When designers work on show houses, they run into problems just as the rest of us do at home. Our group was no exception. Air vents located smack dab in the middle of walls, awkward nooks and niches and white-box rooms void of architectural details—you name it, they dealt with it. Luckily for us, these stylish spin masters think fast on their feet. Each designer came up with solutions that are both spotlight-stealing and relevant for homes anywhere.
Creating Intimacy (above)
In Kara Mann’s United States of Tara room, the L-shaped construction furthered the disconnect between her dark and light seating areas. To give cohesion to her design and create a sense of intimacy in this very heady space, she had solid-colored wallpaper and curtains adorned with the same inkblot pattern. The continuation of the fuzzy band from the windows to walls encompasses the space and brings the focus back to the central art and edgy mood of the room.
Photographer: Adam Chinitz
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Chic Coverup
To disguise a problem wall with obtrusive air-conditioning vents and controls, Marie Aiello turned to a photo of Michael C. Hall (Dexter). After taking it to a photo-reprint shop where it was magnified to such a large scale that Hall’s facial features became a bold abstract pattern, she had the image printed on rolls of wallpaper by Trove. The vents and controls disappear amid this massive, in-your-face art installation.
Photographer: Antoine Bootz
Pseudo Hedges
Manicured hedges take time and patience. If you don’t have either but do want your garden to look robust and well conceived, use container plants in the same innovative way our showhouse designers came up with. Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen of workshop/apd potted 40 different sizes of boxwoods in containers set at varying heights for the Nurse Jackie ER Triage. Placing them closely together, the canopy of bushes creates a wavy topography similar to cauliflower head’s. The result recalls a hedge labyrinth that has been growing for years.
Photographer: Adam Chinitz
Everyday Sculpture
To give texture and allure to a basic windowless hallway, workshop/apd got creative with pill bottles in the Nurse Jackie space. Gluing pharmacy-issued bottles onto the wall in a scattered pattern—from sparse to clustered—adds color and movement to an otherwise bland space. Photographer: Adam Chinitz
More on the Showtime show house on Shine:
- The tour of rooms inspired by shows including Nurse Jackie, Dexter, and Weeds.
- Rooms inspired by Nurse Jackie
- Rooms inspired by Weeds
For more from the Metropolitan Home Showtime house, go to PointClickHome.com
What problems and solutions have you come across when renovating your home?
