A note from our editors:
It’s time for one of our favorite traditions! Each year, we spend the holidays reflecting on the stories and articles you loved most. It’s the “Best of Rue” and this is one of 2019’s top stories. Enjoy!
Previously published on January 9, 2019:
Brittany Krupnik of Blissful Design Studio and her husband are anything but amateurs when it comes to transforming homes. The pair professionally flips and stages investment properties in Pheonix, Arizona. But when it was time to tackle their own home, Brittany felt that the process was a lot harder. “It is so much harder to design for yourself,” the designer said, “you overthink everything and it takes twice, or three times as long to make any decisions.”
The couple had found their home just a few miles away from where they were previously living. As a family with three kids they wanted to live in a neighborhood that was more family-friendly and when they came across this property, they saw lots of potential. “I started the design in the kitchen,” Brittany shared, “I had a vision of the overall look that I wanted throughout the home and I used the kitchen as the jumping off point for the rest of the home. I knew I wanted white cabinets with black and brass accents, but it had to have a different feel than a classic black and white kitchen. That is where the dark blue kitchen island and taupe perimeter countertops came into play.” The couple took a risk on a custom alcove hood and open shelves under the cabinets. “I really wanted open shelves in the kitchen, but there just wasn’t a place for them. Instead of doing 42-inch open cabinets, we opted for 30-inch upper cabinets and had custom shelf brackets made to add 12 inch high shelves under the cabinets. It allows us a small amount of open storage and I love how it turned out,” she said.
The home itself has had quite the transformation (just see the before pictures in the slideshow!). Brittany suggests adding moldings to a space to give it an elegant and custom feel but to also not over-invest in a property. She said: “We wanted this home to feel like ours, but we wanted to make choices that would add value to the property.” As stagers as well as professional renovators, they knew what each space required in terms of decor. “We brought some pieces from our previous home and changed up where we used them and what we paired them with. The leather sofa in the master bedroom was in our previous living room and our dining room has pieces from our previous breakfast nook, dining room, and living room so it had an all-new feel,” the designer explained. After a 12 week renovation, the family finally was able to settle in and enjoy all of the beautiful nooks of their new home – the fireplace in the living room is an especially big hit with its custom-built mantle and quartz surround.
