NY Interiors: Updates from Old York Designer Show House

Nicole Yee of NY Interiors writes in with this update from the Old York Designer Show House, where she is designing the Master Suite.

Designer Nicole Yee

Tackling the Master Suite

The McIntire master suite immediately appealed to my problem-solving nature. Apparently, I wasn’t the only designer who saw it as a challenge: when I met my esteemed Showhouse colleagues (a warm and welcoming bunch, by the way) they deemed me “the brave one” for proposing to design that room.

The master suite does have some undeniable design maladies. For starters, it’s completely disjointed from the rest of the house. It is a recent addition tacked on without any design transition from the original house. (A big no-no for us decorators who are always in search of cohesion.) Further, there is no obvious placement for the bed, large built-in wall speakers occupy almost every spot that a piece of art could hang, and the over-scale chandelier would be lovely in say, the lobby of the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, but it dwarfs the 16×20′ room!

So why stake my reputation on this flawed room? The view of the York River Watershed is a site to behold. Using that as a building block for the design, I know that I can mine a diamond out of the rough! And I can’t wait to get started.

Design Challenge #1 - My 2,700 Mile Commute!

I’m honored to have been chosen to design the master suite at this year’s Old York Showhouse, especially since the panel of judges was completely unfamiliar with my work. Though I am a New Hampshire native, I have
been living–and designing–in California for many years. The Showhouse kicks off the expansion of my San Francisco Bay Area-based business to the New England Seacoast. As of June, I’ll be officially based in Kittery, ME and Oakland, CA and will divide my time between coasts.

My first challenge in May, which is “dirty work” month at the Showhouse, is my 2,700 mile commute! I flew in to get things started at the beginning of the month, but had to return to California to finish a mid-century
modern kitchen remodel. Luckily, I made good headway on my visit–drywall, prep, painting and rug stretching are all underway.

Organization is always important in design and in this case it’s critical! I’ll be back in Maine for the duration of the Showhouse in early June. Nothing like a wonderful New England summer to look forward to, along with a
fantastic design project.

In Plain View

When I walked in to the master suite at McIntire Farm the first time, the bed was completely blocking one set of windows. It was wonderful to see the view of the old barn revealed when I returned to the empty room for the “Before” tour.

Master Suite, Before

On the other hand, the other things that were exposed once the room was emptied are what we’ll spend a month covering back up!  Wall cracks and drywall seams will need to be blended back into the walls. These types of issues are only properly addressed with excellent preparation before paint. Paint alone cannot hide these sins. This is where an experienced painter makes all the difference.

Working on the Room

I love technology—and good acoustics—however, the sound system in the master bedroom, while may be good for the ears, is NOT easy on the eyes. Oversized speakers are placed conspicuously all over the room making it tough to place pictures on the walls. They are laid out in such a way that artwork won’t fully cover them, but instead overlap. We received permission to remove the speakers and repair the walls for the Showhouse. (They’ll be replaced later.)

Master Suite, Before

Finally, the condition of the carpet needed to be addressed. Improper installation had caused it to buckle over time. This was resolved by having a professional installer re-stretch the carpet and trim off the excess. A good cleaning will have it in ship shape.

First Impressions

Master Suite, Before

The entryway to the McIntire master suite is in a word; odd. It’s my job to define it as something other than an extension of the upstairs hallway. I’ve got big plans for this little space. All a surprise, of course, but suffice it to say that the space will be given a purpose and transformed into an interesting, style-packed dressing area.

NY Interiors | 62 Whipple Road Kittery, ME 03904 | (510) 326-5390 | www.nicoleyee.com

1 comment June 15th, 2009

Fiona’s Porch: Updates from Old York Designer Show House

Janet Swanson and Georgie McGowan of Fiona’s Porch write in with this update from the Old York Designer Show House, where they are designing Frankie’s Room.

The starting point for me, as a designer, begins with revisiting the room and aligning my initial idea with the actual physical room. I started the redesign of the room by  meeting with my painter, Cider Hill Painting, (lucky for me, it’s my son, and I get a great deal on a professional job!) and we asses the condition of the walls and ceiling. They weren’t bad and it will take a day or two of prep and a few days for paint and it will be fresh and new! That’s the wonder of paint, it can make a room look fabulous very easily! The single best way to change something up!

Frankie's Room, Before

After finalizing the colors, based upon my inspiration piece,the hand made quilt ‘Flying South”, I move on to the fabric for the window treatments and the slip cover for the vintage chair we acquired for the room. I met with Mary Trigge our seamstress and we measured the window and discussed our idea for the valances for Frankie’s Room. We are going to create an ‘envelope’ style valance using two different fabrics that tie in with the slipcover and quilt, executing ideas are always fun and exciting for me!

Frankie's Room, Before

After that discussion, it was on to ‘The Sewing Room’ and a quick meeting with Linda to review our ideas for the slipcover, very simple and fun with red covered buttons that will tie in with the window treatments. It’s now on to gathering the rest of the accessory items for the room, cleaning up and painting the old iron bed, and managing the work on the room, while keeping the design idea intact and going with the flow!

Fiona’s Porch |  7 York Street York, ME 03909 | (207) 363-6270 | www.fionasporch.com

1 comment June 15th, 2009