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our house remodel: the living room

Welcome to the next stop on our house remodel tour – the living room!

In the redesigned living room, our main entry door opens directly into the living room. But as you can see in the photo below, the house came with a full-height wall – with super cool cutout shelves – that sits directly beside the front door. Like, literally there is just a tiny sliver of space between the door trim and that wall. This makes for a really tight and awkward entrance, so we’ve kind of always known that removing this wall will be our first real project (don’t worry, you’ll see the cut-out again soon). It will allow so much more natural light into the living room and make it feel so much bigger. AND we’re gaining a proper little entry area! We once again we’ve kept the walls neutral to allow the saturated accent colors really shine.

Photorealistic 3D Image

 

2022 Listing Photo

 

This is the view from the backside of that wall – from when we bought the house in 2022. Thankfully I could see past the blow up furniture, because she’s got real potential! We added wall to wall storage cabinets across the far side of the room. Together, they give the appearance of an extra long credenza and trick the eye into believing the space is bigger than it actually is. For similar effect, we placed oversized graphic artwork on either side of the centered window and highlighted them with overhead lamps. If the space can hold these big things, the space itself must be big, right?! A little trick of the trade…

2022 Listing Photo

 

Photorealistic 3D Image

The wall mounted tv sits above a vintage credenze and is flanked by ovesized period inspired wall sconces. Because this sits directly across from a large window, we will invest in blackout shades to combat glare. For seating, we’ve chosen a neutral colored sofa and a classic pair of mid-century modern arm chairs. And upholstered benches in the entry area can be pulled over for extra seating for gatherings!

 

The last view we have for you when you step in from the front door. And if you’re still reading this – congrats – you just got a glimpse into one of the last rooms on our tour! Prepare yourself – the kitchen and dining room are going to be gooooood.

 

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Protected: Whole House Design + THE (new) COLLECTION

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our house remodel: the bathroom

Welcome to the next stop on our house remodel tour – the main level bathroom!

3D floor plan

 

There’s no getting around it…this is a small bathroom. Little. Diminutive. Tiny. But that is just what you get in a 1950’s ranch home. And we’re okay with it. Would this former long-time apartment dweller love to have enough room to twirl in here? Of course. But it’s got sneaky storage solutions and overall serves our needs just fine! But before we dive into her future, let’s take a look at her past. Here’s what we found from the 2013 listing:

Bathroom - 2013 listing

 

And here’s how it looked when we bought the house:

Bathroom - 2022 listing

 

Honestly, not a lot has changed since then…we even have a striped shower curtain. Ha!

 

small ranch bathroom

 

We have a lot of ideas about which direction we want to ultimately take the design of the bathroom. In the meantime – here’s our most modern and neutral contender. The black frame on the sleek new window speaks to the black hexagon tile floor and the shower panel frame.

small bathroom

 

 

The biggest change in this design is also the biggest space saver: replacing the bathtub with a walk-in shower. The small black hexagon tile floor carries into the shower for a seamless appearance. This little visual trick also help make the room feel bigger. And we know this tiny little bathroom needs all the help it can get in the space department.

 

small bathroom with shower

 

Unfortunately, a larger vanity is just not an option; instead we ensure it allows for maximum storage underneath. The arched mirror doubles as medicine cabinet for toiletry storage and there is basket storage in the cubbies above the laundry chute (it’s original…score!).

 

small bathroom

 

We again kept the walls neutral to allow the saturated accent colors in the artwork really shine. Similarly, the classic beveled subway tile is the perfect backdrop for the classic pub style footrest we’ve repurposed as foot support for leg shaving. These brass tones are carried throughout the room within the plumbing fixtures as the historical feel balances out the new modern touches.

Are you dreaming of remodeling your bathroom? Here at Insighed Designs, we believe in affordable interior design and would love to help! You can choose from our basic kitchen + bathroom package with 8 of the most impactful product selections or customize your package to change or add catalog items. You can also add space planning or work with us in person if you are within 25 miles of Madison, WI!  Each of our designs come with a photorealistic image of the room, design narrative, and a clickable catalog. You can then do the work yourself or give a copy to contractors for comparable bids!

 

Get ready for the next stop on our tour – the living room!

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our house remodel: the office

If you’ve been following along, you know that we’re planning to remodel our 1955 ranch home on the east side of Madison, WI. We’ve already talked about the new floor plan and design for the primary bedroom. We now continue our tour into the office – welcome!

 

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Office Overview

Much like the room choice for the primary bedroom was obvious, the office knew its role from the beginning as well. Though its small footprint could also work well as a nursery or child’s bedroom. As you can see here, the previous two owners showed this room with a twin bed.

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

When we bought the house, we decided this room would serve as my office. While I had furniture pieces that technically fit in the space, the room really didn’t function very well.

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel - before

 

And we all know how I feel about that. So…to the drawing board we went! Having used the space for a few months, I knew it needed these three things:

  • a window seat for Willow
  • closed storage for supplies and a hidden printer
  • enough desk surface to fit a laptop and a freestanding monitor

We knew this iteration of the room would not be forever, so we kept the budget affordable. Incredibly, the combination of the Billy bookcase and a laminate countertop from IKEA sits just at window height for Willow. AND their Micke desk would just barely fill in the remaining length of the wall. Like, literally, within a half inch. And yes, in fact I did re-measure everything about a thousand times before pressing submit on that order – ha!

ID - space plan - before + after

This left the opposing wall open for more of that closed storage we need. Namely, the hidden printer. Now folks, I have dreamed of a vintage mid-century credenza for a very, very long time. When I realized this would be a great spot for the printer AND could actually fit into both this and the future vision for this office?! It took 2.5 seconds to decide to stretch the budget a little.

 

Insighed Designs - our remodel - office - desk view

 

 

Insighed Designs - our remodel - office - credenza

 

Someday, when the budget allows, we may consider adding custom millwork to the space. A wall-to-wall desktop is supported by a centered storage cabinet. Floating shelves fill the wall space above the desk.

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel 3D rendering

 

We kept the walls neutral to allow the wood tones to anchor the space. These heavier feeling wood tones balance out the levity of the floating desktop and shelves. Finally, the books, area rug, and artwork add just the right touch of bold color to the space.

 

Insighed Designs - office remodel 3D rendering

 

Who’s excited for the next stop on the tour? Up next….the bathroom!

 

3D floor plan

 

 

 

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our house remodel: the primary bedroom

Welcome to the second stop in our remodel tour! We’ll be talking about the design of each room on the main level, starting with the top left corner (the primary bedroom) and working our way around the main level to the new dining room.

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Bedroom Overview

While the house technically has 4 bedrooms, it was pretty obvious which one would become the primary bedroom. One will become the dining room, the second only fits a twin bed, the third is downstairs and only the last one would fit a king sized bed. And this side sleeper really wanted to upgrade to a king sized bed. So, yeah. The primary bedroom was a pretty obvious choice.

We managed to find listing photos from two sales ago and here’s how they used the room. It appears they have a full or queen sized bed, two nightstands AND two dressers. Knowing the space, I can imagine it was quite challenging moving around the room.

Insighed Designs - primary bedroom - listing photos 2013 (2)

And here’s the ill fitting blow up bed from the listing photos from when we purchased the house in 2022.

Insighed Designs - primary bedroom - listing photo 2022

And here it is as the blank slate we started with! Since we were moving up to a king sized bed, there was really only one good spot for it: under the window across from the door. Now, some folks may say that a bed shouldn’t sit under a window. And I respect that. Doesn’t the light bother you in the morning? Nope; we added blackout shades. But how do raise and lower the shade? Ah, yes. Fair point. It’s not great, but also not impossible. And maybe someday we will incorporate automated shades?

But I digress. The king sized bed and two nightstands sit comfortably along that window wall. While the room doesn’t fit much more that, it works well for our needs. A fresh coat of paint and a few interesting pieces will make a big difference, don’t you think?Insighed Designs Primary Bedroom Space Plan

As for style, we want to incorporate mid-century pieces as a nod to the house’s roots, but lead with our own comfortable style. Which typically leans ‘light and bright’ with careful but fun additions of color. And this design certainly fits that bill! We kept the bigger components of the room neutral – warm white paint, natural oak floors, jute rug, and white bedding. Then brought in a contrasting bold black floral pattern on the curtains that sit behind a beautiful emerald green tufted headboard. The classic mid-century nightstands sit below a pair of modern globe pendants.

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Bedroom Design

Which, by the way, you never really notice how much space a bedside lamp takes up until it’s gone. When you bedroom has a small footprint, every little bit counts. If you can relate – stay tuned! We’ve got some things in the works with you in mind. Everyone else stay tuned for the next room in the remodel design tour…the office!

Insighed Designs Remodel Primary Office Overview

 

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nancy@insigheddesigns.com

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