We work with a lot of homeowners that have taken on a home renovation, but we would be hard-pressed to find a client with more renovation experience than the Arthur's.
Annie and Matt Arthur have a total of 6 home renovations under their belts, which is inevitable when you come from a family of avid flippers like Annie. They design each renovation around a style that is true to the bones of the home but with a personal twist. When they moved into what was a fishing cabin tucked away on the river, they began its transformation into their forever home.
Creating an Eclectic Farmhouse Feeling
Coming from a Georgian style home filled with high design and bursting with color, the fishing cottage called for something more casual. This renovation would be a transformation with texture — wood, flax linens, and marble — materials that are timeless and will withstand the wear and tear of a busy family with growing boys who "seem to be really destructive". Enough said.
Where to Begin with Your Home Renovation
Annie grew up seeing her parents move from house to house with her mom redesigning each one of them. It's safe to say she's seen it all; Shaker, Country, Gothic, French, even a wood couch when her mom was into Primitive design in the 80s — "I've taken what she taught me and ran with it." So we asked the burning question... where do you even start?
"Whenever I start a house I find an item that I love and go from there. You just need a few key pieces or even one focal point. It could be something that goes into the actual structure, a piece of art, an amazing rug. I go to a lot of flea markets and if I love it, I buy it."
This particular redesign started with a window from an old 1800s dairy barn that Annie found at a flea market. From there, she gravitated towards pieces that were focused around animals and nature, and living in a woodsy area it felt right.
European Inspired Kitchen
When it comes to kitchens, Annie always starts with the stove, "I've really got a thing for stoves." The stove she selected for their kitchen is from Officine Gullo, amazing right? You can tell that the space was designed around it, and the entire kitchen has an old European farmhouse feel. One of her must-have items was a really large kitchen island for entertaining and serving food, she loves to cook and comes from a family where gatherings are centered around food and drink.
Reclaimed Wood Kitchen Island
We were happy to fulfill this must-have item for Annie by creating a massive kitchen island crafted from reclaimed oak. We love this look and it's a great way to introduce some texture and warmth to a kitchen (read more about how wood is going to play a big part in 2019 kitchen trends as predicted by Elle Decor). We have a selection of reclaimed tops available at 15% off, and they would make a great tabletop or kitchen island.
Cozy Kitchen Table
The kitchen has a cozy nook with built-in benches that overlooks the woods and river. All that was missing was an awesome table. We worked with the Arthur's to design, prototype and build a custom table with a reclaimed top, sanded down to a smooth finish, paired with a custom metal base that reflected the shapes and angles in the existing kitchen stools. That table is still one of Alex's favorite projects, and if you love it then talk to us about a custom project!
Dining for 20 (truly)
Annie is the consummate host. She can whip together a meal for a group with her eyes closed and hosts family gatherings often. So when she asked for a giant dining table we weren't surprised. What did surprise us was how big- she wanted to be able to seat 20 people. Woah. By now you likely know we have a really hard time saying no to wild ideas; challenge accepted.
It's In The Details
Lucky for us, the Arthurs are great friends, and we are able to check in on our work when we visit. Even if they weren't our close friends, we would still take the same amount of care and pride in the work we did for this renovation project. That's what makes us Edgework Creative.
"We've seen all of Edgework's amazing work and I knew they could do anything I asked them to do. I love that they can give you full creative license but if you need some direction they have great design ideas. I'm happy to say they spend a lot of time in our home, so Alex is always checking in on his items. They take a lot of pride in their work. And they should." - Annie Arthur
Sources
Stove and range hood: Officine Gullo
Mariner lights: Trove Warehouse
Tabarka tile: Classico Tile and Marble
Entry rolling table + large scale: Fortin Vintage Market
Entry mirror: Edgework Creative
Fireplace mantle: Edgework Creative
Kitchen Island: Edgework Creative
Kitchen table: Edgework Creative