Blue Pencil Collective principal designers Kasey Johnson and Regan Nix say a project like this starts with a discovery call. “We’re not talking about style and architecture and colors,” Nix says. “It’s more, ‘How do you live your life? Tell us two personal things; tell us two professional things. Do you like to cook? Do you garden? Are you outdoorsy?’”
A home’s interior and exterior should begin as one turns up the drive.
Then, the team puts together a set of keywords that they will refer to throughout the process to ensure consistency. However, these can evolve. “I think it started out as ‘granny chic,’” Johnson says. “It eventually became ‘love story,’ which was tied to not just like a color selected for the project, but also the love story of this couple.”
Cambria design shown: MonTaaj
“The whole architectural style was colonial revivalist,” says Nix. “The keywords were traditional balanced with art deco, European balanced with ornate, and then classic design with gaudy details.”
Antique elements meet modern touches in this perfectly balanced dining room design.
Johnson believes a connection between a home’s interior and exterior should begin as one turns up the drive with landscape flowing into architecture which is then tied to the interiors. The duo wanted to do something special in the kitchen but knew it would require material with the right options in terms of color, thickness, and fabrication flexibility. “Cambria was a no-brainer,” Johnson says of the decision. “The MonTaaj design has such a creamy, soft finish. We knew we wanted something that had a softness element to it, even as a hard material.”
The designers planned carefully to keep a sense of order even at intersections where one might see five rooms with six different wall coverings.
The gravity of the fireplace is balanced with softer touches like crushed pink velvet valances and hints of floral prints.
Other spaces in the home called for different Cambria designs. For a custom bath console, they chose Abbey™ with its gray and gold veining. “This one needed more of that cool tone, since everything else was very warm,” Johnson says. “This bathroom in particular is very whimsical with the wallpaper and the tile work.”
Designers can depend on Cambria’s durability to stand up to heavy wear—ensuring spaces like this boys’ bathroom stay looking newer for longer. Cambria design shown: Charlestown™
Meanwhile a boys’ bathroom got charcoal gray Cambria Charlestown on the vanity. “The designs are just beautiful to choose from,” Johnson says. “It came down to what worked perfectly with the rest of the palette.”
Johnson notes that working with professionals doesn’t make the result any less the homeowner’s own. “If you have a team behind you,” she says, “we are working together with you, helping you design your house. So this isn’t our design. This is your design, and we’re the team that’s going to help you bring it to life.”
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