It was so very, VERY hot. Hotter than it ever gets in Southern California, or at least it felt that way in the 90% humidity. But in a record-breaking short amount of time on a Wednesday afternoon in August, we applied the finishing touches to this darling vintage-inspired custom kitchen in Dana Point, CA, had professional pics taken by the wonderful Andrew Pece (@pecephoto) and even had a little camera time with Matty Baker of Baker Broductions (watch the video here). And we didn’t complain at all about the heat. (Yes we did. I’m so bad at lying and – also – what’s the point, right?)
Styling and shooting a project is one of my favorite things to do. On those frantic, often super-sweaty days (I know – gross) my creativity is flowing at its all-time best and I’m reminded why I loooove this crazy career of mine. A little insight into my design process: Every project I do starts with a quick little statement, like “Vintage-Inspired by the Beach, but in a Modern Way.” Kind of like telling a story. I find it helps me edit my selections and keep the project inspired consistently, design-wise, from beginning to end. So for this particular remodel in this awesome little beach town where you feel like you’ve traveled back in time with every visit, the inspiration came from one photograph and a simple request from my client to include vintage cross-handles on some of her plumbing features so she could be reminded of the feeling she recalled visiting her grandmother’s house growing up.
The story would continue to unfold in these photo’s with us hosting a little impromptu gathering to celebrate the completion of the project. Wine and cheese, but super casual. Not a huge stretch, and in the spirit of authenticity, we totally were celebrating. I contacted the lovely and talented Ashlee Magee (@heritagebloom) – whom I met on Instagram, by the way – to bring in some blooms that matched the old-school California beach vibe of the home. She does vintage so well! She even loaned us some amazing little bud vases from her own collection, and totally nailed it with her selection of fresh cut flowers and greenery. My amazing Design Coordinator, Chanelle, set out shopping the week before for the perfect accessories. I tracked down a little wooden treasure box of tiny sea shells passed along to me by my grandfather, and found it a perfect spot on one of the rustic European Oak open shelves over the built-in desk area.
Lights, camera, action. Snap, snap, snap. Clean up. Move on. And then a a glorious “CHEERS” and air-conditioned lunch to follow.
