This home was beautifully designed and built for the 2007 Omaha Street of Dreams. It’s amazing how time flies and how styles and technology change! Fast forward 13 years, and the house was dark, dated, and in need of updating. The homeowners wished to introduce more light and create an airy feel, update the finishes and colors to include popular gray tones, and incorporate some new furniture to bring a contemporary look to the residence.

The challenge with this type of project is making a dramatic impact without tearing out everything in the whole house. I started by selecting a light, neutral “greige” paint color that allowed us to incorporate some new cooler finishes. New materials that worked with existing decor were used whenever possible.

The kitchen was where the biggest transformation took place. A fresh coat of gray-white paint was applied on all the trim and kitchen cabinetry, which made the entire kitchen feel light and bright and twice the size. We kept the warm stone floor and chose new quartz countertops with a warm charcoal veining that pulled in the stone, and paired it with an interesting glazed ceramic backsplash tile that complemented the floor and the new cabinet color. We updated the under-cabinet lighting with LED bulbs, which cast a crisper, sharper light on all the surfaces. (In addition, the homeowner won’t have to worry about changing bulbs ever again.) And we hung large mercury-glass pendants, adding sparkle to the already bright kitchen. Finally, we removed the dated, heavily carved molding on the range hood and replaced it with a sleek, stainless-steel sheet metal. This change immediately added a more contemporary feel to the entire kitchen.

In the family room and office, cabinetry was painted a warm charcoal gray to add more interest and depth. The gray created a beautiful contrast with the existing warm fireplace stone and the white trim and cabinetry as well. New custom furniture incorporated our warm gray color scheme. We also introduced some brushed gold finishes to keep the new grays from going cold. Mixing metals is always a way to add more interest in a space. Overly ornate lighting was replaced with large-scale light fixtures featuring clean, modern lines. Lastly, new contemporary rugs—including one very whimsical cowhide rug in the office—replaced traditional Oriental rugs that definitely dated the home. 

This remodeled home brings this early 2000s time capsule up to 2020 Street of Dreams’ standards. And the family couldn’t be happier with their beautiful, new space. 

Meet the Interior Designer
Marian Holden
ASID, Designer’s Touch

 Marian Holden, of Designer’s Touch, is the only professional interior designer in the state of Nebraska that is also a licensed general contractor and licensed real estate agent. “It is my goal to be a one-stop shop and help my clients create their dream home.”

This article was printed in the September 2020 edition of OmahaHome. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.