Color and Joy
Author:Abigail StoneInterior designer Kelly Finley brings a rainbow of color to a home renovation in Baldwin Hills.
One challenge of doing your own house, Finley confides, is trying to figure out what to choose to incorporate. “There are so many things you love that you want to try and fit in.” Having recently returned to San Francisco, this house was sold in two days and well over market, Finley is looking for a new house to redo. “I think people discount design and how important it is in your day-to-day life."
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
Renovating her own house offered Finely the chance to explore some of her ideas and refine them. “It allowed me to do things that I might not have felt comfortable suggesting to a client at the time, but now that I’ve done it myself I feel much more confident.” One example is in the kitchen. The cabinets are Ikea, but custom-lacquering gives them a luxe look. Using pre-made cabinetry also allowed Finley to splurge on hardware, lighting and tiles for the backsplash. “We had custom doors made by SemiHandmade and then I had the doors spray lacquered in navy. I found a great lacquer person and went through the ins and outs of that process. I ended up using him for a half-dozen other clients.”
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
Two weeks after moving in, Finley discovered she was pregnant. She turned part of what would be her office into a kid’s playroom so her daughter could share the room while Finley worked. “The bottom portion has all the kid’s stuff and the top portion is for my work. My desk and files are on the other side of the room while this side is her area.”
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
The large painting on the wall just across from the entryway sets the tone for the house. “That’s what I wanted people to see when they entered so they’d get a feeling of color and warmth and energy. That painting is everything— it has almost every color in the rainbow—it really holds the room and draws you in to see more.” Finley suggests color for her clients, many of whom are young families with children. They should feel young and vibrant and energetic, so I try to get them to infuse some color to push that along.”
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
Color is a Joy Street Design signature. I grew up in a colorful house so it’s just second nature to me,” says Finley. In her San Francisco home, each room was painted a different color. “In this house, I wanted to come up with other ways to bring in color.” Though the home reads as colorful, with its bright red coffee table, exuberant paintings and pillows, a close look reveals that the background is neutral; color is brought in through art and accessories, a technique Finley suggests for those just dipping their toes in the world of color. “That way, if it starts to feel overwhelming, you can just remove it.” Finley and her husband collect art; the painting over the sofa was an anniversary present and was purchased on a trip to Egypt.
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
The den, formerly an exterior room that lead to the pool, was appropriated as the family's place to relax. “At some point they enclosed it and when they did that they left the ceiling and we decided to leave it.” The dresser, a Rosebowl find, was transformed into an entertainment center. Above it, the silhouettes are by Carter Kustera. The sofa, a custom piece, was made by Rosa Beltran of Clad Homes.
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
Finley, an attorney by training, especially enjoys the analytical parts of interior design. “I love space planning and figuring out how things should work and fit into a room,” she explains. “I also like DIY, I like power tools.” Shouldering a lot of the work herself kept the house within budget. “I was willing to do more work to make that happen,” she recalls. Taking the house almost down to the studs, everything was redone. The wine fridge found a spot, just off the den, formerly occupied by the old furnace. The wallpaper in the nook is by Black Crow Studios.
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography
When her husband’s job took the couple to Los Angeles, newly minted interior designer Kelly Finley of Joy Street Design took the opportunity to tackle her first major renovation. The house, in Baldwin Hills, a hilly enclave just south of Culver City known for its collection of Mid-century modern homes, had been sitting on the market for months. “It had a 180-degree view of downtown Los Angeles, but when you walked into the house it was a mess. Half the windows were broken. It looked like no one had touched it since it was built in 1962.” It took several trips to convince her husband that they should purchase it. “It was the view and the pool that sold it.” The wallpaper is by Thibaut and draws visitors down the hallway. “Walking in, you immediately get the impression that this is something interesting, a little ethic and definitely unique.”
Photographer: Idris + Tony Photography