building that has since been destroyed.
But the homeowners had the wood harvested, and they had it refinished and laid down as their kitchen floor.
Now we're going to do some refinishing in this kitchen itself, and the person with the plan is Robin Stranges.
Hi, Joanne.
Hi. Robin is with Gabbard's Design Studio in Minneapolis. And what have you got in mind for this place?
Well, the homeowners have a lot of really fine European antiques to work with,
but I feel that the room right now is a little bit too primitive-feeling, almost farm-like.
So I would like to make it a little more sophisticated and give it kind of a country-French flavor.
Okay.
And if you look at the bookcases all around the little bay window, you can see that she has a lot of blue and white porcelain.
And these are really beautiful old pieces.
So I want to emphasize the blue and white color by bringing in some blue in the window treatment and the table setting and an area rug, too.
Okay.
And if you look at this table, this is a very old American table. It's butternut. And we're keeping this. This is a keeper.
And you can tell it's old because the planks are very wide. This is almost 18 inches here.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, you see that.
And we'll work with this.
You'll work with that?
Right.
Okay. Good cut. All right. So in other words, we're going to go from sort of this rough-hewn primitive look to an upscale French look.
Oui.
All right. Well, let's let the work happen.
Okay.
Our before lack the style that Robin thought this area needed. So we cleared out the room and made way for the French country look.
French accent number one, window treatments.
This fabric is blue and white French design, although the drapes themselves were manufactured in England.
We added a Persian Hariz rug colored with natural vegetable dyes.
Today rugs are generally dyed with chemicals, but this one was hand colored and the vegetable dyes bring out rich, vibrant shades.
The bay window is a perfect spot for this French settee and coordinating pillows.
Now the fabric here is 12 and it depicts rural scenes of life.
Next, we added a baker's table and accessories.
The iron work on this table lends a real country feel with its hanging acorn design.
And the shelf got dressed up with more blue and white dishes.
We brought back the antique pine farm table and three white armless chairs to go with it.
The cushions were chosen to tie in with the colors of the rug.
White plates, blue goblets, and blue and white check napkins were added to the table along with lace placemats.
The colors go perfectly with the accent pieces in the bookshelves and it brightens up the room considerably.
Here's our kitchen before, a little bit on the primitive side.
And here it is after, classic French country.
I have to say this settee right here is an inspired choice. What made you think of that?
I just felt that the size of this window would hold a settee perfectly and provide seating for two people for informal dining.
Informal and comfortable.
And I like to use the mixture of stained finishes with painted finishes like we did on the chairs.
They're painted and worn looking, but they're new.
And I set the table with lots of blue and white and just made it look really inviting.
I've got a question about this blue. I've seen in a lot of kitchen designs lately that you're seeing this bright cobalt blue color.
What's up with that?
Well, blue has always been a classic, but the blue we're using today is vivid. It's not a weak wimpy or gray down blue, but it's a deep cobalt blue.
And when it's used with white, it just looks really great.
And in kitchens, I suppose it sort of gives that fresh look that people are looking for.
Very fresh.
And for some reason this fixture stands out more than it did in our before look.
Well, the homeowner found this in an antique shop and she said the shop was full of really ugly fixtures, but this Italian porcelain hand-painted fixture stood out and she liked it so well that she bought it.
And the colors I think work really well with what we've done here. It's got some of the blue and then kind of that terracotta color that we used in the settee.
And of course the baker's table has a lot of function and practical use.
Right, that's a real usable space and we did some antique accessories over there, some canisters and old wooden kitchen utensils.
The truth is we'd probably be rolling out our pie dough or chopping vegetables on that.
Well, Robin, I'd have to say that you did a very good job of taking what already existed here and blending it with some of your choices.
Very good. Thank you.
And if you like that, stay tuned because when we come back, we are going to visit a sunroom that's a little bit on the predictable side and give it some pizzazz.
But first, let's take a look at the transformation of this kitchen.
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Hi, I'm Jan Goldsmith.
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We have moved into the sunroom of this house that used to be a trolley depot.
And this is actually not an original part of the house.
The folks that used to live here added it on for a couple of different reasons.
Number one, just to extend the living space.
And number two, take a look at the view.
This room is full of windows, and it overlooks a very generous woodlands area.
Very green and very pretty and full of critters.
So they wanted to take advantage of that.
But because it is an addition, it doesn't quite flow or tie in with the rest of the house, does it?
You know, the people who live here now really love things that look old.
And for them, this room looks too new.
The glossy ceramic tile floors are just too contemporary feeling.
And the wicker that they have in here is just too expected for a sunroom.
Everybody puts wicker in a sunroom.
And their antiques are quite formal.
They're European.
I'd like to formalize this room a little bit more and bring in color.
And I'd like to put in a ball and claw foot sofa.
Oh, okay. So that'll sort of weave a thread of continuity throughout the whole house.
Right. Okay.
Well, let's clear this stuff out.
Okay.
The sunroom was cleared and all that was left was white tile and the bleached knotty pine walls.
The first thing we did was cover the floor with a Persian saroop rug colored with vegetable dye.
The rug is 60 years old and it's worn out in some areas, but that's something the homeowner actually likes.
Next, a carved ball and claw foot camelback sofa and end table.
This is a Chippendale-style sofa.
The design is 18th century, but it's actually a reproduction.
The collector's table is tooled leather and wood, and it nicely complements the old world style we're going for.
Next, a chair to match the sofa and a brass end table.
The chair is a wingback and we added a casual tasseled throw.
And the legs of this table? Ram's horns, but don't worry, they're not real.
We added a cocktail table topped with eye-catching accessories.
We used large-scale accessories like these mounted animal horns.
Our final area to address was the corner, so we dressed it with greenery, a table, chairs, and accessories.
The chair is Louis XV inspired and the antiques add to the European theme.
Here's our before, rather predictable with all that wicker.
And here's our after, rich, regal, European.
You found some very unusual accessories here. Now, some of them you found and some the homeowner already had, right?
Right, some are old and some are new. And I brought in these animal horns here for height.
I'm not sure what kind of animal this is from, maybe, I think they're unicorns.
Oh, right, yeah, and I think I saw little elves bring them in too.
They're mounted on black cubes, I think they're really interesting.
And then I used the homeowner's own leather-bound books here.
She's got some little wire-rimmed glasses and some old antique decanters for liquor.
And then the table is painted in kind of a tortoise finish and it's carved to look like bamboo along the edge and the legs.
And then I wanted to carry out that animal theme.
So up here on the wall, on the window actually, we've hung some large deer horns.
Wow, what better place to hang something like that?
We've got this huge high ceiling and I think they look great there.
Yeah, it's a perfect room for it.
And then over here, we created an interesting little corner for sitting.
We've got a couple of antique Louis XV French chairs covered in leather.
And this is an antique reproduction table that's mahogany and it's got a beautiful inlaid detail on the top.
Yeah, it's pretty.
And then here we have the animal theme again, the elephant lamp and an antique wine cooler.
And these are some of the homeowners' items here too.
And then I've used a pretty tapestry pillow with a fringe.
Great. So you've managed to fill this room out by using some of her stuff and some of the stuff you've found.
Now, in a room like this where you have a lot of windows, there is a challenge in hanging artwork, correct?
Right.
So that's what we're going to address next.
We are in another part of the sun room to address a particular artistic challenge.
And that is nice piece of artwork but not particularly nicely displayed.
We have a little bit of a problem in this room.
We have no walls and we would like to hang this art somewhere.
So I've got a solution.
We're going to hang it from the inside of the window jamb using fishing line because this is almost invisible.
Yes, it is.
And it won't block off too much of the view because the windows are all around us.
Right.
Well, now that's a very clever way of dealing with that because it looks like it's suspended in midair.
Right. And we don't have any visible wires showing.
Just like David Copperfield. Is that how he does these tricks?
I don't know. I think it really completes the look of this wall though.
The homeowner's chest here looks like an antique but it isn't.
And she bought this in the 70s. That's probably 20s vintage. Paid $100 for it.
Oh, that's a deal.
And the lamps, the painting, everything just finishes off.
Yeah, the room. We've got a completed room here now.
Okay. Well, if you like what you've seen here, stay tuned because when we come back,
we're going to get some more quick tips from Robin Stranges, our designer of the day.
But first, let's take a look at the transformation of this sunroom.
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We're at the point in time in our show where we get quick and easy designer tips from our pros,
and what happened to our pro Robin Strangest?
We brought in Nancy Durand, her co-worker from Gabbards.
And Nancy is actually a floral designer.
And at this point in time, you're going to show us all about the magic of topiary.
I am.
Which I know nothing.
Well, there really isn't much magic to making a topiary.
It's very elegant and beautiful, but the actual basic design is pretty straightforward.
It's kind of like painting by numbers.
Once the form is made, then you just follow the shape and that's what you get.
All right.
That's what you have.
So first of all, you need to make your form, and this is going to be the ball on the stick kind of topiary.
Nice natural stems, weighted in a clay pot.
And sometimes you can use a styrofoam ball for the top.
I don't usually use that.
I just take a block of styrofoam and kind of shape it into a...
But the weight is important.
The weight is important.
Now, the material I'm using is very lightweight, but if I was going to use a lot of heavy fruit or something,
then I'd probably want to put it in plaster.
Make a little top heavy as a...
Right. Right.
Got you.
Okay.
So you get that form all made, and then what I do is I put some sheet moss around the styrofoam.
Just in case some of the material doesn't cover the whole sphere, this will cover the styrofoam.
This is real stuff.
It's real sheet moss.
Uh-huh.
And then I just take a little piece of styrofoam and I just put it on the top side.
And what I do is you can wet it down with a spray bottle or something and just kind of press it into form.
Otherwise, you can use these little doodahs here.
These are little florist greening pins, like a little hairpin.
Oh, yeah.
And you just, in a couple different places, put those in so it holds your mossy shape.
It holds the hair in place.
There you go.
And I see you also have it on the bottom, too.
Right. Right.
Okay.
But you break off little pieces of your material and then you can put a wood wire pick on it.
Now, these are picks that you can get at a craft store.
And it's just like it says, wood with wire on the end.
Uh-huh.
High-tech, like all floral work is, you know.
And then you just pick it into the styrofoam.
Okay?
And I've done a lot of these ahead of time and actually put them on steel picks, which florists have those machines, but you don't need that.
Okay?
And the important thing is to kind of outline your form, okay?
So go on all different sides and turn it all the way around as you're making your form so you don't get the leps in it.
Now, this stuff is real, isn't it?
This is real.
This is a natural material that is preserved in France.
And it's dyed.
It will stay like this.
It will keep its softness.
It will keep its color.
So it will last quite a long time, a couple years.
And then we have this other example over here.
Right.
Now, this is what you would get after you put all the placements in here.
Now, when you buy a topiary, so much of the money that you spend is for the labor because there are many, many placements, as you can tell, to get it completely filled.
So if you can do it yourself, you can save about half the cost of the topiary.
Okay?
Now, you can leave it green like this if you want, or you can get real elaborate or more elaborate and put some beautiful preserved roses in there.
Oh, that does look pretty.
It looks pretty?
Yeah.
So, there you have it.
Pretty scinti, huh?
You've taken the mystery out of this.
Now, I've also seen these where they've been sculpted like animals, animal shapes.
Right, right.
Oh, wow.
I'm going to do a unicorn.
There you go.
All right.
Well, now we know what this is all about.
And in one moment, we are going to tackle some window treatments.
If you've ever wondered how designers get such a beautiful customized look with their window treatments, you're going to find out right now.
Right, Robin?
You're going to give us an example of something that we can do at home.
Well, I design custom window treatments for my clients every day, and they can cost thousands of dollars.
These fabrics can be over $100 a yard, and not everyone can afford to spend that much on a window treatment.
So, I'll show you something that you can do yourself.
But first of all, I wanted to show you what a beautiful custom-made window treatment looks like.
It's a gorgeous fabric.
It's a paisley, tone-on-tone pattern, and well-made draperies are always lined.
The stitching is almost invisible.
And if you look up at the top, the way the pleats are done and the rings, the hardware, everything about it is perfect.
Perfect.
But for those of you who like to do it yourself, you can do the same look and save a whole lot of money.
All right.
It might not look quite the same, but...
Now, the hardware, this is a wood pole.
You can buy this at a drapery supplier or some lumberyard.
Or even just like the home centers.
Right.
And this fabric runs around $24 a yard, and it's a cotton.
And all you have to do to achieve a similar look is just gather up a couple pleats like this.
And then you take your wood ring with the little eye in the bottom, and you sew that on.
Oh, I see.
And then it just slides on the rod like that.
Oh, I gotcha.
Like that.
And then this can be tacked on in between each ring here.
Wow.
And there you go.
And this is much less expensive than the other treatment.
Right. Well, these are actually drapery tiebacks.
These are around $20 a piece.
And you could use one on a panel or you could use many.
As many as you want to shell out for, basically.
Right.
And then the fabric is much less.
So you could achieve a look like this for at least half.
Oh, that's great.
All right.
Well, don't go away because we're going to be back with some final thoughts.
Thanks for joining us at Home and Garden Television.
Create a space.
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Decorating your home is finding the right look for your lifestyle.
Interiors by Design is filled with smart advice and great ideas for putting it all together.
Learn to combine the things you love into a style all your own.
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If you have questions or comments, we'd like to hear from you.
So write us at Room for Change, care of HGTV, Box 50970, Knoxville, Tennessee 37950.
Be sure to include episode number 209.
We've been in a most unusual home today, a home that used to be a trolley depot of all things.
And you brought in some very unusual things, but you also worked with the homeowners' existing items, which I thought was great.
And Robin, of all the things that you brought in, what was one of your favorites?
I think my favorite was the little French satie that I used in the kitchen in the bay window, heating area.
I think it just added a lot of character to the room.
Yeah, and as for me, dried floral arrangements, topiary.
Now I know how to do it.
I think that's a great skill to have.
And I think I'm going to have to make a unicorn.
Now that I know how.
Thanks for being on the show.
Thank you.
This is Robin Strangis.
She's with Gabbard's Design Studio.
My name is Joanne Liebler.
And folks, we always want to remind you to look around your own home because you may have a room for change.
Learn about the psychology of color on Kitty Bartholomew, Your Home, followed by HomeWise with Beverly DiGiulio.
It's all part of Design at 9, Monday night here on HGTV.