TransformationsHome Featured in the San Francisco Chronicle

Design duo helps when his and hers becomes ours Anh-Minh Le, Special to The Chronicle Sunday, February 14, 2010 Print E-mail Share Comments (0) Font | Size: It's a classic love story: Girl meets boy. Girl moves into boy's home. Girl and boy recognize that the decor reflects his personality and taste, not hers, but don't know where to begin with a makeover. IMAGES  View More Images For Carla D'Agostino - the girl in this case - chance encounters with Sissy Latino at a dog park proved fortunate. Latino and fellow stylist Robin Preussker are the duo behind Transformations Home Stylists in Mill Valley. The firm specializes in reinventing spaces - sometimes in as little as one day, mostly utilizing the client's existing pieces. "We were their motivation to get on it," recalled Preussker. "Our impression was that Carla moved some stuff in but there was no real emotional or physical space for her." D'Agostino and David Parkinson met on Yahoo Personals in October 2006. After corresponding via e-mail for a week, they arranged to meet at Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon. "It was a neutral, public site," he said. "We weren't obligating ourselves to dinner if it didn't work out." The meeting went so well, their casual stroll turned into a dinner date after all, and they soon discovered a number of coincidences and connections in their lives. After Parkinson moved out of his parents' house, they bought a home in the New Jersey neighborhood where D'Agostino grew up. He remembers her residence as the one that was always undergoing construction. And she knows the people who now live in his parents' old place. Back in Martinsville, N.J., she was close friends with her next-door neighbors, one of whom is Parkinson's fraternity brother. In Tiburon, they attended the same church; he went to the early service, while she went to the later one. Now they both go to the early service together. About two years ago, she moved into his home of 25 years in the Tiburon neighborhood of Paradise Cay. He and his wife, who died in 2001, raised four children in the house. 'We needed to edit' "I felt like we needed to edit," said D'Agostino, "but I was sensitive to the fact that David had lived here a long time. I wanted to be respectful of him and his feelings. "It's a lovely house, but there was a bachelor who was in here for a while. There was no one around to say, 'Hey, this doesn't work.' " BEFORE: In the family room, they made one decorating decision before summoning Preussker and Latino: There was a television set placed on another television - "the poor man's picture-in-picture," Parkinson joked. Since there were no shades or drapes, a surfboard was propped against the window to eliminate the glare. The two TVs were replaced with one wall-mounted flat screen. For everything else, the couple felt that a third party would provide a fresh perspective. "We were going to get a new sofa anyway," said D'Agostino, "but decided to call Sissy and Robin because it's a major purchase, and I didn't want to make a mistake." Out went the 20-year-old teal leather love seats. Preussker and Latino suggested that the shape and scale of a sectional would be a better fit for the room. D'Agostino and Parkinson found an espresso-hued tufted leather one that they liked; Latino and Preussker gave it the thumbs up. The family-room rug, which didn't look quite right with the old sofas, got a reprieve. A coffee table that had been relegated to a bedroom was returned to the family room to display D'Agostino's art. An ottoman, which was tucked in the corner behind a rocking chair, was also relocated. Situated next to the sectional, it acts as a footrest or, with the addition of a tray, a serving area. The ikat and floral pillows were repurposed from the patio. "We're not pushing the idea of buying everything new," Latino said. "We like to see what you have and make it work better." Vertical element Remarkably, aside from the sectional, the only item that D'Agostino and Parkinson purchased for the space was an upholstered side chair. Its earth-tone pattern complements the tile flooring. A pair of oars that once hung above the sliding glass doors now grace a corner of the room. "We needed a vertical element there," said Preussker, "and they just happened to look great there." The bookcase, a prominent feature, was formerly a hodgepodge of Parkinson's autographed footballs and baseballs, as well as football helmets, baseball caps and books. Latino and Preussker pared down the collection and mixed in some of D'Agostino's vases and other artistic treasures. BEFORE: AFTER: The result is a contemporary and decluttered space that blends her style, which she described as "whimsical and arty," with his style, which he called "more traditional with a sporting flair." "One of the things I'm pleased about is that we're going to be able to really live in this room," she said. "It's not just pretty. It functions for us." D'Agostino and Parkinson also enlisted the stylists to convert D'Agostino's home office into a dressing room for her. (She now shares an office with Parkinson. A floral designer with Waterlily Pond in San Francisco, she doesn't work much from home. Parkinson, a vice president with Experian, does.) Raspberry and turquoise Although the dressing room benefited from a handful of purchases - a rug, textiles, a lingerie chest and a Venetian mirror - most of the "shopping" for it occurred within the confines of the house. BEFORE: With the addition of solid and patterned textiles in vibrant shades of raspberry and turquoise, the plain twin bed has become a "fun and feminine" daybed, said Latino. A distressed turquoise and cream cabinet, which was already in the room, serves as both storage and display for D'Agostino's objects and accessories. The perfume bottles and photos create a lovely vignette. The office armoire was replaced with an armoire from the bedroom, which Parkinson outfitted with shelves. A chair that belonged to D'Agostino's grandmother was painted gold and topped with a fuchsia cushion. For lighting, a chandelier was salvaged from the garage. "It's really funky," D'Agostino said of the fixture. "I love it, so I asked Sissy and Robin, 'Where will this fit?' I was so excited that they found a place for it." AFTER: Given their past careers as display stylists for Bloomingdale's, it's no surprise that Latino and Preussker have a keen eye for detail. In the dressing room, D'Agostino pointed out two things she would not have thought of on her own: placing the lingerie chest at a diagonal to add interest and a focal point, and hanging a vintage purse on a cabinet knob. "It was in my closet and no one could see it sparkling," she said of the latter. "Now it just looks really sweet." 'Interest and personality' Preussker and Latino also incorporated a framed cover of "The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center," a book that D'Agostino co-authored, into the room as artwork. Every holiday season, her family finds and delivers the tree for the New York City landmark. "It's fun to see all of the changes without having spent a fortune," D'Agostino said. "And it doesn't look like a Pottery Barn catalog because it's our stuff. It has character, interest and personality." D'Agostino and Parkinson's story does indeed have a happy ending. In addition to the successful room makeovers, they have another reason to celebrate: In December, during an outing to Blackie's Pasture - the setting of their first date - they became engaged. Reinventing your space Sissy Latino and Robin Preussker of Transformations Home Stylists (transformationshomestylists.blogspot.com) are experts at "use what you have" decorating. They offer hourly and day rates that are tailored to the client's needs. For one Sausalito project, they met with the homeowner in the morning, and by dinnertime the makeover was complete. Here are some of their tips for reinventing your space: Get focused: Every room needs a focal point. Work with what you have - a fireplace, a view - or create your own with artwork or a major piece like a piano. Room for conversation: Whenever possible, move the furniture away from the walls to bring energy into the room and to create conversation areas. Be seasonal: Change your home with the seasons. Freshen the color palette with accessories such as pillows and throws, and bring in elements from nature, including branches and fruit. Mix it up: Integrate the old with the new, the accumulated with the newly acquired, and the distressed with the polished. It's all about the mix. Keep it fresh: Move furniture and objects from room to room to keep a fresh perspective. Shake it up and have fun! Her style Carla D'Agostino has a whimsical, arty style. She wanted to introduce more color into the rooms and have a place to display her art and pottery. His style David Parkinson's tastes are more traditional with a sporting flair. He likes a neutral color palette and loves to surround himself with memorabilia. E-mail comments to home@sfchronicle.com.

Before and After - Charming and Elegant

This is the lovely home of a client who had been living in Sausalito for several years and was ready to downsize to a senior community. She needed help deciding what to take with her and configuring the new space to meet her needs, and wanted to update the look of some of her older pieces.

Before: Living Room

                                                                    

                                                                              

                                                                            

                                                                      
Before: Dining Room -
Our client loved the terra cotta color on the wall and wanted to use it somewhere in her new space.

She was also determined to find a place for her massive mirrored mahogany table.                                                                    

                                                                      
                                

                                                                            
Before: Kitchen Rack

                                                                    
Before: Bedroom
Our client wanted new bedding and new upholstery on the bench and chaise.                    

                                        

Before: Bamboo Cabinet
This was a charming piece we wanted to incorporate into our design plan.

Before : Arm Chair
This piece was ready for a fresh look.

After: Living Room

We kept the key pieces and tightened the layout to accommodate the smaller space.

                                                                

                                                                            

                                                              

     
After: Dining Room
In order to keep the massive dining table, we butted it right up to the wall, which we had mirrored to double the visual space.

                                                                    

                                                                        
After: Dining Room Console Used In Entry
Here's where we were able to introduce her favorite color, highlighting it on the entry wall.

After: Kitchen Bakers Rack Used In Living Room
We repurposed this to hold her favorite decorative accessories and her sound system.

                                                                        
After: Bedroom
Here's her favorite color again highlighting the bedroom wall and which inspired the colors chosen for the custom bedding and headboard.

                                                                    

The newly upholstered chaise has an updated silhouette.

We exposed the metal frame of the bench to create a more contemporary feel. We recovered it and the skirted table in a raw silk check to coordinate with the new bedding.

After: Bamboo Cabinet
We highlighted this in the hallway as a "cabinet of curiousities." The patterned rug was the inspiration for the color scheme throughout.

After: Arm Chair

The black lacquer and leopard print updated her favorite armchair.

Here it is in the den/office space we created for her:

After: Hallway Doors - We inserted mirrored panels into the doors to increase the feeling of space.

Our client was able to feel "at home" in her new space as soon as she moved in!

Sofa: Before and After

Sometimes just a small change can create a big impact. This sofa needed a facelift - while a slipcover could have changed it dramatically, we really wanted to keep the upholstery and simply improve it's profile. Although nice and deep, the silhouette was low - we thought it needed a "boost":

                                                                            
 Simply adding bun feet gave the sofa a more classic and elegant look :

A very simple and inexpensive change makes it feel like a new sofa!

                                                                          

                                                                  

Room and Board

Everyone has cards, photos, and memorabilia on their desks that clutter their work surface. We advocate gathering them up and displaying them where they can be seen and enjoyed everyday. One of favorite projects is creating oversized wall mounted memory boards. All that's required is some available wall space - they're great in offices, bedrooms, kids' rooms etc. They can be made in any fabric with any ribbon trim. Here's one that we made in burlap above a desk in a kitchen alcove:

                                                                            

                                                                    

                                                                            

Another fun way to display memorabilia is under a piece of glass cut to fit the tabletop.

Here in a guest room with a bit of a French feel, postcards and a map of Paris create some visual interest.

 ( It's a good way to disguise any imperfections on your tabletop too.)

Creating a changing display of your favorite mementos is a stylish and practical way to express more of your personality in your rooms, while controlling the constant paper chase!

                                                                                

Frank Faulkner: An Artist's Eye

The Hudson, New York living room of the artist Frank Faulkner is a good example of a "real" room (not one styled for a magazine shot) that works -it functions for day to day living and provides comfort while looking good. It's obviously the home of a collector- there are interesting objects everywhere-  yet it feels contemporary, not cluttered or stuffy. Faulkner has renovated 14 (!) houses and has come up with some rather fun quotes that fit in well with what we're always preaching, so here they are:

PLAY WITH SCALE: "Nothing's more fun than an overscaled piece...when it's right." Here the small fireplace mantle is dwarfed by the over scale artwork above it. A daring move, but it works because the pictures hung on either side go right up to the ceiling, filling in the space and creating a clean, unbroken line for the eye. And the huge artwork is contemporary while the mantle is classical - the tension created between the two feels fresh and new.

TRUST SYMMETRY: "When you shop, look for pairs. If perfect symmetry isn't possible, then aim for balance by using things of equal volume." Here the chairs flanking the fireplace provide needed symmetry to the arrangement, while linking the 2 sofas together.

On this wall,  PLAYING WITH SCALE continues. Another huge canvas is mounted behind the sofa, filling the entire space and again going right up to the ceiling. The bust ("classical and whimsical") on a plinth in the corner is also on a grand scale. Both add a feeling of substance to the room.

USE COLOR CAUTIOUSLY: "I love color but I use it very respectfully." Color is at work here, although not in an obvious way. The animal print thrown on the back of the sofa adds contrast and texture and happily mixes with the stripe pillow. Lots of white is used throughout to add freshness. Although nothing really matches, it's all harmonious.

CURTAINS SHOULD BLEND: "The cheaper the fabric the better, so they can be very full...I usually do them out of muslin with brass grommets at the top, so i can hang them from a rod with white plastic shower rings. I always tell myself the rings are ivory." We say: "Whatever works!"

TREASURE THREADBARE RUGS: "I am a member of the confederation called The Rotten Rug Society." The large faded patterned rug grounds everything and adds subtle color, picking up the grey blues of the canvas. And while it doesn't have to be exactly "rotten",  a little wear and tear is perfectly acceptable, and often desirable.

                                                                    

MIX THE HUMBLE WITH THE REFINED: "I'd just as soon take a piece of junk and tart it up as buy an expensive antique. I"ll often spend as much as $40 a weekend at the flea market. and I'll find things that give me more joy than an antique with the highest provenance.  If I do have something good, i'll put something humble next to it, to de-glaze the good thing- make it less pompous. This sepia print was in ...Antique Center for at least two years. I finally bought it and hung it over this rather good Biedermeier chest of drawers. I can't tell you the number of decorators who've since asked to buy it from me. Yet it sat there for two years, unloved and unwanted, for no money." It's all in the mix.

NOTHING IS SACRED - PAINT IT, STRIP IT, BLEACH IT!: "When I first found this Gothic cupboard  in a flea market, it had a starved dark brown varnish finish. I've painted it, over the years, white, grey-green, several shades of red, and finally, as it is now, black-overlay with some red showing through." Also note the tattered burlap upholstered chair- it adds to the charm.

SPEND AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE ON KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS: "Fancy kitchens depress me. I think kitchens and baths should be simple and utilitarian." Kitchens don't have to look like sterile stainless steel laboratories- they can be as soulful and evocative as the rest of your home.

                                      
                  

                                                                        
BRING IN LIGHT AND LIFE: "They are the two most important things a room can have. Sunshine, breezes, plants, books, of course, but also sparkle- mirrors, candles- lend vitality." Absolutely the key ingredients for a room that sings....Happy New Year!

Courtesy of Rural Intelligence