Earlier this week we mentioned we've been working on our family's new home for over a year now and it's a project that we've been so excited to tell you about and share with you! Though the main house is still in the works (literally - it's still mostly studs) we finished up the guest house!
Funny enough, this guest house was originally a garage! Our family didn't need two, two car garages (there's another garage attached to the house), so extra sleep space for guests it is. Because we were working on the guest house before the main house, we had the opportunity to refine the design direction and details. We came up with the general design for the property then we were able to have some fun testing out ideas on the guest house.
We turned the garage into a studio and set it up with a kitchenette (no stove), bedroom and a full bath. We also added a gym and walk-in closet - pretty awesome "studio" if you ask us!
Our team had a lot to do before getting to the fun stuff though! We had to float up the floors to make them level, add the walls to create rooms (bedroom, bath, and gym), insulation, electrical and water for both the kitchen and bathroom. Buuuut after all that, we were able to make decisions on all the fun design stuff!
First thing - the floors! We chose a wide, 9" plank, from RMS Floors - a beautiful, local spot here in Santa Barbara with endless options!
We knew that we needed to have a kitchenette in the house so guests could feel comfortable and didn't need to trek across the property in the morning for their first cup of coffee (what, you don't need at least two cups to come to life like us?!). We used IKEA cabinets and Semihandmade's Supermatte White Shaker fronts, topped the cabinets with polished Taj Mahal countertops from Bedrosians and finished it all off with polished nickel hardware from Rejuventation.
Our family wanted a modern-farmhouse vibe inside to update the dated board and batten look the exterior was taking on. We LOVE board and batten but the colors and details were making the house feel dated - nothing that can't be fixed! So wide, mid-tone wood floors (think refined-rustic farmhouse ... that can be a thing, right?) were added, polished nickel and oil-rubbed bronze hardware was mixed, and overall neutral tones were used to create a calming, modern space. We are so in love with this guest house and are excited to stay here and get some rest - the kids can stay inside with grandma and grandpa!
Below you can see a crappy iPhone pic of the bathroom before + after! All the walls were tiled for a sleek, modern look. The vanity is from RH (the wood helps add that rustic balance with the modern tiles) and polished nickel hardware was pulled into the bathroom to create cohesiveness with the rest of the guest house. The beautiful floors are from Bedrosians and we're just about ready to put them in more projects - we love them so!
We are still deep in the middle of the main house's renovation but we are excited to keep updating you guys on our Instagram - so be sure to stay tuned! Eventually we'll have a reveal for you - we promise!
XO -
The HHI Team