10/12/2026
Project Julian kept me on my toes.
Crooked walls, a closed-off kitchen, and a lot of decisions to make it all feel like one home. Come behind the scenes with me.
First, the before.
This is the house as we found it. It’s the best way to see what we were working with, and why every change that followed was so considered.
The bones were good: vaulted ceilings, skylights, tons of natural light and wood floors.
But there were also step-downs, level changes and quirky angles to plan around before anything could come together.
The kitchen, before.
White cabinets, granite counters, and a layout that felt boxed in. The plan was to open it up, connect it to dining, and make it a space you actually want to entertain in.
Here’s where it got interesting.
This house was crooked. Between the uneven walls and the changing floor levels, nothing was where you’d expect it to be, so every measurement and decision had to account for that.
Then demo.
Once the walls opened up, the real problem-solving began. You can’t pretend crooked walls aren’t there; you work with them. The goal was to make every line feel straight and balanced, even when the house wasn’t.
It started with a few leftover zellige tiles.
My clients had some on hand, and they became the jumping-off point for the whole palette. From there, I pulled together stone, wood, tile and fabrics with a moodier feel and a touch of Spanish influence.
Paint samples for the win.
We swatched every color in different spots and different light. A shade that looks perfect in one corner can read completely differently across the room. This step is never skippable.
And the paint is going on.
This is one of my favorite stages. It’s when all the small decisions finally start to look like a room.
One choice we made on purpose: we didn’t open everything up.
Instead of removing the header between the kitchen and the bar, we kept them as two distinct spaces, connected by an arched opening. Each space keeps its own identity, it still flows, and the arch brings in that Spanish influence. Meanwhile, the fireplace was getting ready for its glow-up.
And here we are.
From crooked walls and a closed-off kitchen to a home that feel
