After living in their mid-century house in Minnesota for several years, a small family decided it was time to refurbish some of the spaces to bring in more positivity through the infusion of color. They reached out to Lidia Valdivia, founder and CEO of Minneapolis-based Moonstone Design + Build, to complete the project, which included a renovation of the kitchen and a bathroom, as well as updates to the entrance and living room fireplace.
Citing the Midwest winter sunsets of burnt peach with hints of plum, the clients knew they wanted to walk into their house and feel happy – especially when the outside world was white and frozen. Valdivia was excited by the opportunity to design something other than “another white kitchen.”
“Color is life,” said the designer. “This client set us up for figuring out our niche – thinking outside the box, making a space pop and not just creating a ‘safe’ kitchen.”
A Sweet Kitchen Palette
In addition to lacking brightness with its tired wood cabinets and dark countertops, the original closed-off kitchen was void of function with badly placed appliances and wasted space. Valdivia changed all that by slightly opening the wall between the kitchen and dining room and rethinking the cabinet layout.
She used a mix of warm and cool tones – spun sugar upper cabinets and a light green backsplash – to provide the inviting colors the clients craved. Lower cabinets and tall units in walnut with a natural pattern balance the lighter hues, while the gray terrazzo floor anchors the space even as it offers flecks of pink as a nod to the upper cabinets.
“The darker color on the floor makes everything fall into place,” said Valdivia. “When you are doing a kitchen with a lot of color, you have to include elements that ground it, so it’s not overdone.”
Riding the Bathroom Wave
To recreate the bathroom, which serves the daughter and guests, Valdivia took a bit of space from the adjacent bedroom and incorporated another feel-good palette. With the additional square footage, she was able to replace a pedestal sink with a larger vanity that offers storage and counterspace. Its walnut surface ties it to the kitchen and brings warmth to the bathroom, which allowed Valdivia to choose cooler colors for the walls.
Here, a wave of scalloped tile in a mix of blues and greens brings a sense of calm to the space. The clients liked the tile, but it was expensive, so the wave design offered a way to incorporate it without covering an entire wall.
“It’s a girl’s bathroom, but we didn’t want it to feel like a child’s bathroom,” said Valdivia. “Instead, it is playful but also elevated and timeless. It will still work for her in 10 years.”
While the walls are painted in a light blue color to coordinate with the wall tile, Valdivia chose white subway tile for the bathtub walls. This offered another cost savings and created a clean look in the bathtub area while letting the scalloped tile be the star of the show.
The cement floor tile, which the client found, adds a different aspect to the room with its gray-and-white geometric pattern.
“The floor was a bold choice,” said Valdivia. “That one made me nervous.”
To convince herself, she drew it out on paper to understand how it would look in the space, then agreed it did not compete with the scalloped wave wall.
This project provided Valdivia with a crucial experience thanks to the homeowners’ penchant for atypical color. Now, potential clients who contact the design/build firm specifically mention it and cite their desire to add more color to their homes. To make it a “safe” experience, Valdivia provides renderings.
“Don’t be afraid to play with different palette options,” she said. “If you wonder whether it’s too much, create renderings. Have fun with it. You can see what clicks.”
Sources
Designer: Lidia Valdivia, Founder + CEO, Moonstone Design + Build Photographer: Chelsie Lopez, White Label Visuals KITCHEN Backsplash & Wall/Hood Tile: Zia Tile Cabinet Hardware: West Elm Cabinet Paint: Sherwin-Williams Countertop: MSI Faucet & Sink: Kräus Flooring: TileBar Lighting: CB2& Sazerac Stitches Refrigerator: Samsung Ventilation: ZLINE BATHROOM Accessories: Boyel Living Faucet: Delta Flooring: Zia Tile Lighting & Mirror: West Elm Paint: Sherwin-Williams Tile: Daltile & Mercury Mosaics Toilet: Swiss Madison Tub: Kohler Vanity: All Modern
