Do You Love Your Home?

Greg and Gayle Nowak, Bonnie Collins, and Donald Egan

Winners of the Northshore Magazine

“Love Your Home” Design Event Challenge

photo courtesy Northshore Magazine

At a recent Northshore Magazine event, held on April 4th at Landry and Arcari in Salem, MA, several readers who were faced with challenging spaces in their homes, were the fortunate winners of free design solutions from North Shore home design experts. After many readers submitted photos of rooms that were not working for them, along with a “fix this” wish list, three specific challenges were selected to be solved by Howell Custom Building Group, Sue Adams Interiors, Landry and Arcari Oriental Rugs and Carpeting, Lucia Lighting and Design, and Designer Bath. The three challenges were chosen based on the idea that other homeowners might have similar projects that are not moving forward because they also are in need of a combination of both professional insight and product recommendations.

Home owner submitted “Before”

DESIGN CHALLENGE #1: Existing space includes two full baths, a utility closet, and a master bedroom closet.

• Second full-size bath is not necessary.

• Would like a half bath, creating more space to move washer and dryer up from the basement.

• Would like to update baths with new fixtures, plus a walk-in tile shower for the master bath.

rendering by Howell Custom Building Group

The first step in the virtual re-design process was a site visit from Howell Custom Building Group to two of the locations. After taking measurements of existing conditions, the expert draftsmen at Howell went back to the drawing board and executed 2 and 3-dimensional floor plans of newly defined spaces including new bathrooms for two of the homeowners. Floor plans were created with the help of interior designer, Sue Adams, who suggested improvements to the spaces along with selecting new fixtures from Designer Bath with the help of showroom consultant Mindy Sevinor-Feinberg. 

Mindy with Sue Adams at the Love Your Home event on April 4th

“Sue has so much knowledge and expertise. It is always a real pleasure to work with her, and insightful as well!”

– Mindy Sevinor-Feinberg

photo courtesy: Steamist

A Total Sense steam shower from Steamist was a recommended addition to the existing master bath in Challenge #1. Just a few of the benefits of steam shower therapy include: relief for allergy sufferers, the alleviation of joint pain, and improved circulation. The new laundry room, which would include a half bath, was designed to include classicly inspired fixtures from Kallista.

photo courtesy: Kallista

laundry room rendering by Howell Custom Building Group

DESIGN CHALLENGE #2 required a virtual makeover of the attic space in a local Victorian home. New fixtures were requested for the existing bath along with a room plan for the under utilized attic space which had become a catch all/storage area with no real function. Sue Adams suggested adding custom bookshelves to each side of the room to provide decorative and useful storage, comfortable seating in the turret section of the attic to accompany this newly acquired reading nook, and new but Victorian-inspired bath fixtures in the attic bath. A fresh color palette of pinks and greens was chosen along with a vibrant striped carpet from Landry and Arcari plus dramatic lighting from Lucia Lighting and Design. The virtual end result is a welcoming space within the existing footprint of the home that provides additional real estate without having to add on or change the existing roofline.

rendering by Howell Custom Building Group

a sitting area with lighting from Lucia Lighting and Design

carpet from Landry and Arcari

Benjamin Moore paint color choices

fixtures selected from Designer Bath

fo attic bath in this Victorian home

DESIGN CHALLENGE #3 involved sourcing carpets and furnishings for a local home with ocean views. Below are a couple of the mood boards designed by Sue Adams that incorporated selections chosen to warm up the space while keeping the focus on the outside view. Seating arrangements were also recommended. 

carpets from Landry and Arcari with furniture and lighting selections

by Sue Adams Interiors and Lucia Lighting and Design

Sue Adams with her carpet selections

from Landry and Arcari

After the unveiling of the design challenge solutions, guests at the Love Your Home event were able to visit information tables set up by each of the participating home design experts and were able to pose their own challenges or ask questions about the selections made for the winners.

Beezee Honan of Designer Bath

Lucy Dearborn of Lucia Lighting, Julie Arcari of Landry and Arcari,

and Susan Howell of Howell Custom Building Group

The evening also included a couple of giveaways including a raffle prize featuring a $2,500 mini-home makeover that included gift certificates from each of the participating home experts. Proceeds from the event raffle benefitted Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity.

To see more photos from the Love Your Home Event held on April 4th, visit our Facebook page. Be sure to pick up future issues of Northshore Magazine for updates on this event, the winners and their virtual makeovers. To see images from the related “Love Your Home” Pin It To Win It contest, visit our Love Your Home inspiration boards on Pinterest.

If you have a design challenge that needs solving, consider giving one of our North Shore home design experts a call. We are all happy to help!