MENDOCINO ITALIANATE REMODEL

When my client brought Atelier Julienne on for this project, I had no idea of the historical significance of her Mendocino home until I started researching. It's one of the "Banker's Row" historical landmark homes on Little Lake Street. Needless to say, it was an honor to be selected for a project with so much historical significance. Honoring the original Italianate style of the home was important to the design & to the homeowner, and many hours of study were dedicated to that style before the designs began. The goal was to blend classic Italianate details with modern, livable design.

Only streets away from the cliffside, the house offers a glimpse of the Pacific Ocean through its front-facing windows. A generous entryway welcomes its visitors with beautiful wainscoting and herringbone oak floors. The living room and dining room feature an oversized 18" crown molding to accentuate the high ceilings. A beautiful Schumacher wall mural wraps around the dining room, which will double as a craft room when the grandkids are in town. The library is washed in a rich, deep green-gray, which will be suitable during the day as the brightest room in the home, and ultra-cozy for reading at night. The kitchen's blue cabinet color is inspired by the blue of the ocean, with a range to match. The white hood, counters, tile and wainscot offset this blue and brighten the room. Schumacher wallcovering makes another appearance in the playful powder room, with a wainscot painted perfectly to match.

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A sense of "ahhh" is achieved in the primary bedroom with white on white, allowing for the tiny space to feel less cramped. The primary bath exudes femininity with soft pink walls, shiny nickel and classic tile details. The guest bedroom is punctuated by a custom closet for the grandchildren, with an en-suite guest bath to match. We kept the mud room classic with white paneling and herringbone brick floor, which carries into the laundry room. My client & I fell in love with a blue floral wallpaper that just had to make an appearance in the house, and the laundry room was the perfect spot to have some fun!