Christy Martin Interior Design Blog

Our Beach Home Renovation

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 17:05:42 GMT

From hoarder house to beach bungalow dreams

Here’s a tour of our little piece of Heaven on earth. We have had so much fun (well I did, at least!) fixing it up from what it was... A cat urine infested hoarder house, to our little beach bungalow. We still have a lot of outside work to do and the sunroom will one day include a ping pong table, darts, and high top tables overlooking the water. But for now, we are enjoying our weekends away in our little waterfront home away from home!

Our Delaware realtor is getting professional photos take to share in this area. I have opportunities to stay here for most of the summer next year and work in the Rehoboth area. The possibilities are endless in the design world and I feel extremely blessed where God has brought me and my love for interior design!

I hope this renovation may inspire you to create a more bright, cheerful, simple, and rejuvenating home where you can feel anchored!

Home and Hope is our anchor.

-Christy

PS For a complete video tour, click here to visit my Facebook page!

How it Started

Every project starts with a vision board! This was the board I created for our beach bungalow the week we settled on the house earlier this summer. Within a few days of settlement we got to work!

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Beechwood Flip House: Before & After

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 06:12:39 GMT

Bringing new life to an outdated bi-level with lots of character

This recent flip house had good bones and lots of character, but our work was clearly cut out for us when we got the keys! Thank goodness for my husband, Rob, who is able to handle most of our contracting. He installed floating shelves in the kitchen and we decided to move the sink to make things flow more naturally in the small space. The entire home got new floors which also played a big part in making the space feel more modern.

One of the coolest things about this project... It was a young couple who bought the home and the guy proposed to his girlfriend on the front porch on settlement day! Talk about adding charm to a home - that will be a memory of theirs for years to come.

Checkout the gallery to see the full transformation!

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Custom Dining Room Renovation

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 02:39:34 GMT

Bringing new life to this family's favorite gathering place

This project just wrapped up recently and I love how it turned out. How does my design process work? First, I ask clients to take my style quiz so I can hone into their particular style. The short quiz helps me get a better idea of what a client likes, doesn't like, and what their deal-breakers might be. This client loved the modern farmhouse vibe which you can probably tell!

When a client hires me for a consultation + a vision board, I create a physical design board for my clients to review - we call it a vision board. This will include things like photos, textures, furniture ideas and paint colors - it varies based on my client's needs. The main reason I create vision boards for clients is so they can see what the space will look like when it's pulled together with the furniture and decor I suggest before we make any purchases.

This client wanted to update their dining room so we started with a vision board and went from there! I chose to have the table and buffet custom built so they will last forever and become heirloom pieces. I styled the room with a few decor pieces that were already around the client's home and I love how bright and airy it feels!

Thank you David Altdoerffer for painting another project of mine and to Gandy Woodshop for building these pieces!

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Primary Bedroom Makeover in Strasburg, Pa

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 01:51:38 GMT

New carpet and paint go a long way in turning a dark space into a light and airy sanctuary

I recently finished up this interior design project in Strasburg, Pa. The owners wanted to completely re-do the primary bedroom and turn it into a lighter, brighter bedroom space. As a beach lover, I was excited when they told me they loved the water and were drawn to coastal inspired designs. After our conversation I created two vision boards for the clients to review and they decided to go with some items from the first plan and furniture pieces from the other.

Design Tip:

Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls can make the space look taller.

The client combined the two vision boards to create the perfect blend of coastal comfort. Then, it was my job to oversee the painting, carpet installation and staging to get the new space ready to use! We also redid their stairway during this renovation. Browse the gallery below to see how this primary bedroom makeover turned out!

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Staging: It's All About the Furniture

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 00:11:51 GMT

Browse photos from a recent staging project to see how the right furniture can make all the difference!

No matter how dated a space is, staging with the right furniture always makes it feel updated! This recent project required a complete home stage to get it ready for showings and I had my work cut out for me.

The original furniture (as you can see in the before & after photos) was much too bulky for the small living space. To go with the home's mid-century build, I opted for smaller, modern leather couches and neutral colors that better fit the scale of the space.

It’s so important to add furniture that fits the scale of the space appropriately.

For staging it's also important to keep artwork neutral, using colors that compliment the furniture and decor, instead of family photo walls that can make a space feel cluttered. I always want the buyers to walk in and instantly feel at home - and that's easier to do when it doesn't feel like they're intruding in someone else's home.

FAQ: "Where do you get all of your furniture?"

When staging a home, I most often use rental furniture to fill the space. Yes, there are places that specialize in short tern furniture rentals for real estate showings!

Browse the gallery below to see how the right furniture completely updated this single family home.

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Designing a Dream Home in Palmyra, Pa

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 20:44:10 GMT

This Hershey project was probably the largest project I’ve been hired for and came with the smallest time crunch I’ve ever had in my career...

If only before and after photos were as easy as a snap of a finger! A client from DC reached out to have her new home turn-key ready in Palmyra, Pa. We planned together over the phone and sent countless emails for 4 weeks until she settled on the property. Through many questions, photos and conversations I had a good idea of her wants and needs. I really listened to her and learned her love for a glam, chic, Arch Digest style!

I had those four weeks to prepare and in that time all furniture had to be bought, new floors chosen and purchased , and every square inch painted. My team of subcontractors worked really hard and put in a crazy amount of hours, late nights, and weekends for this to be done in time, with all the finishing touches! I always say I have the fun job of designing homes but I’m truly grateful for everyone who worked hard to meet this deadline!

As I'm writing this post, the client is getting ready to move into her new Palmyra home tomorrow! She hasn’t seen the house at all in person yet because she was finishing medical school and literally graduated this week! In addition to moving into her dream home, she will be starting her dream job of General Surgeon at Hershey Medical Center this summer. Whirlwind is the perfect word for this project, but I am so happy with how it turned out and I hope the client will be too. Enjoy the before & after gallery below!

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