Renovated 1930s 3 bedroom bungalow in the Crescent Hill neighborhood of Louisville
After frequent business trips to Louisville, an out-of-towner decided to forgo hotel stays and purchase a more permanent property. After purchasing a 1930s bungalow home in Crescent Hill, they enlisted the help of Kristen Pawlak, owner and interior designer at KP Designs/Decorating Den Interiors, to bring the space to life.
Pawlak was not only tasked with furnishing the home with select furniture and decor, but also with refreshing the interior color palette with new paint.
“It should be set up as a part-time home so they can go there on vacation,” she said.
Honoring history
To honor the home’s architecture and location, Pawlak and her team retained the original hardwood floors as well as dark wood paneling around the windows.
“We explained to the homeowner that the stained wood paneling would look great with a new color palette on the walls and would really do justice to the era,” Pawlak said.
Although the main floor has shutters throughout, most other windows feature simple, soft window treatments that allow the natural wood to shine.
The owners wanted a mix of eclectic, modern and midcentury furniture and accessories to furnish the house.
“They didn’t want it to be too traditional,” Pawlak added. “They wanted it to be colorful and fun because it’s a sanctuary.”
Set the tone
The living room/family room is the first area you see when you enter the home, so Pawlak made sure to set the tone of the home in this space. The colorful palette—reflected in the saffron chairs, cognac leather sofa, and teal ottoman—is used throughout the home.
From here, you enter the dining room, which is furnished with teal tweed-upholstered dining chairs. Their splayed legs are a nod to the mid-century vibe of the house, as is the Sputnik-style chandelier.
“They especially liked the unusual lighting and wanted it,” Pawlak said.
On one side of the table there is a dark buffet console with a mirrored front and gold decorations, while on the opposite wall there is a large abstract canvas painting.
“Here you can see simple curtain panels that highlight these windows and give them a little more formality,” Pawlak said. “They mirror the windows in the living room. We added a fun teal ribbon to the edges of these panels.”
She added that on this and all other projects her firm works on, budget factored into every design decision. The stripes on the window treatments were just one creative way she helped enhance the look of the home while staying within budget.
Treatment for traffic
Pawlak’s other design tasks included incorporating parts that would withstand high traffic, which accommodated the homeowner’s plans to use the house as a short-term rental.
“We had to consider that different people could be coming and going,” Pawlak said. “There could be a lot of traffic.”
With this in mind, she opted for lots of leather furniture, functional fabrics, easy-care items and minimalist pieces that can withstand commercial use.
Pawlak has installed king-size beds in each bedroom.
“It’s really nice,” she exclaimed, “not only for the people who own the house and live there, but it’s also great for short-term rentals. If you can fit a king-size bed in there – even if it’s pretty tight in a bedroom – that’s great because people appreciate that.”
Both guest rooms are furnished almost identically, including a tweed-upholstered bed, two-tone mid-century nightstands, a dark wood chest or dresser, and similar lamps. Pawlak just changed the color palette from one to the next.
“When you have a holiday home,” she explained, “it’s nice to say, ‘I’m in the blue room’ or ‘I’m in the green room.’ That makes it easier.”
She added that each bedroom has at least one sitting area as well as ample closet space, and that the first-floor master bedroom also has a small office housed in the room’s original closet.
“We also make it a point to have at least one area of artwork in every room,” Pawlak said. “There’s nothing sadder than walking into a room and all the walls are empty.”
Each room features at least one coordinated art grouping or large piece of art, ranging from aquamarine architectural ceramic panel art to black stone-like paint on glass.
“The house is already in a great neighborhood,” Pawlak said, “with an idyllic street setting and everything, but the homeowner wanted to set it up as a part-time residence – his second home – and this is what it is.”
Know of a home that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or lifestyle editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
Screws and nuts
Home: This is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,150-square-foot bungalow located in Crescent Hill. It was built in 1931.
Striking elements: Hardwood floors, renovated bathrooms, addition, granite countertops.
Paint colors: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray in foyer, living/family room, dining room, downstairs hallway and stairwell; Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray in master bedroom; Benjamin Moore Classic Gray in master bathroom; Benjamin Moore Gray Horse in first guest bedroom; Benjamin Moore Cliffside Gray in second guest bedroom; Sherwin Williams Whirlpool in laundry room; Sherwin Williams Forged Steel in upstairs hallway bathroom.
Applause! Applause! KP Designs/Decorating Den and RK Renovations.
