Wednesday, September 30, 2015

I want that hall!

Sweet Dreams Wallpaper Blackish ABC
I am seriously in love with the ABC comedy Blackish. Not only do I love the series and the cast and the characters they play, I love the house. Production Designer Maxine Shepard has done a super job of creating this house. The house is truly another character in the show and a big part of visually defining the Johnson family as a hip, upper middle class family. Though Bow and Dre probably make a good amount of money, they are raising four children. Therefore the decor is not super high end, but still classic and refined with a contemporary slant.


Blackish ABC
One of my biggest favorites spaces is the upstairs hall. Yup, the hall. There are so many aspects to this hallway to love, not the least of which is the expansive space! 


Blackish ABC

Seriously, does anyone else have a hallway wide enough for two people to walk side by side? With space between them, no less? If we tried that in my house, somebodies dyin' from falling down the stairs! Of course, I rarely have camera crews in my hall.


Though space is definitely part of design, my focus is on the decorative surfaces. Mainly because there is nothing I can do to widen the hallway without throwing a lot of money at it. Blow it up, start it over again, amount of money! And I. Want. This. Hallway. Or at least something close to it!

This space strikes a balance between contemporary and traditional. Everything in the space, the damask wallpaper, the subdued lighting, the chair rail, the beautiful wood flooring, the base molding and the neutral color are all traditional. Yet, each has a modern spin. 

Sweet Dreams Candice Olson, York Wallcoverings
For example, the wallpaper used here has a contemporary look. This is Sweet Dreams by Candice Olson produced by York Wallcoverings. It took me the better part of a day to find this pattern! I am blaming it on my search terms, which were not so successful to begin with. I am still not entirely sure which colorway was used.

Sweet Dreams Candice Olson York Wallcoverings
Jeld-Wen Doors HomeDepot


The bedroom doors are paneled and an upgrade from a plain slab door. The number and the shape of the panels creates a more contemporary appearance. They are square, rather than round and there are only two, not six. Either of the two doors on the left and right, above, would work, but the square panels lend a more contemporary vibe to the space. Fascinatingly, all of these doors are the same price yet the two left and right doors above look so much more luxe.



The door handles are a blunt rectangular lever style with a square backplate, repeating the square elements of the door panels. They look similar to the Kwikset Vedani, to me. I believe they used a passage door knob, rather a privacy knob, as nobody needs privacy on an actual set bedroom and the privacy knob / lever has a rather sizable hole for the 'key.'

The niche with the seat, reminiscent of a window seat, is a charming and homey touch. Another feature which is not practical for a redo in my house, again, unless my daughter gives up her closet, not happening!


Anundria, Lamps Plus


The lights, again, repeat the squares. These fixtures are similar. The one above is a plug in, the one below is hard wired.


Possini Euro Design Wall Sconce, Lamps Plus


The mouldings are likely compound, that is multiple mouldings combined to create the strong architectural statement that this moulding gives. For a smaller space than this hall, a moulding with a lower profile is appropriate. 




I found a similar moulding at architecturaldepot.com 


House of Fara Molding, Home Depot

and another at Home Depot. The set has what looks like a beveled quarter or half round atop the moulding, again, a compound creation.


Moulding Home Depot


The baseboard looks like it is a compound moulding, as well. Highly likely that the space between the top and bottom of the moulding is the wall. The top may be as simple as the moulding above, then wall space, and what looks like another chair rail at the bottom, it has a higher profile than most base mouldings, with a quarter round to finish it. Notice that the mouldings are all painted, that is, there is no cherry stained shoe moulding where the flooring meets the wall. This makes the wall look taller rather than making the floor look wider.


Cherry Stained Maple flooring, York Supplies

The floors may be a black walnut  or cherry stained maple or oak. These hardwoods have a more uniform appearance than actual Cherry. Every board has a consistent color, no board being significantly darker or lighter than another. 


Cherry wood floors, notice the variation in color, Houzz
Cherry wood has variations in color, which can be very distracting.


Black Oak Laminate Flooring, York Supplies

Of course, this is the smoke and mirrors magic of television, and laminate could be used which would take the traffic of cameras and equipment over the floors.

The wallpaper samples are on their way, out for delivery as I post! After they arrive, the paint choices are next.



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