Environment is Everything - Create One
THE KITCHEN TRANSFORMATION
The remarkable power of transformation is what keeps us going in this business! Each week we tackle an existing kitchen with a key focus on making those old bones look new again. Like the fountain of youth for kitchens, our approach is to make the very most out of what you already have! We work closely with each client to refine their new look while incorporating the existing with new elements. Please take a moment to scroll through this recent project from a home on Wynnewood Dr. in Greensboro.
Before: Cherry Toned Maple Cabinets, Tuscany inspired elements of tumbled travertine backsplash and decorative appliqués, had to go!
After: A new color called Silverpoint was Lacquered on the cabinets. We changed, hardware, countertops, backsplash and perhaps most notably, the custom Range Hood by Thompson Traders.
Before: Pendant lighting had a modern/transitional shape but our client was tired of pendants and wanted to introduce a more casual/modern statement, so we introduced these soft, canvas fixtures with soft gold accents to balance with the mixed metals of the Range Hood.
After: We replaced the pendants with can lights and edited a few out to make this much more simple and elegant statement with the pair of canvas fixtures.
During: We’re often asked how we set up to spray the cabinets. It’s a very tedious process of preparation that often takes longer than painting. All elements are meticulously masked, thoroughly cleaned, sanded and cleaned again, prior to paint. If you look closely here, you’ll see the halo above the fridge of a decorative appliqué that we removed and replaced with a custom panel.
After: Careful to maintain some traditional elements of the new, transitional environment, we opted to leave the Pantry door alone. Mixing in gold and silver allowed us introduce a hand hammered sink from Thompson Traders. Mixing the warm and cool toned metals of gold and silver/pewter allows us to leave pops of warmer wood tones as well. The tonal balance occurs effortlessly.
Details: We just love the hand rendered feel of this sink by Thompson Traders. It evokes a warm, human touch to the clean, quartz surround.
The new countertops are a softly veined Quartz called Venato Extra and were installed by ProStone Marble and Granite. Quartz is a manmade product, fashioned to mimic marble. As a Faux Finisher, trained in the art of faux marbling, I’m particularly critical of the manmade veins that we find in Quartz. Many of them look quite unnatural and aggressive or contrived, so if our client prefers Quartz, I always suggest the varieties with softer, more subtle veining. Another favorite Quartz product is a variety called “Ra” in the Enigma surfaces line. This image is enhanced to show the veining.
The backspace tile our client selected came from Studio Tile in Greensboro and has a particularly nuanced beauty that’s best appreciated in person. This picture is enhanced to show the subtle pearlescent shimmer of its inlay pattern. The geometry of this tile beautifully hints at the angles of the range hood above.
THE MUDROOM CONVERSION
Before: As you can see here, the Mudroom was already doing double duty as a beverage station, but we were getting more mixed messages than mixed drinks with this setup and it just wasn’t the functional space our clients desired. We removed the coat bench and relocated the pantry to make room for something much more usable.
After: By shifting the pantry cabinets to the right, we were able to add a functional wine/liquor rack and extra storage below. The custom, hand brushed color was inspired by our client’s existing furnishings in adjacent rooms seen below.
Details: We just love how this bar turned out!
Progress pics: Seyber making it happen with the spray system. Seyber & Nate, Breaking Bad; our best impression of Jesse Pinkman & Walter White. Andy & Cam Cutright, our Father/Son duo, working on the range hood installation. Lindley Battle, capturing all the light with her magic camera.
My name is Nate Wainscott. I’ve been into the creative arts since childhood, so the decorative application of color and texture as a vocation came naturally. My Specialty Finishing business, Inspire by Color was established in 2003 as a Faux Finishing business which has evolved to over the years to accommodate the ever-changing design industry. We are now a cabinet and furniture finishing business with 10 full-time employees, each uniquely gifted to suit a variety of services including, kitchen remodeling, kitchen refacing, furniture finishing/refinishing, gold leafing, lacquering, Venetian plaster - just about any type decorative treatment.
