CASEWORK | INTERIOR DESIGN

CASEWORK | INTERIOR DESIGN | BLOG

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE | WEEK 6 - The Big Reveal

It’s week 6 and I made it through the One Room Challenge! I had 32 days to flip a bathroom and as I type this realize how crazy that sounds. During those 32 short days I was also be running a full time design studio with multiple deadlines. I definitely felt the pressure of completing the room in time.

We tell our design clients 2-3 months minimum for a bathroom remodel, without hesitation. And there is clearly a reason that is the response because, while possible to do it in a shorter amount of time, I basically didn’t sleep for 4 weeks. The good news is, I love the results and now have a finished remodeled bathroom!

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ONE ROOM CHALLENGE | WEEK 5 - SELECTING ACCESSORIES

Here we are, at Week 5 of the One Room Challenge. I can’t believe I’m five weeks in because there is so much left to do before I photograph this Friday. As a recap, I shared my budget and planning along with plumbing selections in Week 2. In Week 3, I broke down the vanity and where to place sconces for optimal lighting. Week 4 was all about selecting a bathroom tile you’ll love for years to come. This week, I’d like to break down the final touches to finish the bathroom.

Week 5, here we go!

PLANNING

When it comes to accessories, I like to think of them as jewelry. They are the accents to your home! The plumbing, vanity, tile and lights are the everyday essentials of a remodel. The pieces you can’t live without. Just like your favorite white tee, black dress or boyfriend jeans - I like these items to be pieces I know I’ll love for years to come. They have to function and be a bit of a workhorse and for me, usually aren’t risks, they are tried and true. But accessories, they can really express a style perspective.

Accessories are more than tchotchkes strategically place throughout a home to give it character. In my bathroom for example, the door hardware, mirror, hooks, shelves, artwork, towels and baskets are all accessories. All the things necessary to put the finishing touches on a room and also function, not just random decor.

I’m sharing my favorite ways to accessorize a bathroom

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ONE ROOM CHALLENGE | WEEK 4 - 14 TIPS FOR selecting BATHROOM TILE YOU’LL LOVE FOR YEARS

It’s full on One Room Challenge crunch time at the Ranchalow. I have 9 days until I am photographing the project with Nicole Mason! And so much to finish. Tiling has been incredibly tedious and taken twice as long as I had planned. Unfortunately, everything waits for the tile. A bathroom is all about tile.

Since the bathroom is all about the tile, the plan is to finish tiling the walls and floors this weekend. Then Mike at Rose City Plumbing can get in and finish the plumbing work. So basically, I am behind and have very little time left to do a lot of work, which includes running a full time design studio, with it’s own deadlines! The good news is, I’m still on budget, the bad news, I have to cram 3 weeks of work into just over a week. Send help!

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ONE ROOM CHALLENGE | WEEK 3 - Planning the vanity

Hello friends! Welcome to week three of my One Room Challenge bathroom renovation! Last week was a big one, I got my plumbing roughed in and walls covered. This week, I did a 180 (literally, I turned around) to work on all things around the vanity. In this week’s blog post, I’m outlining details and specifications from light placement, vanity selection and pulling it all together! Keep reading for a step by step guide with instructions, diagrams, and videos below.

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ONE ROOM CHALLENGE | WEEK 2 - budget and schedule

Planning a remodel can be a daunting task, especially if you’ve never done it before. I’m beginning Week 2 of the One Room Challenge and my schedule has already adjusted too many times to count. The best advice for planning a big remodel like a bathroom or kitchen is to plan! Plan as much as possible. I’m here to break down how I’m doing it (and how we also do it for clients) and share week by week what I’m tackling in the remodel of my only bathroom!

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ONE ROOM CHALLENGE | WEEK 1

First of all, if you are new here, welcome! I am so glad you stopped by.

Since some of you may be new to Casework, allow me do a quick introduction. I’m Casey, the founder at Casework, an interior architecture studio located in Portland, Oregon. Our projects are focused on environments and how they are experienced and include; boutique commercial, residential, and retail. We always think with our hands, and understand the understated.

Feel free to browse through our other various projects, We love to share!

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THE RANCHALOW DRESSING ROOM REVEAL

The Ranchalow is a 1966, 1250 sf 3 bedroom - 1 bath ranch and bungalow style home I purchased in December of 2017. When I moved in, I knew I didn’t need 2 spare bedrooms. Nor did I have furniture for three bedrooms so I decided to turn the smallest office/nursery/bedroom into my own personal walk in dressing room. Because let’s be real, I have a studio and my home office is really just the dining room table or couch, just don’t tell the IRS.

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Design Rejects | Mid Century Entry & Family Room

Design Rejects is quickly becoming my favorite topic. The work we do that would never go beyond a design presentation now has a new life and can easily be added to your home! We work really hard to create client specific looks but a lot of this could be slightly tweaked for your own home.

I love bringing in Mid Century style to a home because it's the most approachable Unadorned style. It's also very popular so there are a ton of resources out there for amazing pieces. You don't have to scour Chairish and Craigslist in Palm Springs to find the vintage version because now, there's a new version. 

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Client | Justa Pasta full reveal

Part of the challenge with a counter service restaurant is letting people to know what to do and where to go when they walk in the door and without it feeling like you walked into McyD's. At Casework, our goal for design is to not only be beautiful but also intuitive. We want to inform the customer without overwhelming them with signage so they can make the realization on their own.

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DESIGN REJECTS | Create Your Own Industrial Modern Master Suite

A lot of work goes on behind the scenes creating design schemes for our clients. I have a strong philosophy in presenting only what I like because as soon as I don't, it will definitely be the client favorite. So that means there are schemes that aren't selected. Most often the client goes with a different concept or price point so we are left with one or two leftovers. They are perfectly good concepts that sit in the archives never to see the light of day. Every now and then we'll pull a piece or two from a previous concept but a full concept never gets reused.

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Find your interior style - A QUIZ

I am asked what my personal style is all the time. The question comes up in almost every new project interview. And when I tell someone I've never met, I'm an interior designer and have my own firm, the question immediately following is, so what's your style? It's a hard question to answer quickly. There's so much nuance to style, it's like describing your personality. But having an answer and owning it simplifies your life in amazing ways.

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46 ICFF Interior Design Trends and favorites

It's been over 10 years since I was last at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, ICFF. I spent two days walking Javits Center taking in the over 3000 vendors, talking with makers and seeing what's new and catching my eye. If you are new to the industry, this is a great place to get inspired and meet some talented people in the industry. 

Overall, there is a lightness and almost playfulness happening to a lot of the furniture and fixtures. For so long, this industry has been serious, paired down and minimal. I'm not sure if it's the political landscape or just need for change but things are changing! Colors are lighter, more muted or floral. Silhouettes are either slim or thick and chunky or a balance of both. Instead of the geometry that has been taking over our Instagram feeds, organic, graceful shapes were catching my eye. 

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CUSTOM FLORAL FABRIC

For our Big Dreams of a Small Chalet project, we needed a statement print. Whitewashed floors, white walls, black trim and high ceilings felt too stark, especially for a mountain home. Our client mentioned the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, a city that was a major source of inspiration for this project early on and a place near to their hearts (they lived in Amsterdam for a few years). The Rijks is special. The museum promotes using their masterpieces so you can attempt your own "masterpiece". Rijksstudio makes high resolution images of their art available for download. For free. Yes, FREE, it's amazing what you can do and they hold a competition each year to support the art others make from their art. All that they require is an account. So incredibly innovative and forward thinking! 

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BIG DREAMS OF A SMALL CHALET

When you think of mountain cabin, modern and funk aren't words that come to mind. So we jumped at the opportunity when our clients talked about their dream of a small, modern chalet. Words like alpine, funk, and gezellig drove the design direction.

With a simple palette of black, white and whitewashed wood in place, we planned calculated hits of color and pattern to warm the space but also keep the focus on the high ceilings and big windows.

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HAVANA, CUBA

Last December, I spent a week in Havana exploring the city and the architecture. I left the US seeking colorful Cuba, yet, quickly upon arrival, I found it is so much more than that. Havana is vibrant. Entering the city--surrounded by the streets, the buildings, the cars--feel like going back in time, at least 50 years. My home base for the trip, sponsored by Airbnb, was a 1925 family-owned mansion. Modern day conveniences like safe tap water, one-stop-shop markets or convenience stores, and an easily accessible internet are not available.

It's also a city of paradox. Culturally rich, but often structurally in ruins, it's a place where an up-and-coming artist supports his doctor parents because they make only $60 a month each.  The country is well educated, because of subsidies, and everyone has a roof over their head. Overall, it ranks high in human development, but the average salary in the state sector is $20 a month.

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