Lisa and Tim Sparkman, of Rock Island, had lived in their home for several years. They loved their neighborhood, but with their children grown and out on their own, they’d found that the house didn’t quite meet their needs. Entertaining friends and hosting family was a challenge, and they were faced with a choice: stay and remodel, or move to a new home that better suited their needs.
When they decided to stay, it was based on a belief in their home’s great features: high, sloping ceilings, plenty of space, and especially the view of the woods behind the house. Their remodel began with an architect, who drew up plans to highlight the home’s best features. When it came time to think about style, Lisa was referred to Knilans’ by her sister, and met Lori there during her first visit. She was able to share the architect’s plans with Lori and together, they began thinking about the redesign.
Lori visited early on in the remodel process, before structural changes were made, to get a feel for the space. As soon as she saw the view through the back windows, she instantly understood why the Sparkmans had decided to stay and remodel, rather than move.
This was Lisa’s first “big” design project, and she wasn’t sure what she wanted at first. There were a few key concepts she had in mind – something open, something light – but more than anything, she was confident she’d “know it when she saw it.” This is a familiar challenge for the Knilans’ Interior Design team. As always, the solution was a walk together through the showroom, exploring different furniture lines, upholstery options, and details to find pieces Lisa had a strong reaction to – in either direction! Each piece that Lisa liked or disliked gave invaluable insight into her style. Lori encouraged her to look at shapes, feelings, and colors. Lisa’s taste in art, especially, gave great insight into her personal style, which Lori describes as transitional – pushing towards contemporary – with clean lines and color adding warmth, which she says “fits Lisa well.”
With the beautiful wall of windows, overlooking a sea of trees, as the home’s focal point, it was no surprise that Lisa’s taste leaned towards blues, greens, and natural textures. The goal became to pull the sense of lush peace and calm from the back windows through the full house. This insight helped create a shortlist of colors and leather and upholstery options, all of which were coordinated with the architect’s plans for the adjoining open-concept kitchen.
Lisa chose a few favorites, and especially liked a white and blue Greek key patterned upholstery option. With Lisa’s taste as a guide, Lori was able to build out a design plan that brought all the elements she loved together in harmony with the view of the great outdoors and the kitchen. It featured a deep and comfortable neutral sectional with a green-leather ottoman that could double as a coffee table. Chairs in Lisa’s favored Greek key pattern sat on one side, with blue floral swivel chairs by the window. A wool rug with a similar white-and-blue pattern rounded out the main design. When she showed the design to the Sparkmans, “It was like Christmas, it just fit,” says Lisa. With the basics in place, Lori finalized the details with artwork, lamps, and accessories based on what Lisa had loved in her Knilans’ walkthrough.
The trickiest element of the design, Lisa recalls, was finding a piece of art for the fireplace mantle. Finding art that fit in the space and visually balanced the sloping line of the ceiling above took a few tries, and as a result, the heron portrait that occupies that space was a custom size.
But like all design projects, the focus was on more than aesthetics. This was the Sparkman’s home, and they needed to be able to live in it comfortably. Their sons lived nearby, and their grandkids needed to feel at home in the space, too. Wood end tables were out of the question because, as Lisa says, “no one ever remembers coasters.” Glass, she decided, would attract dust and fingerprints, so they looked for options with stone tops and found a perfect fit. The center ottoman, one of her favorite pieces in the house, is upholstered in a commercial-grade leather to stand up to spills and wear-and-tear from kids and dogs alike. The swivel chairs by the back window are upholstered in performance fabric to make them grandkid-friendly, and the wool rug is easier to clean than synthetic alternatives.
While the architects handled the kitchen, Lori helped the Sparkmans find a few details, including comfortable seating for the bar-style island. Lisa considered having the seating upholstered in the same green leather as the living room ottoman, but on Tim’s suggestion, decided against it. “It would have been a bit much,” she laughs. After the remodel, the kitchen is open to both the living room and the patio, which means Lisa will never be stuck in the kitchen alone while hosting friends and family again.
As Lisa tells it, Lori’s help was invaluable when it came to the “little details and accessories” that pull the space together. About a year after the remodel, the Sparkmans decided to add an ottoman to their secondary seating by the windows, and Lori was able to pull together an option with floral upholstery that matches the chairs, and sleek lucite legs like their existing green ottomans’ for a harmonious addition. Later, they collaborated to find a sideboard and vases in the entryway, and wall art for the hallway and over the stairs. While the living and dining area are the Sparkman’s biggest projects to date, Lori has helped the Sparkmans find pieces for their basement, including the second family room and kitchen there, as a way to help “refresh without redoing everything.”
If you’re looking for a big remodel, or even just a refresh, come visit us at Knilans’! Our team of Interior Designers is practiced in helping you find pieces that match your space, style, and budget. The goal of a Knilans’ design project is never to make your house look like a showroom – it’s to make it feel like home and work well for your family.
Our thanks to the Sparkmans for graciously sharing their home and story with us!
