Almost one year ago, we began the hunt for a new studio space. We were bursting at the seams and we saw our need for more space as an opportunity to relocate within the Des Moines Metro to be closer to our clients and vendors. After a short hunt, we discovered the perfect location.
The space had previously been a daycare and had been completely gutted to a raw state. We immediately recognized the potential. Located on a corner of a multi-unit brick building, it had large windows that faced both west and south. The southern windows looked out onto a biking trail, which is lush with trees, grasses and shrubs during the warmer months.
Our concept was for the space to be light, bright and clean, with a mix of new and old. We wanted to incorporate plenty of white to create a backdrop for showcasing artwork, furniture, textiles and other decorative pieces.
We drafted a floor plan that included a long desk with plenty of storage, two huge islands for laying out projects (and more storage), an office/conference room, small design library, kitchen and large storage room. We left plenty of room along the southern side of the studio for a modest showroom space.
From the beginning, we knew we wanted to partner with local contractors and vendors to create our space. Ted Reeve of Legacy Homes served our general contractor, and he and his team did an excellent job of bringing our vision to life, and Webster Electric installed all of our beautiful lighting. Iowa Reclaimed Floors supplied our gorgeous, reclaimed barn wood floors, and Clay Aronson of Aronson Woodworks created our desks and storage units. We collaborated with the Stone Shop on all of our countertops and work surfaces and Minnesota Cabinets on our kitchen cabinets.
When we visited High Point last October, we kept our eyes open for unique pieces that would be functional for the studio and incorporate our love of antiques and vintage items. We couldn’t help purchasing a set of gorgeous mid-century modern chairs that we had painted and reupholstered as well as a ten foot long, antique Belgian counter that was once used in a bakery.
After several long months, the studio was finally completed in February, and we were able to move in. We love all of the natural light that streams in through the large windows throughout the day. The central location has allowed us to be so much more efficient, reducing our travel time significantly. Our clients can pop in to pay a bill or for a quick design meeting, and we can easily visit our local showrooms to source tile, flooring, cabinetry and more.
All photos were taken by Cassandra Monroe. We hope you enjoyed this little tour of our new space!
In this photo, you can see the entry from the garage and the chalkboard that hangs over the bench.
Here you can see the desk and built-ins to the right of the door.
In the view below, we’re standing at the desk and looking towards the laundry. You can see the smaller closet as well as the opening into the kitchen.
The laundry room was dated with oak cabinetry and white vinyl floor tile.
This is the third closet and the other side of the laundry room. You can see that large space wasn’t being utilized as well as it could have been.
We proposed eliminating two of the three closets to create a larger laundry room and to make space for custom cabinetry. We selected a palette of soft whites to keep the space feeling light, bright and clean and a new black slate floor to replace the vinyl.
Below is our “after” plan. You can see how removing the two closets on the laundry room side helped to open up the space. On one side, we designed a row of built-in semi-custom cabinetry to function both as a butler’s pantry/pantry and as a mini-office. On the other side, we were able to add a broom closet cabinet and add some additional countertop space at the sink. By demo-ing the desk, we were able to create a mudroom with a locker area for each family member.
This elevation depicts the laundry area in the newly enlarged space. We selected a simple Shaker style cabinet with a two-part crown and had it custom colored a soft off-white by Sherwin Williams.
On the butler’s pantry side, we incorporated deep drawers in all of the base cabinets for maximum storage. The bottom drawer on the far right is a custom configured filing cabinet while the drawer above features a hidden drawer for corralling small items like pens and paper clips. We originally specified a pocket door for the wall cabinet above so that there would be easy access to the printer but switched it out for a lift-up model. We specified a magnetic, linen look wallpaper for the backsplash so that our client could pin up important papers, photos, and other items.
In the mudroom, we designed simple lockers with open storage below for shoes. The bench tops are white quartz to match the countertops in the laundry room. The space above the hanging storage was intended for large baskets to hold things like hats, scarves, and mittens.
We specified the lockers, which were mostly built on-site, to be painted the same color as the cabinetry in the laundry room. The backs of the lockers are beadboard, which adds a little texture and dimension.
For the finishes, we paired a white quartz that resembles Carrara marble with the custom painted cabinetry. We recommended painting the walls an off-white that was slightly lighter than the cabinetry but deeper than the white trim in order to create a soft and calming look.The black slate floor creates a dramatic contrast with the lighter cabinetry. The natural fiber runner and woven baskets add texture and depth to the mudroom. Polished nickel hardware on the laundry cabinets acts as the jewelry of the room.
When the family enters from the garage, these two rooms are the first thing that they see. Before the remodel, both the laundry room and mudroom were not only outdated and underwhelming but they didn’t function well for their lives. Now, they are greeted by a cheerful, pleasant and well-organized space.
