Emily Hagerman Design Blog

Country Elegance in Tsawwassen...

2011-03-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

The one thing I love about tearing down a neglected old abode is the excitement of designing a new home to take it's place. The old memories be it good or bad are wiped clean with a few swift passes of the backhoe blade, and in it's place the opportunity to start new. That was exactly what was done on a hot summer afternoon in beautiful Tsawwassen.

The builders came to me with a set of drawings in the hope that I could help them make their mark. I started with the exterior finishes and colours to inspire me for the interior space.

By choosing to bring the outside in and the inside out it gave the home a warm inviting appeal. The exterior stone was used on the fireplace den and soft greens and creams on the walls were the perfect companion to the darker more eye catching hues outside.

I chose Benjamin Moore's Natural Linen as the main level colour. The space felt open and large thanks to the oversize windows and the vault in the huge custom kitchen.

The Kitchen was the real Heart of this home featuring Solid Maple cabinetry stained with Custom colours-certainly not your everyday builders special!

The cabinetry throughout the rest of the home was also solid maple, but what really sets them apart is the interior construction being solid Birch. Ash Hill Cabinetry is one of the best in the business and to date is the only cabinet maker I use. The master vanity was spectacular.

To view the full gallery of this beautiful home please visit http://www.emilyhagermandesign.com/ and click on the gallery link. The home sold after it's first open house -even without staging. By adding the small details where they counted these builders knew how to present their product the best way...hiring a Designer!

Everything Old is New Again...

2011-03-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the Chilcotin, British Columbia, I was surrounded by History and thanks to my parents lots of amazing Antiques. It took me until my late twenties to even begin to appreciate them and now I certainly am my father's daughter!
I decided to challenge myself to designing my home with the right balance of Antique pieces with the Contemporary design of my home and really, my style. The past few seasons retailers such as Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn have introduced pieces "reinterpreted" as they would say, and I love it all! So when it came time to renovate my small family room, not only did walls come down but the Antiques came in!

This stunning Early 1900's Oak Factory Cart was beautifully restored by

Williams Architectural Salvage. The Lineberry cart features original cast iron fittings and are simply cleaned to bring back their lustre. Even the popular "American Pickers" TV show featured a factory cart very similar and they hold their value incredibly well. What I love most about these carts that Williams Architectural Salvage retains all the original stencilling along the sides that really give it character, saving a small piece of history.

I find this piece extremely versatile, it blends beautifully with my Chocolate Oak Hardwood floors and picks up the golden browns in my fireplace Ledgestone.

The table lamps, Quoizel, also adds a touch of Antiquity that makes this room work and feel so comfortable and inviting.

Usually when it comes to Antiques the thrill of the hunt and discovery is half the fun but when I came across these tables and the quality of the re-finishing I had to have one. If you are interested in one of these amazing pieces I really recommend you to view their Website and contact Jordi for a piece of your own history. http://www.wasalvager.com/

Cozy by the Fire...

2010-02-19T00:27:00.000-08:00

Fireplace: a framed opening made in a chimney to hold an open fire.
Websters Dictionary doesn't make it seem very exciting now does it?
There is nothing I love more than to sit in front of a wonderful fireplace and just relax and bask in the warmth. Must have something to do with growing up in Northern British Columbia, playing all day in the winter wonderland and falling asleep in front of a crackling fire.
I have had the opportunity over the years to really showcase some really unique fireplaces.

The fireplace above is one I took great pride in designing, it features a stacked rock fascia and a Pacific Cedar rough cut mantle.

Not all Fireplace's have to be floor to cieling to be grand. Many New Home builds feature a somewhat typical builders special. In the picture above the builder was not your average builder, the black distressed mantel and surround tie in beautifully to the custom kitchen of the same finish. This is a dramatic and beautiful change from the good old white stand by's.

This new home was also built by a superior builder, the corner fireplace had wonderful appeal but the stark white mantle stuck out like a sore thumb.
And so begins my tale of paint. Whenever posssible I prefer to paint out the white mantels. There is no design rule stating that the Mantel needs to match the casing.
Wouldn't you agree that the mantel looks far better and tones beautifully with the colour of the rock work surrounding it?

Of course not all fireplaces are gas. One of my past projects included the renovation for a large condominium complex in Kitsilano. Each floorplan had an electric fireplace with the typical White mantel and surround.

Nothing exciting or appealing about trying to make this condo into a show suite, that is until... Now you have a focal point! By painting out the White, with an oil based (for lustre), to a rich brown it looks far more luxurious. The colour is Benjamin Moore: Bittersweet. All of the condo's had the exact same White fireplace even though there were many variations on the layout.

Same tile too. For this suite there was a small nook just the right size for a shelving unit. The new colour scheme incorporated lots of cool Grey tones and the new hardwoood was a rich walnut. For this surround I played up the floor tones. As you can see there is a lot of trim and casing elsewhere in the space, by changing the fireplace mantel colour the living space is more defined.

In another suite the neutral carpet was kept and the white cabinetry. The sliding doors were removed to the enclosed balcony and a grey/violet colour scheme was chosen.

This Mantel and surround were painted a rich Grey. The Benjamin moore colour is Stone.

When this showhome sold the next suite had the identical layout, and of course identical fireplace. The new showsuite however was a complete remodel. I chose Ginger maple cabinetry throughout and a warmer colour scheme. The fireplace was professionally painted with an architectural finish to look like grained maple. Even the Realtors couldn't beleive it wasn't real wood.

In the right setting a White mantel can still look very elegant. This renovation design had a living room from the 1960's complete with wood panelling.

The surround insert was a creamy marble tile that the homeowner did themselves, while the tile seemed a bit high once the Mantel and surround were in place it didn't seem so out of proportion.

Some of my renovation design projects have included the not so nice red brick surrounds. If the brick is really dating the feel of a space an inexpensive solution to replacing it is to simply paint it out. Generally I keep this practice to the lower height surrounds as opposed to the full floor to ceiling. Here are a few examples of changing out some brick fireplaces.

Before & After

This home had the same brick in the adjoining kitchen. It was painted out the same colour.

This is just a taste of some of the projects I have had the pleasure of redesigning, with more projects on the go stay tuned for more from my recent projects with more great fireplace treatments! ~ Emily,

Emily Hagerman Design

Welcome to the New Wills Creek Showhome...

2010-01-16T22:34:00.000-08:00

In having two Wills Creek show home's under my belt I was thrilled to be asked to design yet another. The first two showhomes were such a sucess that they were among some of the first unit's to sell. Showhomes are so incredibly important, when done properly the buyers can completely envision themselves living within and enjoying the space.
Wills Creek is a unique devlopment in South Surrey that boasts craftsman inspired millwork and warm inviting finishings. The new showhome is temporary until the new phase is completed with a new and exciting layout. For this "A" plan home I incorporated a great deal of black and chocolate combinations to really ground the space.

I treated the fireplace as a decorative focal point to show a different option to just having a Flatscreen TV mounted. The living room has a cozy tranquil feel that serves as a great place to curl up in front of the fire with a good book.

The dining room can accomodate a large table that will easily seat 6-8 guests. The console behind the table helps to center the large vaulted end wall and provides extra storage for glassware and tableware.

The beautiful oversize glass hurricane centerpieces add dramatic height to the table as in this pre-sold unit the chandelier had not yet been chosen.

Boasting a total of 5 bathrooms, 4 of which being full baths, the powder room off the main living room is beautiful and spacious with it's incredibly high ceiling and large mirror. By treating the wall behind the water closet as the focal point the powder feels warm not sterile.

Wills Creek gives buyers lots of great options to customize homes to specific needs. The option of millwork cabinetry flanking either side of the family room gas fireplace is a wonderful option for buyers who like to have a place for everything and everything in it's place. This show home opted for a bit more space for the furniture layout and the cabinets were not installed. This actually worked much better for a larger size of sofa and gave me better options for side tables and lamps.

The generous kitchen cabinets and large island give plenty of storage and use. The full-height white Shaker style cabinets with solid granite countertops make this kitchen bright and elegant. Top of the line stainless appliances come standard.

The oversize island makes kitchen tables obsolete as well as providing an excellent prep area.

The "A" plan features a large Master Bedroom on the main level. The bedroom features large french doors to the private patio.

The king size bed works very well in this size of bedroom and thanks to the very large walk in closet eliminates the need for dressers or armoires that are not easily accomodated in this 12x13" room.

Bathrooms have become one of the most important rooms in a home, they are a place to relax, to unwind and in Wills Creek they are a place to retreat to. The Spa inspired deep soaker tub and large glass showers are embellished with beautiful mosaic glass tile. The double vanity featuring luxurious quartz countertops have ample room both above and below. The frosted glass partition cleverly disguises the water closet and gives a nice private touch to this large spacious bathroom.

This layout also offers two laundry options of having one dedicated room on the top floor and another laundry closet on the main.

The second level or top floor layout includes three bedrooms. Two of whcih have their own private balconies with sundecks. The flex room, as I like to call it, is perfect for crafts, a spare guest room or as I have shown it as a working office space, great for homework or scrapbooking.

The smaller of the bedrooms has a large french doors which when open makes the room much bigger. I chose to use light bedding with the dark furniture to give definition and yet not make the bed overpowering.

This bedroom also features an adjoining good sized bathroom with huge shower/tub combination.

The large second bedroom on the upstaurs level gives the option of having a Master bedroom up with a very large private patio. In the first Show home a King size bed was used however a queen makes the room feel slightly better proportioned with more breathing room. It will however still accomodate a King size bed.

Luxury continues with a beautiful full ensuite, the seperate water closet with full linen closet makes excellent use of the large space. Quartz Counters with a modern stylish vessel sink offer plenty of room while the white Shaker style cabinetry offer spa inspired elegance.

As if these rooms were not enough, Wills creek offers fully finished basements with ample room and various upgrades and options to suit everyone's taste. The basement bedroom is large with full height ceilings and an adjoining full bath. The room can accomodate everything from a pair of bunk beds all the way to a four post king bed.No expense has been spared on the finishings even for the basement bath which boasts a huge walk in shower.

The enourmous games/media room has unlimited potential in various configurations. in this showhome I grouped various collections to create a home theatre, games area, bar with lounge, and even a fitness area.The ample storage and high end bar appliances are also customizable. You may remember from my other showhomes that the "A" plan can also be ordered with a fully contained wine room.

What truly sets apart the Wills Creek package from so many others is the wonderful open floor plans. I have been on site many times since the new show home opened and have witnessed first hand how impressed people are and how at home they seem to instantly feel. I take great pride in my latest Show home design and hope everyone who visits the show home will be inspired and enjoy their experience. I am currently working on another unit in Wills and with my clients permisssion will post some of the unique ideas we brought to her "show home".

I would like to thank Emmar for their continued support of me and my Design adventures and am looking forward to more exciting homes to come from this progressive developer. I would also like to acknowledge my great team of helpers whom without I couldn't have done any of this! Carla you rock!! A very special acknowledgement to my good friend and photographer Gary Hubbs who helped bring my work to light through his talented lens. The Wills Creek Show Home can be viewed from noon-five every day except Friday. They are located at 3109 161st Street, Surrey BC.

Emily Hagerman Design, 2009

Tsawwassen West Coast Home gets a Face Lift...

2009-11-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

Beauty is only skin deep. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty fell for the Beast. All three could be said for this 1979 west coast contemporary home. When I first toured the home it was only a day or so after they had taken possession, they had already ripped out the horrible carpets and removed any and all cabinetry. The home had been badly neglected and as with many demo's once you start it's hard to stop and can be quite therapeutic! I like the contractor fell in love with this house even in it's "Ugly" phase.
My favourite part of renovation design is determining which walls can come down. I love wide open spaces and many of my projects reflect this. The picture above is looking into the dining room and staircase from the living room. Once it was determined that the wall was not load bearing, down it came!

The wall to the left was also cut back to give the dining room a much grander feeling of space. The Dining room was not overly huge but I wanted to be able to view the magnificent great room from not only the Dining but the Kitchen as well. I chose beautiful maple hardwood in this space and the flow of the hallway through to the dining room turned out perfect.

Here is another angle of the dining room before

And After...

The light fixtures throughout the second level were Forecast Lighting and suited the contemporary architecture while also being warm having the wood accents.

The kitchen had very little work space for it's size and it also had an eating area adjacent to the dining room which is a design no-no in my book! I really wanted to salvage the wallpaper...totally kidding, and the door between the two mismatched windows was walled in. I also had them remove the wall between the dining room and the kitchen to really maximize the kitchen.

having two kitchen windows that were the same size was also a priority in this kitchen and you can see in the finished picture the fantastic light all the windows and patio doors let in.

The kitchen is one of my favourite rooms in this home. The challenge from the beginning was to provide ample workspace within a fairly narrow space.

The kitchen cabinets were solid maple from Merit kitchens and the stain is Carriage Black. It is more of a black brown and is a fantastic contrast to the warm Maple brown floors. The Thermador cook top is a beautiful appliance and the wall oven cabinet beneath actually extends about 2 inches to break up the large bank or cabinets.

The counter top is Caesarstone: Misty Carrera and is one of my absolute favourite colours. To add drama to the cabinet doors the hardware pulls were 9 inches long!

The right side wall originally was going to house the oven beside the fridge. I guess the electrician didn't get the memo and I didn't get my oven outlet! So instead the microwave and fridge ended up being paired together and the cabinets were staggered back to make the space feel wider. The Fisher&Paykel fridge was regular depth as opposed to counter depth due to the budget. But by staggering the cabinetry it worked out beautifully.

The mosaic back-splash was a total find from the Home Depot in the USA and I actually made two trips across the border hunting down all I could get my hands on to complete the look. The mosaic came in little 3x12 strips and I'm very thankful for my very patient tile setter and wonderful homeowner who had to painstakingly remove all the little plastic covers from the 1x1 stainless tile after it was grouted! I think I still owe her a manicure.

The kitchen before looked out onto a rotten deck with a rickety awning...

Now it looks out to a fabulous backyard and a new deck with glass railings.

The Great room had "oodles" of potential but certainly wasn't great to start with.

This is the backside of the wall in the previous pictures looking into the dining room. once it was removed it was time for the Feature wall to get a proper Focal point!

You can see the outline on the wall where the original brick fireplace extended to. It actually made the ceiling feel low and the beam just seemed to protrude for no reason.

Once the floor to ceiling cultured stone was mortared into place the ceiling soared! The living room before had a ton of directional pot lights and above the sliding doors was an odd ledge that had no purpose at all.

By removing all but two pot lights, directed at the fabulous new fireplace, and adding 3 to the bulkhead over the sliding doors the lighting plan was far more dramatic.

The builder also had me stage the home once it was complete to give it's best chance on the market showcase.

The casing, crown and baseboard were also replaced throughout. it can be a challenge in a space that has so many angles and vaults so the Crown was used only in rooms that had level ceilings and in the hallway. The hallway before was somewhat dungeon-like.

The fresh crown,casing and baseboard made you want to explore down the hall to the other rooms rather than turn and run!

The bedrooms didn't require too much structural change, however the 70's rage bulkhead-for-no-reason were removed. The Master bedroom had a beautiful ocean view and the colour I chose was Benjamin Moore CC-606. The pale green brought the exterior colour in and the colour from the water in the bay.

Before:

After:

Before: Nasty Vanity complete with mirror and Make-up lighting (UGH)

After: Perfect nook for a long dresser.

Now let's head into the en suite...

The nasty "cave" that was the en suite was completely gutted in every sense of the word. I think there may have even been a critter nest removed from the ceiling above the shower, talk about "heebie-jeebies". I was only in that room to take a quick picture and would go back in for my measurements until after it had been completely gutted.

This was one of the smallest en suites I've worked on and so to maximize the feel of the space I chose a mosaic tile floor that continued from the shower out to the rest of the floor so visually it seemed wider. The wall tile was a fabulous ceramic that looked like ledge-stone and the glass and metal mosaic accent tile was another great find from Home Depot.

Rather than choosing a pedestal sink I found a modern beautiful vanity from Art Bathe that provided much needed storage. the mirror was custom made and the shower glass company, White Rock Glass. They did a beautiful job on both seamless showers in this home.

The second bedroom was a nice size and also took advantage of the front facing view. The original window did nothing to improve the view however!

After taking out the divider between the two windows and installing one large window the bedroom felt much bigger.

The main bathroom was another cave-like tunnel.

The door swung open into a wall and the tub area had a drop ceiling and was very narrow.

I replaced the door with a pocket door and had the wall on the right removed as it housed a linen closet on the hall side.

There was nothing above the tub area so by removing the whole area it expanded the bathroom by almost 34". This allowed a soaker tub and shower combination. For more pictures on this bathroom transformation you may wish to read on of my archived blog "Bringing a Bathroom Drawing to Life"

The home features 3 bedrooms on the second floor,main living level. The smaller bedroom was a very cute space that really appealed to me. It had a wonderful large window and tons of potential.

I decided to stgae this room as a little girls room as the other bedroom seemed more masculine wiht the strong chocolate accents. Ikea is so great for white furniture and I think it turned out great.

So now that you've seen the second floor transformation all that is left is the main level that includes a basement suite. For that please visit my previous blog, "1970's Beach Grove Home Get's a New lease on Life"

This beautiful home is still available and more info on this active listing or if you wish to attend the next open house this is the MLS#V795177

The location is wonderful, the setting picturesque, and is basically a new home inside and out.

Be sure to Stay tuned for more of my projects currently on the go, I don't get to blog near as often as I'd like but hope to have my latest New Home Design up and blogged by Christmas!!

~Emily

Emily Hagerman Design.

Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

2009-10-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

Fall is in full force on the Lower Mainland. It's hard to believe Halloween is just around the corner. I have always loved this time of year, the comfy warm sweaters, my favourite shows back on schedule (except for True Blood but I'm willing to wait), and that awesome smell in the air of fallen leaves and wood burning chimneys. November brings many birthday's in my family including mine! Some people dread an impending birthday but I've embraced all 33 of mine!
So I started thinking about cake today, okay I think about Cake every day, but I always get asked in advance what I would like and my family will usually try and find one that out does the last. However last year will be very hard to beat.
TV viewers have been inundated with Home Decor, Home DIY, Interior Design and Staging, and lately there have been some great shows focused on some extremely talented Bakers and Cake Designers. Cake Boss, Ace of cakes, Cake Boss, to name a few. In fact one of the blogs I enjoy following, Jenette's Projects is also doing some amazing cakes of her own.

My sister's very good friend and another gal have started their own cake company as well called Sweet Cakes. Be sure to check out their gallery of other fabulous cake designs by clicking on the link Sweet Cakes Custom Designs. These talented ladies made my birthday cake last year that will go down as my favourite of all time! This is my birthday cake from Last November.

The inspiration, one of my favourite Coach bags! My husband managed to sneak a picture from his cell phone and from the grainy photo those amazing girls made me a Coach Purse Cake! This is the original bag...

and this is the cake...

People from all over the restaurant came to our table to have a look at it and couldn't believe the entire thing was edible, the pictures just didn't do it justice! And edible it was, in fact it was DELICIOUS!

Believe me it was hard to cut in and ruin such a piece of art!

This was such a fun Birthday evening with friends and family and fabulous cake so now my wheels are turning to come up with another bag from my Coach collection. Maybe this year my Python Lindsay will be the inspiration! ~ Emily

Wills Creek Showhome Captivates a Buyer...

2009-09-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

We have had such an amazing Summer here in the South Surrey it's hard to see it end. But with a new season comes new adventures. Last Fall I had the oppotunity to re-design the showhomes for Wills Creek. If you missed my blog on the "A" Suite- click here. The second showhome was the "C" plan. What is so fantastic about these townhomes, aside from their awesome finishes, is their unique layout. Once the homes received my finishing touches the atmosphere in each was truly it's own. Feedback from the realtors was interesting, they knew even before clients had finished the tour of each which one they would most likely gravitate to depending on their age. Even our friends who had been through the showhomes, whether they knew I had re-designed them or not, were always partial to the "C" plan. This plan had a bit of a hip vibe to it. Even before I re-designed the space I envisioned this home being a little more modern and contemporary.

The problem was the original set up was such a mishmash of stuff that "cool" wasn't the word often used. Beginning with the Entry, this is a homes first chance to make a good impression. The large art canvas was beautiful but overpowering and out of place. By adding a sofa table, which was not only useful but also grounding, I then added a light to give drama to the new artwork.

The showhomes had a great deal of furniture that was already going to be used in the re-design, the artwork was all being sent back to the gallery and I chose new prints. I also added the ever important window coverings to break up the white walls. The den was an interesting task as the family room was adjacent to it, by adding pop's of pattern and colour the bland sectional begain to welcome you into the room.

The living room had beautiful furniture however the amount of arm chairs was not only confusing but also interrupted the flow to the patio doors. By completely re-arranging the seating configuration and removing two of the four large chairs the space felt open and made sense. The dining room was as large as the living room and had an enourmous, solid (heavy too I might add) birch wood table with 8 pinstripe chairs. The large canvas was again beautiful but this space just wasn't right for it. The long buffet needed more "oomph". I searched for almost a week before I found this beautiful round mirror at Bowring. I could have gone larger but I was running out of time between getting these homes set and ready for the re-opening.

The table before seemed to float on the cherry floor.

An incredible rug from Chintz & Co. did the trick and tied the striped rug from the den in nicely.

The long low buffet was a beautiful built in feature and I chose huge Hurricane Lamps from Bombay to complete the vignette. If these baby's hadn't been the last ones I'd have them on my own buffet! The main level had a generous size powder that was in need of some serious accessorizing!

It's the simple touches that make the most impact in a bathroom.

The top floor landing had a perfect area for a den or office. The original office set up was dark, stark and BORING. I took the one large bookcase and gave it a new home in the downstairs den. The lifeless windows received custom vallances and the extra chairs from the living room were added. Did I mention I love clocks?! My favourite clock store is actually Target! Worth the wait in the border line up!

The master bedroom needed some life and colour injection, but the original silk drapes and custom duvet were utilized.

The lamps were changed out and cushions added.

The only thing the Ensuite mastered was being ugly.

So to create a Master Ensuite the teal blue from the Master Bedroom was injected with the towels and shimmering accents made the soaker tub more appealing.

The second level also included two good size bedrooms, in the first I changed the positioning of the bed and replaced the orange headboard with a new queen size bed. The plain white bedding was also removed.

The second bedroom just needed some interest and finishing. Can you believe the before picture was actually being shown to prospective buyers?

With the top two floors finished the focus then became the basement. At the bottom of the stairs was a large room that had ben left empty.

At first the simple solution was okay, a bedroom.

But then that put the house at FIVE bedrooms, not to mention this room didn't have a closet. After much discussion the marketing team decided to order a complete gym system and had it delivered. I added the full length mirrors and 'Viola', home gym.

The basement did have another bedroom but at least this one had a closet!

I just love these beds, you can find them at Lofty Living

A generous size basement bath...really needed a little love. By re-using some of the many accesories from other areas of the home the bath when from "Blah" to "Spa".

Now if you remember from my blog about "A" plan, the basement there featured an amazing wine room. In this home the basement featured a fabulous Home Theatre. Well.. maybe not so fabulous at first unless you were Joey and Chandler!

Having to use what was there, I pushed the leather recliners together for a much better look.

Inject a little colour and some fun and this home theatre was a hit!

Not to mention the fabulous bar area, complete with an added popcorn machine!

With the new look complete, the showhomes have been extremely well received. I received an email last week letting me know that both the showhomes had in fact been sold and that they were preparing to choose a new site for a new Showhome. Stay tuned, I'm meeting with the marketing team tomorrow to find out the details. Hopefully I'll have another blog for another day on these fabulous townhomes! ~ Emily

Heavenly Bedroom Transformations

2009-09-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Today I was helping our very best friends paint a little old house that they had just bought for investment purposes. They will have it rented the middle of next month but in the mean time I've been helping them give the little old house some freshening up and also a bit of an excuse to experiment with some colours I'd been dying to see in person. The little house has two bedrooms and as I was painting my cares away I started to reflect on some of the bedrooms I had done in the past two years for clients and builders. So I'm dedicating this blog to some of by favourite Bedroom transformations. The picture above was a show home in Kerrisdale that a Stylist and I staged.

This next bedroom was for a client from Bermuda who purchased a vacation home in Kitsalino. The guest room before was bland and boring.

This bedroom was on the top 3rd floor and had it's own balcony, huge ensuite, and window facing the beach. I chose Benjamin Moore colour: Mount Saint Anne CC-710 for all the walls. This beautiful blue green colour gave this room a seaside feel. The furniture was from Ethan Allen and Pebble Creek.

In addition to the Queen Poster Bed the client requested an extra sleeping arrangement for their guests with children. I chose the Franklin Chair & a half as it can fold out into a single bed.

As always I addressed the windows with some custom panels to soften the hard edges of the windows and door.

This next bedroom was a show siute for the Maguire Building in Kitsalino. The long tunnel shaped room was a real stumbling block for potential buyers.

By addressing the window as the focal point the length of the room was brought in closer.

This bedroom also had an awkward little nook area and since we already had a formal office in the suite the space was perfect for a reading nook.

This next bedroom was a tight budget and a simple fix was to focus on the bedding and make the bed the show piece in the room. Inexpensive Ikea panels also transformed the windows.

The Master Bedroom in this next White Rock home was in need of some serious updating. The clients had moved to their new beachfront estate and this home was to be put on the market. In order to appeal to as many buyers as possible and to acheive their asking price, myself and a Staging Stylist staged the rooms and new paint colours were chosen.

The owner wanted the home on the market the minute they moved out so the window to paint, clean and stage was very small. Therefore any structural updating was not an option. The 80's inspired "vanity in the bedroom" was not removed but just modernized with accessories and a cool clear acrylic chair.

I'm sure every designer has met the renter from hell, well this home was no exception, the only positive was that it made for a mind blowing transformation.

The other 2 bedrooms were also transformed and with the help of the owners contractor the awful built in's were removed.

The colour of a room can also make or break a bedroom, in this bedroom the Olive green walls were the perfect backdrop for a Black, White, and Silver design.

This next bedroom is from my latest renovation project and is a sneak peak into an upcoming blog.

Bedrooms are one of my most favourite rooms. Not only to decorate but the space planning is an intrigal part of making a bedroom work. From lighting to flooring no detail goes untouched and I fell that is reflected in my portfolio in this blog.

If you need any bedroom design help be it large or small please don't hesitate to contact me and ask for a consultation. ~ Emily

Emily Hagerman Design ~ Interior Design, Property Styling, Virtual Space Planning, Colour Consultation.

1970's Beach Grove Home Get's a New Lease on Life...

2009-09-08T14:23:00.000-07:00

The late Seventies, early Eighties had some really wonderful design elements to the homes that were being built in that era. The problem is, most still have all the nasty macrame inspired wallpaper, carpet and drapes that the 7o's were so famous for. On more than one occasion I have stepped into one of these homes and thought for sure Eric Foreman's dad was about to walk down the stairs!

Vaulted Ceilings, cedar panelling, and even terrariums were big elements during this period. I am always drawn to the West Coast style homes, heck I even live in an 80's Jenish built home, I guess because the bones of these homes are what inspire me. When I was hired on to renovate and re-design a Home in Beach Grove Tsawwassen I knew that this diamond in the rough would be sparkling!

This project was a complete overhaul in every aspect, not only did I find myself designing all the interior and exterior features, many times I ended up being the project manager which was a new role for me that I was able to embrace. The entire exterior envelope had to be replaced and the amount of rot due to the original siding installation done incorrectly was immense. The absence of proper drainage and gutters only compounded the issue and not a single piece of cedar siding or trim was salvageable.

Funny how in life sometimes those obscure jobs you had when you were first starting out in the world can come in handy. A few years back when I was fresh out of school and newly married with a mortgage to pay for among other things, I was juggling 3 jobs and one of which was for a Wood & Forestry company that dealt in Siding claims for Homeowners. That obscure job that I learned so much about was about to come in handier than any of my Interior Design schooling, sorry BCIT! I was able to determine what would be needed to change the exterior envelope to ensure the new siding would be effective and had all the proper drainage installed where I knew the proper run off would be, flashing was non-existent on the original so that was a big priority for me as well.

The fun design stuff came with trying different siding profiles to update and break up the long blank walls of this large home. By using vertical siding as well as Horizontal the home was given some character as seen below in the before and after of the side profile.

The front of the home also had some great focal features that had yet to be utilized. Above the garage between the two bedroom windows a center wall was screaming for something architectural. My initial thought was to use some fabulous cultured stone, as this house was going to be re-sold budget wise I chose shakes instead. These same shakes were then used on the front elevations around the front door and upper deck. The original deck was also replaced and to capture the ocean view across the street, I chose glass railings.

The original front doors were big, heavy and ugly, the sidelights had yellow and green stained glass but no natural light was able to get through and from the inside the entry hall felt small and narrow. By changing the doors to full stained glass with matching sidelights not only did it let beautiful natural light in, it also became the jewel of the front of the home. Everyone who sees this home, even from the sidewalk loves these doors.

The interior of the Entry hall received new Porcelain tile, crown and baseboard, the only original element were the pot lights. The light those doors allow in make this entry so inviting.

This home's main level was being used, more like abused, by the original owners for grooming their dogs and the bedrooms make-shift kennels. You seriously could not imagine the smell. The main level also had a small kitchenette that we set up as an in-law suite. The Den fireplace received a face lift with the stacked cultured stone that was also used in the great room. We used engineered flooring on the main level and suite.

The home's real beauty shone through as the weeks went on, the project went over on time due to unforeseen plumbing and electrical issues that had to be completely re-done but when renovating a home of this era this is not uncommon. The main level is where the major level of finishing and design was showcased. Please be sure and tune in for a continuation of this project in my next blog. ~Cheers, Emily

Emily Hagerman Design

The Beauty of Curtains...

2009-07-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

The heat wave here in Vancouver has people running for the Air Conditioned stores, including myself. I stopped in a Ikea today, truthfully to get one of their yummy frozen yogurt cones, to try and beat the heat and browse through the showrooms. Turns out they had lots of items on clearance for really good deals. I popped in to their textiles division and browsed through their bedding, pillow covers and curtains. In the past I have used their simple cream Ritva curtains in dozens of homes. They are really in-expensive and work great with a variety of different upholstery fabrics.

In one home that had a fabulous Black distressed Kitchen I used a bold Black and White patterned fabric to embellish the curtain tops and matching window seat pillows.

The possibilities are endless with these creamy white panels, as shown here in a Show suite where I used a striped pattern to pull all the colors of the wall and accents to the Patio sliding doors. To me most windows are never complete without that final touch of fabric framing the view.

I have also experimented with using the fabric not only at the top but mid-way as well...

And of course I don't Always use white it'd fun to mix it up with some of the other beautiful choices that Ikea carries...like these chocolate panels.

A new item at Ikea are these fabulous brushed cotton striped panels "Stockholm Block". They have all colors of my current renovation so I snapped them up and hung them this afternoon in our Great Room and boy do the look...well, Great! I'll be sure to post pictures once my room is finished and photo ready! A blog for another day!

I should also mention the Ikea Curtain rod sets are wonderful and also a bargain. They have everything you could possibly need and fit any budget. Of course many times I've just used the curtains on their own as you can never go wrong with cream curtains, they lighten up any space and colour.

So be sure and check out your local Ikea and see what inspires you, best part of their curtains is that once they are up no one ever thinks they are Ikea panels they will just comment on how great they look! ~ Emily

Emily Hagerman Design

Wills Creek Display Home Get's a Second Look...

2009-07-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

This past October I had one of the best job's a girl could ask for. The "job" was a re-design for EMAAR Canada's South Surrey project Wills Creek. These huge town homes were beautifully constructed and nicely planned but the furniture flow and colours used in the two Show homes were not complimenting the design in any way.
First impressions are everything and the impression these homes made was that of Confusion! Here's what I mean, the Open Great Room concept for the Living and Dining room had a fireplace to the left and a staircase to the right so it was a real challenge from a prospective buyer's point of view when they tried to imagine how their furniture would work. The furniture used in the Show home was expensive but the colours were not inspiring and didn't help to make the narrow space feel wider. The artwork while beautiful, it was rented from the Vancouver Art Gallery, didn't help to showcase the huge vaulted ceiling nor show off the beautiful Restoration Hardware Chandelier. The focal point above the fireplace with it's lone plasma TV certainly didn't inspire either.
By removing all the Orange pieces that blended a little too close with the floor I brought in light fabrics and had custom window treatments made to dress the "ho-hum" windows. Often times just by changing the window dressing you can change a room dramatically. Added a bit of bling with the Mercury glass accents and changed out the large square glass table with an oval set. Notice I took advantage of the huge space above the TV with some simple baskets from Urban Barn.

The Dining room table remained but the chairs were replaced with Fabulous light linen covered Parson chairs. Color was added in the toss pillows and table runner. The cushions on the sofa and chair are the same fabric as the custom drapery. This Dining room was stark and uninteresting....By changing the Monochromatic palette the end result is warm and inviting. By adding mirrors to reflect the light, the ceiling didn't seem so high and boring. By far my favourite element in the dining room were these amazing mirrors. They actually consisted of two separate pieces and I hung them close together to create one large mirror. When it comes to dining room artwork my recommendation is always a fabulous mirror. Usually dining rooms are not always that big especially in older homes and by adding a mirror you visually double the size of the space. Also great for those candlelight dinners to reflect the ambiance!

So now that the first impression was taken care of I moved into the next major area that needed even more attention and inspiration. The Family room and kitchen were essentially one big room separated by an immense island. The green upholstered furniture was actually quite funky but the striped pillows and tables that were too small didn't draw your eye to the colour it just felt out of proportion. The floor lamps flanking either side were also wrong in scale and one of them didn't even work. Display Homes should always have EVERYTHING working.-it is a S-H-O-W-H-O-M-E after all!
To give the family room some definition and ground the space I added a cream rug and cream accent cushions to the sofa and chair. So many people are afraid to use cream because they are afraid of getting them dirty, every cream element I brought into the Show home was either removable or scotch guarded for ease of cleaning. This Family Room/Kitchen had many bright tall windows, by adding custom made valances it softened the look and the colour flow became more continuous. The kitchen was in need of some character and colour so well placed and relevant items were added.
Here is the Kitchen BeforeAnd After
In having such a large island I wanted to portray it as being practical. By adding tall clear glass canister's it didn't feel cluttered but functional.

The target market for this floor plan, Wills Creek has 4 different plans to choose from, was retired, "downsizing", or empty nesters. With that in mind the plan offers a Master on the Main with a huge en suite and walk in closet. The Master Bedroom before certainly didn't have anything to fall in love with, or even a hint of comfort. The huge King size bed had a large chest of drawers opposite it and again a whole lotta Orange!
Again my solution was to add the cream element from the other rooms and remove the oversize dresser. Who needs a huge "honkin" dresser when the closet is massive. Adding a bench to the end of the bed helped tie the headboard to the rest of the look. Did I mention I was doing two of these huge townhouse Show homes? Many of the lamps were on site when I began changing things up I would just swap them out between the rooms which was very handy, the budget for furnishing these homes originally was over $150,000 ea so I was trying to use as much as what was there as possible.
The massive en suite needed a more Spa like feel and by adding a bit of floral it helped soften the stark surfaces.
The frosted glass neatly hides away the toilet. Adding privacy but retaining the open airy look.

The main floor had a small office when you first walked in, but as people toured the show home the same comment kept creeping up, "Oh my Another bedroom". Even though any of the smaller upstairs bedrooms could have been used for a small den, craft room, another office, whatever, people have a very hard time imagining a space other than what they see. With that being said and since again the target audience was supposed to be "downsizers" I decided to turn one of the 3 upstairs bedrooms into a sitting den area. After all I have all this extra furniture from the living room it seemed a shame to waste it. Here is the bedroom before which wasn't anything really special...
But by actually showing the space as something other than a bedroom people began to have less hesitations. Still shown with the possibility of having a pull out couch if needed.
Even the top floor Laundry got a small Makeover.
You gotta have some Whimsy!
The upstairs bedroom needed some presence and the adjoining bathroom was a sterile as could be.

By adding colour and texture to the bed while still utilizing the existing bedding, which was quite beautiful just not pulled together, I brought the punch of colour into the adjoining bathroom.
For those prospective buyers who didn't mind the stairs there was a second style of Master Bedroom with it's own private balcony. Again using what was there I worked around the overpowering king size bed. Using the same sheet and Duvet set I added colour and texture, and beautiful artwork. The drapes were really making the room feel end heavy so by bringing the same colour and sheen onto the white the room felt more balanced. A few more bits of shiny bling to accent the lamps and the room felt wonderful.

The blue was a beautiful colour and tied in with the pillows on the main floor living room couch, so the next step was to bring this colour into the very stark, very white en suite.

In an effort to bring down the Town homes high price tag, since the economy had just tanked. All the glass shower partitions on the Bath tubs were removed. The maximum length of a shower rod from Home Depot was 72", the length of the shower I had to work with was over 100". I was at the Home Depot in White Rock and was racking my brains trying to figure out how to get this to work, a very nice older gentleman came to my rescue! A simple fix was to purchase shower rod expandable ends and a pre-made aluminum tube from their pipe section. Cut to size with a hacksaw and the ends fit perfectly, Voila I had custom made Shower rods!

So with the Main, and Top level rooms Re-Designed and ready to view the last task for this home was the Basement. Complete with it's own Climate controlled Wine room the basement Rec room was seriously first class. The problem was the furnishings and decor did not reflect that. Everything looked...well...cheap!

Knowing I had to work with the purple elephant in the room, the sectional, I tried to bring in other strong colours and give it almost a party atmosphere. Again bringin in Cream accents in the cushions and custom curtains and bold graphics on the walls. And lamps to tie in the "Stump" tables!
Hard to beleive but they actually had a 50" Plasma sitting on a sofa table, horrible to say the least.Still working within a budget i decided to bring in some cabinetry to give a proper home theatre feel to that side of the enormous room. The shelving came from Ikea and once installed the marketing managers could not beleive it was from Ikea it looked very custom and high end.Pretty uninteresting vignette beside the Wine room.....

Until.....

And so with the final touches on the basement Wine/Rec Room the last room to complete the job was a large bedroom down the hall. The room had a high boring window and not much else.

For this room I brought in a beautiful Upholstered Captains style Bed, simple nightstands and long dresser to give interest to the blank wall. Great bedding, custom Drapes, luxurious lighting and any Guest would be thrilled to stay! After all was said and done the Marketing Managers for EMAAR and the on site Realtors were absolutely thrilled with the transformation. I went back a couple of times when the Show homes were open to the public and hung around to listen to visitor comments. Both Women and men alike had nothing but positive comments and the mood in the homes seemed almost more upbeat! I did mention I did two of these Showhomes right? Well the next plan is for another Blog so be sure to stay tuned and follow my blog to see more great transformations! Cheers, Emily

Emily Hagerman Design

The Benjamin Moore Colour Viewer is My New Best Friend...

2009-07-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

This past week in Vancouver, BC has been HOT! I've been lucky enough to take advantage of the beautiful sunshine and work on my newest project outside. The patio table that was once reserved for Lemonade and Iced Tea has now been scattered with drafting tools, floor plans, color chips and well...some Lemonade. I did say it was hot. So while I've been picking and sorting, and changing my mind on colour I finally decided on a few colour schemes. Rather than trying to get the builder to envision how these colour choices would look I decided to dust off my Benjamin Moore colour viewer. Did you know laptops don't work so good in the sunlight?! I think I may have another business idea if the designing gig doesn't work out... outdoor laptops..come on you think it's a good idea, right?!

So today I resigned myself to work on my home office PC and play around with the colour viewer. I have had it for almost 2 years but got frustrated with it on a couple of projects that were on a tight timeline. Somehow in the last 12 hours though a light has gone off above my head and I became a colour viewer expert. Actually it's pretty easy but I guess if you have it in your mind that something is difficult then things will be difficult!

I actually began to enjoy myself and have a colour proposal all ready to go. It is so much easier to present these colours as a whole look, the program allows you to save the "painted" jpgs and I sent a few off to the builder. The new project that I am so excited to be hired for is a new build single-family-home and I can't wait to get my hands on all the fun samples.

Here is a sampling of what I was able to create on the program. I highly recommend this software, it is very user friendly once you get the hang of it and the best part is it's Benjamin Moore!

Need help choosing colours? Send me your jpgs and/or elevation drawings and I will contact you to set up a consultation, virtual or in person! designergirl@telus.net

Emily Hagerman Design

Bringing a Bathroom Drawing to Life...

2009-07-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have always wondered how a designer can go from the image in their mind to the finished product let me tell you it is no small task. For me, part of my creative process is sketching my idea out in a more technical format, that way I can use my sketches for the Tile setter and plumber by adding all the measurements I decide. On one of my most recent projects the main bathroom and en suite were complete rebuilds right down to the two by fours! Once I had decided on my color palette, tile, and fixtures I set to work to pull the whole concept together. Below is the basic sketch for one half of the bathroom that would have the soaker tub and new shower.

A big learning curve for me was that if you don't nail these tile and floor plans to the wall in the room they are intended for the trades will use their own ideas! The next picture is what the bathroom wall looked like before my design. My style is -if the walls can come down- take 'em down!

Pretty nasty for sure but the worse the before the better the after.....

While a few things changed from the drawing due to unforeseen plumbing issues, the bathroom turned out very well. The wall and tub surround are porcelain tile and they matched the real Limestone vanity countertop perfectly. The mosaic tile was a real find from the Home Depot in the USA, this was one of those instances where the tile setter decided the shower stall didn't need the mosaic at the top as the drawing specified. Again never leave things up to chance as it was I was on site for this project much more than I anticipated.

Here is the drawing, before and after of the other side of the bathroom.

More Nasty Before photo's....

And then the bathroom transforms to a one of a kind...

Bathrooms have become one of my most favourite rooms to design... stay tuned for more bathroom transformations. ~ Cheers, Emily

Emily Hagerman Design

Re-Design of a Tsawwassen Home...

2009-07-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back in the blogging saddle and have some really great Before and After photo's of a home I was the interior designer for. I did the staging with another company whom I was once associated with and the final result was fabulous. The home was a pretty uninteresting project so I had to draw inspiration from the tile,textiles and paint and let the details fall into place. The home sold within 3 weeks, even in this market downturn and the builder has signed me on for even bigger and better projects. Check it out!

~Cheers, Emily

Emily Hagerman Design

~Kitchen Before

~ After
Opening up the stairwell provided much needed light and made the dining room feel bigger...sometimes you need to be more specific on exactly which wall is the right side and which is the left! Nothing Drywall can't fix!

~After

Nasty Old Before Door.....

And it's an Ikea Kitchen!

Dining Before

Dining After.....

Living Before...

Living After....

B&A

New Master Bedroom

Finished Master Bedroom...

This en suite was a new addition, I had allot of fun with the tile patterns and repeated the same tile in the kitchen back splash...

Before Bedroom

After Bedroom...

Before Bedroom

After Office...

Before Family Room

After Family Room...

Before Junk Room

After Bedroom...

The Old Look...

The New and improved Look...

Thank goodness Retail Pushes the Seasons...

2009-05-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I groan and roll my eyes when retail stores put out their Halloween product in the middle of August, but when it comes to Easter, Spring & Summer stock...BRING IT ON!!!! Partly because I'm tired of the winter dull-drums and, especially here in Vancouver, the RAIN! And partly because when I was in desperate in need of patio furniture for staging a roof top deck in February!!
This amazing Townhouse in the heart of Vancouver, a skip & a jump to 2010 Olympic village, boasts a huge 1000sq-ft rooftop deck that really needed to be featured as real livable space. The color scheme for the interior space was black, red and white. The mission was to create an unexpected twist once you arrived at the top. Rather than continuing the red & white expected theme I chose a set with luscious Lime Green cushions & accents. This brought the vast grey concrete space to life and by creating two separate uses, one a living room type setting, the other a dining and eating area, it rally felt much bigger -even though it was huge! The rooftop was transformed from a blank vast gray space to Margarita Ville!!!! So thank goodness retail received their summer furniture in February!!! Below is the finished product....

written by~Emily Hagerman

Emily Hagerman Design

Even the Smallest Renovation can Yeild a Profitable Sale...

2009-05-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

I love my business, Designing that is! Through positive energy and determination has brought me together with some of the most progressive and successful Realtors in the lower mainland. Not to mention the friendships and referrals that have happened along the way.
One particular Agent had a small condo that needed all the help it could get. The Leaky condo was an empty space that had been under repair and renovation for the better part of a year and was ready to hit the market. After choosing the paint color and lighting fixtures and flooring choices I was set to stage a week later. As I worked on the design for the space the Realtor was working on his game plan.
It took a full day to stage the entire condo and by the end of the day the photo's were taken and the next morning were sent to the Realtor's assistant to be uploaded to MLS. I believe so strongly in all the properties being properly show cased on MLS because that is the buyers first impression.
The condo went live on MLS on the Saturday and the calls began pouring in to the listing agent. Instead of having an open house right away a list was formed and no showings until the following Saturday. A 2 hour Open House was held. For two hours the steady stream of prospective buyers did not stop. (As a courtesy to my clients I like to pop by the home before the open house to make sure everything is picture perfect) The next day the Realtor had 6 offers to present to the seller! The offers were above listing price and by Monday the subjects on the best offer were removed!
The Space was a challenge not only in size but the layout was quite unique. As an empty space it would have been difficult for buyers to envision how to configure furniture and what size of furniture really suited the space.

The moral of this blog is really "Work Smarter not Harder", by creating a sense of urgency and anticipation in the open house delay and the tantalizing pictures of my expert design and final staging- this seller & Agent reaped all the benefits. The investment the seller made in Design and Staging of her space was well worth it and she received it back in the profit she made above her original list price. I love a Happy Ending! Below are a few Before and Afters.
~Emily Hagerman,
Emily Hagerman Design

Living Room Before Color & Flooring

Living Room Complete and Set

Dining Area before...

And After..shot taken from the living room..

Master bedroom Before...

And After...

Amazing what a little Color can do...