Young House Love

DIY Home Decorating Projects, Tutorials, & Shenanigans

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House Crashing: A Luxe & Lovely Abode

Meet Stacie. She lives downtown in a gorgeous home that we actually got to help her decorate. And goody goody gumdrops, the time has finally come to officially House Crash her. Fasten your seatbelts, people. This is going to be fun.

But perhaps we should mention that you’ve already met her bedroom. Remember, it used to look like this?

And then we whipped up one of our first mood boards ever for her… which helped her transform it into this:

But what about the rest of her home? Clearly this chick has some serious style right? Well here’s the hallway that leads from the foyer to her sleek and modern kitchen (just look at that amazing transom window):

She actually opted for Ikea cabinets and has never regretted her decision for a moment. She loved the customization they afforded her, and speaking of afforded, you can’t beat the price.

And here’s her front room all dramatic and brooding with sophisticated deep chocolate walls (try Benjamin Moore’s North Creek Brown 1001 for a similar look) along with some plush velvet seating and a wooly textured rug. And even though the room looks like even the accessories were a pretty penny, the starburst mirror above the fireplace is actually one of our favorite finds from ZGallerie and the lamps on either side of the sofa hail from Target!

Stacie also has an amazing little sitting room/office with a big West Elm daybed (the same one we have in our sunroom actually) where her kids like to relax and hang out while she works at this cute little desk (also West Elm). And how great is that CB2 pear print above the fireplace and that modern light fixture overhead? Sigh.

But the piece de resistance is the newly renovated dining room that we actually got to help Stacie revamp for a big party that she was throwing last week (which was fabulous by the way). Here’s how the room started out (as in, here’s the big before):

And here are the lovely afters. The inspiration for the entire room was the amazing metallic wallpaper that Stacie fell in love with here, so she hung it on two parallel walls to bookend the room. Magnificent isn’t even a strong enough word for how amazing the space now looks all papered to perfection.

We dropped by after the paper was hung, and even without anything else in the room we could tell this would be one stunner of a space by the time Stacie was through with it. And we even brought our paint swatches along and suggested an amorphous greige paint color for the rest of the room, which you can see looks different in every photo (Benjamin Moore’s Smokey Taupe 983). It has enough tan in it to feel warm and enveloping, but the soft gray undertones really play up the metallics in the wallpaper. And of course everything looks amazing with that regal oversized crown molding and those super high ceilings and mega wide doorways.

And those lamps on the buffet? Marshall’s! The mirrors above the console? Crate & Barrel! Isn’t it amazing how Stacie can mix an original crystal chandelier with such gorgeous budget finds without cheapening the room?

But the fireplace was a spot that had Stacie stuck…

She was hesitant about painting the wood surround, but it just didn’t jive with her “cloud-like” vision for the space. We discussed staining it a weathered gray-blue tone or even painting it white or gray for more of that ethereal and light effect that she so desired, but it wasn’t until Ralph Lauren’s Metallic paint collection was mentioned that Stacie really got that gleam in her eye. The verdict? Pewter paint that might have been a bit too much in some spaces, but in Stacie’s airy and luxe room it’s juuuuust right (it’s Ralph Lauren’s Regent Metallic Series in Ambassador Sterling). And to maintain some of that high contrast drama that Stacie loves, she opted to paint the surround a moody black which really sets off the pewter mantel perfectly:

So that’s the tour of Stacie’s lovely abode full of discounted finds that look like a million bucks. Gotta love someone who can achieve so much drama and glam without going for broke! So what do you guys think? Did you like slipping through Stacie’s house for our latest House Crashing adventure. What’s your favorite part? We’re torn between that amazing wallpaper and her lighter and brighter bedroom (which still looks fabulous over a year after the big makeover). Sigh.

UPDATE: We dropped by Stacie’s house again to take more photos of her latest makeover. Check those out right here.

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Comments

  3. Would you mind sharing where the two night tables and the two lights on either side were purchased? I love how little space they take up. Thanks and great job, as usual!

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  4. Wow! I’ve never been a big fan of wallpaper, but I’ve seen so many great prints lately that have started to change my mind. The paper in the dining room is fantastic and really makes the space unique. The treatment of the fireplace is fantastic! All around, a super-classy house.

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  8. My favorite is definitely her bedroom makeover. It is simply amazing and it doesn’t even look like the same space. However the dining room looks great too. Of the photos those were my two favorites, I love the light airy feel of both rooms. Yay for house crashing!

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  9. I hope she drops in – I have a question regarding the RL Metallic paint – I’m rehabbing a little table and want to use metallic paint on the legs but have been reading that the RL metallic paint is a pain to work with. Does Stacie (or anyone else!) have any tips on achieving a smooth finish?

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    • Hey Prettythings,

      I’m sure Stacie will talk a bit more about this, but in chatting with her about the process she mentioned that she originally resisted buying the specific textured Ralph roller that they recommended but once she used it it worked like a charm. And it looks flawless in person! Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  10. House crashers in a must!! Awesome, awesome result! As a rule, I am a no paint girl for an original mantle… but good call on that one?! TOtally made the space flow.

    Where did she get the chairs in the DR? Just curious…

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  11. Holy cow! Awesome job! What a great idea painting the fireplace a metallic! Btw, I seriously thought you painted that pear painting at first, Sherry! hehe.

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  12. That bedroom makeover has always been one of my favorite YHL projects.

    Thanks for letting us see the rest of your home, Stacie – it’s fabulous and inspiring!

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  13. Absolutely gorgeous! I love old town houses that have been revamped! I live in Fredericksburg, Virginia and we have many beautiful houses in downtown as well :) Love the quaint atmosphere of an old house :) Good work!

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  14. I love both the bedroom and dining room. I especially like that it looks like she has 3 different styles of chair in the dining room but they are all upholstered alike. How neat! I love round dining room tables too. Great job helping out with the paint and design!

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  15. What a fabulous house! I *love* the wallpaper in the diningroom – we were actually just looking at something very similar for our bedroom! And a metallic mantly? Stunning!

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  16. Beatiful! I love the architecture of the house – and the way she ties in modern design with such classical architecture is fantastic. I remember that bedroom! It was posted shortly after I started reading YHL – awesome that we get to see the rest of the house!

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  17. I’m psyched to see RL’s Metallic Paint in action! Stacie was right on in not buying the textured roller, I used the candlelight paint without the $20 roller (!) and it looks fabulous. Two wicked thumbs up for her!

    This post is great because it’s a housecrash, a mood board, and before-and-afters (two!), what a great triptych! How could you possibly top this, lol.

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  19. Hands-down, easily my favorite house crashing to date! I would give my left arm for her historic home, or any historic home to be honest. I can’t figure out what I love most about it because I love ALL of it- what a fantastic abode!

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  22. Love the house. I am especially in love with the 2 grey chairs in the front room. Any idea where they are from???

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  23. Amazing job to all three of you! The spaces ALL look amazing! Also, a special thanks for posting the link for the wall paper! I’ve been thinking about trying something fun with a print, but I wasn’t sure of ordering online! Thanks again!

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  24. Lovely home! Thank you for sharing. Do you know where she found the bed spread/duvet cover? I just love it and am looking for something new in our bedroom.

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  26. Wow… one of my favorite homes!! Love the dramatic colors of dark brown/black walls, and the textures, and the fireplace in the dining room.. awesome!!

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  30. Thanks for all the nice comments and thanks to Sherry and John for all the advice when i was totally stuck (like the mantle).
    As far as the metallic paint on the mantle, you HAVE to use the recommended Ralph Lauren paint roller. Its not just a ploy to get you to buy more RL stuff… it is really needed to make the paint go on smooth. Regular rollers and brushes leave streaks. Once I figured that out, I bought the reccommended one, and smooth sailing!
    JAG, I think you are asking about the lights and tables on either side of the bed, right? Tables are from West Elm and do leave a small footprint,which I needed in that bed nook and the lights are clearance Target.
    Carrie, chairs in the DR are a combo. Two of the dining room chairs are Barbara Barry collection for Baker. I found them on sale in the basement of the Baker in Georgetown, but then I couldnt afford the other 2 , becuase the are NOT cheap! SO i found the other 2 at La Difference here in Richmond for a very low price and from a distance you can hardly tell the difference. The chairs next to the buffet were found and Crate and Barrel for extra seating.
    Thanks again for all the comments and questions! Ill stop by later if you come up with anything else
    Stacie

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  37. I literally gasped at that first bedroom! I just want to snuggle in that bed and read a good book with a cup of tea!

    This house is perfect. Love the giant pear painting!

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  39. Beautiful. The fireplace looks amazing. I had always wondered where one would use metallic paints. I know Benjamin Moore has metallics too, would you recommend those as well, S&J?

    Also just wondering what the paint color is in the office.

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    • Hey Jennifer,

      Good question! We have heard the most good things about Ralph metallics so those would be our recommendation, especially since they worked so well for Stacie. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  40. Holy crap! What a fabulous home! I love every room, but I was especially drawn to the living room with the very elegant black walls (which didn’t seem too overbearing) and the dining room, of course. I would’ve been hesitant to paint the fireplace too, but it looks like a million bucks now. This house is so elegant but also very cozy – exactly what I want to achieve in a home some day!

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  42. Wonderful house tour! Thanks to Stacie for sharing. Especially loved the dining room and the gorgeous fireplace makeover. I’m laughing in my head about BM’s Smokey Taupe. It’s the color of choice for all the common spaces in our house. We have a very open floor plan and after applying 10 gallons we’re still in love. It pairs well with so many accent colors and is a nice segue to the other rooms in our house!

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  43. Stacie and YHL – thank you so much for letting me know about the RL paint – I’m going to pick it up today and that’s going to be my Monday night project!

    PS – I LOVE LOVE your dining room – adding it to my virtual binder! I also have metallic wallpaper in our dining room and it looks amazing when we light candles in there!

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  44. What a lovely home. The bedroom makeover is stunning and is one of my favorite makeovers you guys have done. i really like the versatility of the greige paint color – it’s great how it is such a chameleon, changing with whatever context or lighting it is put against. i am definitely on the look out for some supercool (and super affordable) wall paper – in our library-to-be, I am planning on having a wall of bookshelves and I think it would be cool to have the wall paper behind the shelves to create pops of color and texture behind the books.

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  46. Absolutely love the dining room set! So I called to ask for the price– YOWSER.. I still love it though!!! Very classic and elegant!

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  47. Someone may have already asked this but where did the rug in the bedroom come from? I would love to know because it is GORGEOUS! I looked on the moodboard, but I think there was a different rug shown. Beautiful space! :)

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  50. Love it love it love it! Everything. It’s hard to pick just one thing. I really like that floral wallpaper – I have seen it in a different (yellow?) colorway, and thought this paler palate was great.

    As a Richmonder, I’m dying to know … where is this beautiful house? You said “downtown” but is that Fan, Church Hill, Bottom? (I promise, I don’t stalk!)

    Reply

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