WHAT WE'RE PINNING - Summertime Sorbet

I love a good summertime sorbet. Living a few blocks from the beach has its perks of coastal cool and Ive been inspired by the pastel palettes I've been seeing in the local boutique windows and in and around our cute beach town. 

Theres nothing more refreshing than a light and fresh palette. Translating these colors into a beautiful beach bungalow is next on my list!

Are you following us on pinterest yet? We're pinning projects, inspiration and all sorts of eye candy....

Follow along with us below: 

xo, Vanessa

BEFORE AND AFTER

THE PONTO HOUSE

we're excited to show you the before and after photos of our most recently completed ponto project. This abode by the beach needed a serious upgrade from its former 90's self. Since this project is a second home for our clients, we wanted to give it a makeover, but we needed to be smart about helping manage their design budget, too. 

THE kitchen BEFORE! My dream was to rip the entire thing to pieces and start from scratch, but alas, we needed to ensure our clients were getting the best bang for their buck (and we still had the rest of the house to remodel) we decided to keep the existing cabinets along the back wall and completely rebuild the center island, removing space for a breakfast nook and instead, allowing room for their family to hang out and dine at the island. 

THE kitchen BEFORE!

My dream was to rip the entire thing to pieces and start from scratch, but alas, we needed to ensure our clients were getting the best bang for their buck (and we still had the rest of the house to remodel) we decided to keep the existing cabinets along the back wall and completely rebuild the center island, removing space for a breakfast nook and instead, allowing room for their family to hang out and dine at the island. 

I wanted the kitchen to have personality even though the back cabinets were remaining in place. My solution was to go bold, but remain classic. I found a beautiful dark green (dunn edwards black pool) that looks astonishing and different in the morning, afternoon and evening. I carried a simple subway tile with beveled edging up to the ceiling to give the space a more finished look.

The existing cabinets had no hardware, only brass hinges and finger pulls. We added these rejuvenation knobs and pulls to tie in with the classic look we wanted to achieve. we love the way it turned out. Simple and classic. 

Adding a few special details always give a remodel a unique look. I had our cabinet maker add tongue and groove detail to the side of the new island to give it a modern beach vibe. so long to "BEACH THIS WAY ----->" signs, i hope i never see you again ;)

THE FIREPLACE that hurt my soul. I don't think I need to explain why we didn't like the prior situation. we can't blame the original builder, it was built during the time of backstreet boys and ace of base, everyone was making bad decisions then.  we tore out the carpet and 90's yellow wood flooring and replaced the entire home with beautiful wide plank oak floors. My favorite part of the transformation.

THE FIREPLACE that hurt my soul.

I don't think I need to explain why we didn't like the prior situation. we can't blame the original builder, it was built during the time of backstreet boys and ace of base, everyone was making bad decisions then. 

we tore out the carpet and 90's yellow wood flooring and replaced the entire home with beautiful wide plank oak floors. My favorite part of the transformation.

we ripped that bad boy to pieces and saved its soul by surrounding the fireplace with quartz, added a faux mantle and some new light fixtures. voila. 

THE KIDS BATHROOM we started with Your typical builder grade bathroom, brown cabinets, corian countertop and travertine-style floors.. We kept the same footprint of the bathroom but had the vision of brightening up the room and making it feel fun and funky. 

THE KIDS BATHROOM

we started with Your typical builder grade bathroom, brown cabinets, corian countertop and travertine-style floors.. We kept the same footprint of the bathroom but had the vision of brightening up the room and making it feel fun and funky. 

I took the subway tiles to the ceiling, an inexpensive way to enhance the overall look to an otherwise boring scenario. We had a new custom cabinet made and used cost friendly retro floors to tie it all together. 

THE MASTER BATHROOM we had a slight design challenge in this space because we wanted to keep a his and her vanity, a stand alone shower and tub. We tore everything apart, plopped the shower on the other side of the wall, made it much bigger and gave it an entirely new and fun look. 

THE MASTER BATHROOM

we had a slight design challenge in this space because we wanted to keep a his and her vanity, a stand alone shower and tub. We tore everything apart, plopped the shower on the other side of the wall, made it much bigger and gave it an entirely new and fun look. 

xo,

Vanessa

Warm + Inviting Interiors

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Trends come and go so quickly they make my head spin. Lately, we've been designing more spaces with less trendy materials and looking towards timeliness finishes, colors and styles. I've been drawn to hues that feel toned down, washed out and a little mute, if you will. I'm sharing a few of my favorite spaces I've been digging lately...relcaimed wood, light sage...lived-in elegance. 

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STUDIO MATSALLA IS HIRING!

Do you have what it takes to be our next design assistant? We're expanding and in need of someone great to help manage our amazing projects and clients! 20 hours a week to start and possibly more.  (Monday - Friday) 

:: QUALIFICATIONS ::

  • At least 1-2 years experience working in residential interior design
  • Proficient in AutoCAD, Photoshop and Excel. Studio webware experience preferred
  • Live locally in north county // San Diego area
  • Must be proactive, forward thinking and detail-oriented

:: JOB RESPONSIBILITIES ::

  • AutoCAD space planning + elevations
  • Sourcing on-line and in-person
  • Picking up samples // dropping them off
  • Budget creation and management
  • Digital design boards 
  • Project Organization + Management
  • Library Organization + Management 
  • Purchasing / expediting

If you think you're a great fit, please send your resume and portfolio to INFO@STUDIOMATSALLA.COM

xo, Vanessa

The coziest living room rug with Rug NINJA

I'm really excited to share with you one of the newest additions to our living room. This living space has been ever-evolving and I've never been 100% happy with it until now. The indoor/outdoor space is a special one and we spend most of our time in here so it was important to me to wait for the right pieces to come along.

We teamed up with Rug Ninja to beautify the space even more with the coziest rug I've ever laid eyes on. I first came across this Scandinavia Dula when I was at the Las Vegas Market a few months ago and fell in love with it. The knots are huge and whimsical, but the overall piece has a level of sophistication that really added refinement to the casual space. It really pulled everything together.

I added some of our blue vintage pillows to the room from our shop for a contrast in color. I've been thinking about painting the natural wood trim around the windows white but having a hard time pulling the trigger since it adds uniqueness to the room.

The shade of this rug is gray, but has a few different + natural colors blended in that makes it really beautiful and interesting. You can see the up-close shot below. It really is a stunner. 

Rug Ninja offers a number of similar options if you're in need of a slightly different color or hue. Their website is helpful for suggesting similar pieces that you're shopping on their website. If you're looking for something very specific, their navigation helps pin down exactly what you're looking for in a matter of seconds. 

Thank you to Rug Ninja for making our lives more beautiful. They offer FREE shipping in the Continental USA - so get your shop on!

xo,

Vanessa