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“Meant to Be(ach)”

May 1, 2019

I had dreamed of living at the beach all my life and knew the minute I saw the Edward Street property that we had to have it.  Surrounded by many new construction homes in Fairfield beach constructed post Hurricane Sandy, this property, located on an oversized lot with mature plantings, was never torn down and kept its character and original beauty. It was a loved home full of quirks and opportunity and the designer in me couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.  After having missed out on the first sale, we waited for three years until it came back on the market and quickly purchased it with no questions asked.

Project Details

Scope // FULL-SERVICE REMODEL

interiors + exteriors // GLDESIGN

location // FAIRFIELD, CT

builder // LARRY LARKIN BUILDERS

landscape designs // GLDESIGN

photographer // LANDINO PHOTO

Although the home had its charm, there was a lot of work to be done to bring it back to life. First thing I did was hire our dear friend and builder Larry Larkin of Larkin Builders and got started in the sun-filled entry and kept going room by room, wrapping the home in shiplap. My vision was to keep the home neutral by adding white paint on the walls, lightening the floors, white washing most of the furniture elements and adding white oak beams where we could. White wash defines coastal living to me and white oak warms up any space.

7” WIDE PLANK MDF SHIPLAP ENVELOPES THE LIVING ROOM FRAMED BY CHARACTER GRADE WHITE OAK

When doing a home renovation (aka. gut because let’s be honest aren’t they the same lol?) it’s important to prioritize. Although the home needed new windows and doors, we focused on interior millwork first, then renovating bathrooms and bedrooms. Over the next year or two we moved onto adding my dreamy Dutch door and redesigning the kitchen.

As a mom of two teenage boys, I wanted their rooms to reflect their passions for all things they love from surf to ski for one and reptiles and all things cozy for the other. I worked with stikwood for each of their spaces and love how much fun it was to use this material creatively.

For the primary bedroom, I painted the floors epoxy white and opted for a gray washed faux painted vaulted ceiling. Unlike the boy’s bedrooms, the primary’s palette has no color only a very cool toned palette.

PAINTING FLOORS IS A FUN WAY TO ADD CHARACTER TO A HOME AND MAKE YOUR BEDROOM TRULY FEEL LIKE AN ESCAPE.

The bathrooms were a challenge because the renovation’s intent was never to expand the footprint and so the spaces were tight. By primarily using penny tile for the shared baths and oversized square tile for the primary bath, we kept the budget in line and helped scale the bathrooms appropriately. For the powder we opted for no vanity and instead one of our favorite double floating utility sinks.

OUR GO TO POWDER ROOM SINK. WE LOVE A VINTAGE TROUGH AND THIS DOUBLE WONDER IS A WINNER IN OUR DESIGN BOOK.
WHITE 3X12 TILE STACKED WITH LIGHT GREY GROUT TO COMPLIMENT THE GREY FLOOR TILE PATTERNS.

After tackling the bedrooms and baths and the common areas of the home, we focused our attention to the kitchen. The layout was able to remain the same so we simply refaced the cabinets, expanded the island, swapped out the countertops for thick white quartz and decided to re-use some of the extra shiplap and skip the idea of a tile backsplash! During the initial stages of this portion of the renovation, we used a salvaged wood beam as a load bearing beam to anchor the space and couldn’t love this character element more. Although it is critical to use high end materials when redoing the bones of a home, don’t forget to bring in the old with the new. It truly makes for a conversation piece every time!

ALL ABOUT CHARACTER WITH THIS LOAD BEARING BEAM.
WHITE ON WHITE WITH A SPLASH OF BRASS BROUGHT THIS KITCHEN UP TO DATE IN NO TIME. THE CEILINGS IN THIS SPACE ARE ONLY 7’ 6” SO REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL UPPER CABINETS WITH OPEN SHELVING WAS A MUST.

Since the home had been lifted post Sandy the construction also included the addition of a bonus room above the garage. This space is filled with light and is truly an indoor oasis. Once the old school plywood was revealed underneath the wall-to-wall carpeting, I quickly opted to keep the floor industrial and add rafters to the ceiling for a loft like feel. This is now an all-age welcoming room designed to dive into.

TIP: MATCH THE VERTICAL MILLWORK SEAMS TO THE CEILING AND IT FEELS LIKE A SHIPLAP WATERFALL AND YOU KNOW WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THAT!

The gardens surrounding this home and the larger-than-life windows truly make the house feel like you are living in a storybook. I designed her to reflect our lifestyle by incorporating perennial fabrics throughout, natural fiber lighting, a touch of brass in the kitchen and splashes of color in the most unexpected spaces.

WHY SETTLE FOR ONE FIXTURE WHEN YOU CAN MULTIPLY THE LIGHTING FUN!

Now that I’ve shared my home with you, I’d love to hear what you think! And, of course I’ve linked my favorite items so you too can treat yourself to all things that make you happy!

xo, gaelle

Get the Look

MISSION DRAWER PULL // Shop

BALL CABINET KNOB // Shop

RIVIERA BAR & COUNTER STOOL // Shop

SUNWASHED RIVIERA BENCH // Shop

SOUTH SEAS SIDE CART // Shop

PACIFICA OUTDOOR PENDANT // Shop

HEADLANDS PENDANT // Shop

RIVIERA DINING CHAIR // Shop

Agnes 18″ Flush Mount // Shop

Alpaca Boucle Throw // Shop

54 lt Vintage Italian green glass giant jar // SHOP

Large Artificial Olive Tree // shop

Pampas Grass // Shop

Stella Side Table, Antique White // Shop

Cayman Platform Bed & Headboard // SHOP

Cayman 16″ Charging Nightstand // shop

RECYCLED GLASS DEMIJOHN VASE // Shop

HEADLANDS BELL PENDANT // Shop

Trestle Teak Dining Table // SHOP

Ryder Denim Rug // shop

Tie-Dye Stripes Duvet Cover & Sham // Shop

Morland Adjustable Wall Sconce // Shop

RAFFIA MIRROR // SHOP

Summerland Outdoor Bell Pendant // shop

Montecito Pillow Cover // Shop

Chunky Knit Blanket // Shop

Trestle Teak Dining 3200-0 Brockway 36″ x 17.5″ Wall Mounted Service Sink // SHOP

Solid Oak Painted Indoor Outdoor Kids & Adults Tree Swing // SHOP

Rounded Rectangle Metal Framed Mirror // Shop

Streamline Hook // Shop

Triton® Bowe™ Cannock™ Full-Flow Service Sink Faucet // shop

Hanging Rattan Chair // Shop

Natural Handwoven Jute-Blend Area Rug // shop

“The Perfectly Imperfect Farmhouse”
“Project Maman”

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Who’s ready for Mother’s Day weekend? One of m Who’s ready for Mother’s Day weekend? One of my absolute favorite days to celebrate the women in my life. I love spending it planting flowers in the garden with my family and drinking a little 🥂!

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Neutrals with pops of color are what inspire me t Neutrals with pops of color are what inspire  me this beautiful May! I’m feeling coastal blues and taupes with splashes of white and sunshine yellows … doesn’t that feel happy? ☀️
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