Plum Primary

REMODEL

Located in the heart of Plum Island, our clients wanted to transform the second story of their home into a bright, relaxing retreat. Taking inspiration from their travels, the goal was to design a primary suite and multi-purpose living space that felt like a luxurious hotel stay. The original floor plan included a bedroom, bathroom, and living room, all of which they wanted to keep; however, in a different configuration to make the space feel new. We reimagined the layout by redesigning the primary suite as an open-concept bedroom and bathroom, removing select walls in the living room to bring in more light, and placing all functional components, such as the closet, laundry space, water closet, desk, and TV, in the center. Incorporating details such as textured wallpaper, terrazzo tile, a slat-wood feature wall, and custom built-ins brought to life the opulent oasis they were looking for.

DETAILS

Project Type: Whole Home Remodel
Size: 840 square feet
Location: Newburyport, MA

PROJECT TEAM

Designer + Builder: BLB Design / Build
Photographer: Freebird Photography

1. OPEN CONCEPT PRIMARY SUITE

2. MULTI-PURPOSE LIVING SPACE

3. ALL GLASS OPEN SHOWER

4. CUSTOM LAUNDRY CLOSET

5. NATURE-INSPIRED WALLPAPER

Our clients love to travel, and were heavily influenced by the warm minimalist aesthetic of some of their favorite mid-century modern hotels. A minimalist design prioritizes clean lines, neutral colors, and abundant negative space. This “less is more” philosophy champions uncluttered environments and purposeful choices to foster openness and relaxation. To bring this vision to life, we designed the space with trimless doorways to match the existing trimless windows. Custom millwork, such as the built-in nightstands and bed surround, as well as recessed door pulls and light switches, further helped emphasize a seamless, clutter-free aesthetic.

To ensure a minimalist, sleek aesthetic throughout this second-story remodel, we opted for custom millwork. In the living area, we installed built-in storage along the entire interior wall, ending in a custom desk. To avoid overly cluttering the bedroom and creating a seamless design, it was important for us to build a bed surround. This way, we didn’t have another piece of furniture floating in the space. We built a full surround and floating nightstands, and integrated them into the slat-wood feature wall. The bathroom vanity was milled from our clients’ own walnut slab, making it extra special. We designed this with recessed pulls to further enhance the desired minimalist aesthetic.

One of the highlights of the original second floor was the abundance of windows. Located on a peaceful island, our clients wanted to enhance their existing views and natural light wherever possible. To bring out the treehouse aspect of the space while still maximizing the limited square footage, we designed the layout around a central column, packing in everything we could to leave the perimeter walls free. A challenge of having all windows on the exterior walls, though, was where to place the bathroom vanity mirrors. To accommodate this, we installed hanging mirrors in front of the windows, which still allow natural light to trickle through.