THE STUDIO BLOGhttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/en-US2012-05-28T18:17:14ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)A NEW PROJECT: DEXTER'S INNhttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2012/1/26/a-new-project-dexters-inn.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2012-01-26T16:18:44ZDexter's Inn Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs News and UpdatesKevin O'Shea Designs is excited to announce a new project that is underway in Provincetown, Massachusetts: Dexter's Inn.

This 15 bedroom Inn will undergo a complete renovation in two phases with Phase One already underway. The first phase of the project includes the complete renovation of 9 bedrooms and bathrooms, an overhaul of the lobby, office, kitchen and a public toilet. It will also include reinterpretation of outdoor spaces on the grounds.

Phase Two will be completed in the Fall of 2012 which will encompass the renovation of the remaining 6 guestrooms and further updates to the public spaces.

Kevin O'Shea Designs has developed an comprehensive new design concept for the property which will position it as Provincetown's first design-led boutique property.

We look forward to sharing exciting updates on the project both on Kevin O'Shea Design's Facebook page and on the Dexter's Inn Facebook page.

For more information on this project visit the Portfolio Page.

]]>NOW OPEN: The Shop at Kevin O'Shea Designshttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2011/3/11/now-open-the-shop-at-kevin-oshea-designs.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2011-03-11T17:30:29Z

]]>A Unique Project in Progresshttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2011/3/1/a-unique-project-in-progress.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2011-03-01T21:50:35ZInterior Design New York City Kevin O'Shea Designs New York City News and Updates Wedding RegistryLast Fall I was approached by a client who had a very interesting request: she wanted me to redesign the Financial District one bedroom apartment in New York that she shared with her fiancée. The catch was that she wanted to register for most of the pieces in the design on her upcoming wedding registry. I loved the idea and jumped at the opportunity. After a few initial design meetings I came up with a design concept that fit the life they both hope to lead after their wedding this October. She envisioned entertaining friends, enjoying quiet weekends together and overall delighting in what she calls "a grown up apartment".

This was a unique project for me because I was essentially working backwards, selecting accessories for a space that didn't exist yet but my client and I had such a great working relationship that it turned out to be a really fun and effortless process. The other caveat to this project was that every item had to be available for purchase online so we could upload it into her wedding registry. These unique challenges pushed me to create the aparment of her dreams and I am happy to announce that we successfully uploaded the whole package onto her registry yesterday.

The apartment won't start to take shape physically until the end of the year but I wanted to share a few of my concept sketches and some of the items that made that list! We used an incredible website called MyRegisty.com which allows Brides and Grooms to build their own unique wedding registry from any website online.

This is the basic furniture layout, we are using some of her existing pieces like the sofa and arm chair and will layer in other larger furniture pieces after the wedding.

This sketch shows furniture placement and concepts for furniture shapes in the living/dining room. The apartment has four large windows with a recess in the ceiling along both window walls. Ivory silk draperies will cover both of these walls giving the room a luxurious softness and exisiting cove lighting will softly light the draperies at night.

The furniture placement in the living room area allows for both entertaining and TV watching without having to move anything around. The dining area is not defined architecturally so I grounded this space with a large decorative mirror and a large fixture over the table.

This sketch is looking toward the front hall. The bar cart is part of the dining area and provides a fun way to serve cocktails to their guests. Because space is a premium in New York City apartments the sideboard serves double duty as an extra surface for the kitchen or the dining area. Stools tucked under the sideboard provide extra seating or they can be used as side tables giving them lots of flexibility when they entertain.

A selection of some of the items I included in the wedding registry. My client has a very bold mid-century red sofa that she wanted to keep so the design was built around that. The aesthetic nods to mid-century modernism with some whisical and ecclectic touches to keep it fresh and timeless.

Guests will purchase everything from lighting and occasional furniture to soft goods and accessories. I even selected glassware and barware for the bar cart which are all available for purchase on the wedding registry.

I am really excited to see how this project turns out and I will keep you all updated later this year after the wedding!

- Kevin

]]>THE MARTIN HOUSE: THE DETAILShttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2011/1/24/the-martin-house-the-details.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2011-01-24T15:54:57ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesHappy New Year everyone! It has been a while since my last update on Cape Cod, the past month has been very busy getting the house into some semblance of order to host Christmas and New Year's (which were both smashing successes!). I am now working on the details for the next two months, carefully selecting the final elements to finish off each room, the accessories, the window coverings, getting the lighting just right etc.

As this process continues I will continue to reveal some of the wonderful details that are beginning to emerge around the house. (You will have to be patient to see the final product, I am pursuing a few publishing leads on the house and thus can't reveal too much until they have captured their content).

These are still a work in a progress but here are a few of my favorites at the moment:

Firewood storage becomes a decorative element in the bar.The "Blue and White" diningroom is starting to come together, the accessories are really what make this room magical.Pieces new and old begin to come together in the livingroom to create a striking juxtaposition of "Modern American Colonial".The kitchen blends function and form seamlessly as seen here at the Baking Station.Open shelving keeps everything at the ready in the kitchen and also serves as a great way to display beautiful dinnerware.Some details from the guest bedrooms.

]]>THE MARTIN HOUSE: THE FINISHED FLOORShttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2010/11/23/the-martin-house-the-finished-floors.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2010-11-23T16:25:27ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesLast week marked an exciting return to Provincetown after the floors were refinished throughout the The Martin House. Colonial Floors of Cape Cod worked tirelessly over the course of a week and a half sanding away years of grime and damage to reveal the virgin wood of the 18th century wide pine floor boards. Then they meticulously applied a light stain and three coats of commercial grade polyurethane with truly spectacular results. Here are few of the rooms finished:

The Master BedroomGuestroom TwoThe LivingroomTo call this process transformative is an understatement. The floors have completely changed the dynamic inside the house, they are now flat, visually interesting, and add a warmth the house lacked before. The most exciting part of the floor refinishing is that I was able to walk around barefoot for the first time since we bought The Martin House four months ago!

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]]>THE MARTIN HOUSE: BEFORE AND NOWhttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2010/11/10/the-martin-house-before-and-now.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2010-11-10T16:05:00ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesI'm back in New York this week while the floors are being refinished at The Martin House in Provincetown. I was organzing photos yesterday and started to reflect on how much has been acomplished over the past four months and thought I would share some of those amazing transformations. The spaces below still have a long way to go before being completely finished but already the progress is remarkable. Enjoy!

The Master Bedroom: A closet in the rafters (left) was removed (center) and the walls were repaired to reveal an 8th window in the bedroom! (right)

Second Floor Corridor: The once open floor plan of the second floor was divided in interesting ways (left). We acquired a bit more space for the new guest bathroom by claiming some space from one of the attics (center). Today actual walls define bedrooms and bathrooms but the chimney still makes an appearance here and there (right).

The Kitchen: Certainly one of the more dramatic transformations, the sink wall was littered with shelving and the large commercial dishwasher (left). Removing all the clutter was no easy task and revealed badly damaged walls and ancient plumbing (center). Now new walls of beadboard and a custom countertop which will house appliances has given this corner of the kitchen new life (right).

The Front Door: Once the main entrance of the resturant, the front door lacked any character, opened outward for fire egress and was oversized to be ADA compliant (left). Now we have a more appropriately sized door that swings inward and some custom trim has given the entrance more architectural interest (right).

These Before and Now photos are only a taste of the transformation that continues to unfold daily, I can't wait to share more in the near future!

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]]>THE MARTIN HOUSE: A NEW LIFE FOR OLD FLOORShttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2010/11/1/the-martin-house-a-new-life-for-old-floors.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2010-11-01T17:38:32ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesToday marks an exciting milestone during the renovation of The Martin House, Colonial Floors began the lenghtly process of refinishing the wide pine floors throughout the house. The floors have been subjected to years of high traffic, grease and grime during the 30 years the building operated as a restaurant. Many areas were worn down from the repeated sliding of dining chairs other areas suffered under high foot traffic from waitstaff.

The refinishing is going to take about two weeks, the hardest part over the next few days is the arduous task of sanding down the layers of filth and finish to expose the virgin wood below. Already the transformation is breathtaking, below are a few images as work got underway this morning.

This detail shows the condition of the floors before and after the sanding, truly remarkable!

The livingroom all sanded down. Once the sanding is finished the floors will get one coat of stain to match the exisiting woodwork and then three coats of a commercial grade polyurethane.

This small patch of flooring was found upstairs under a large cabinet that was removed, it is the control sample for the stain the will be put on the floors and gives a preview as what the entire house will look like once the refinishing is complete!

The floor refinshing also marks the final stage in construction on the house, in two weeks the tradesmen will be done and I can get to work on turning this house into a home. Stay tuned!

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]]>THE MARTIN HOUSE: A NEW OLD FIREPLACEhttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2010/10/20/the-martin-house-a-new-old-fireplace.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2010-10-20T22:45:05ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesOne of the more notable features of The Martin House are the two massive 18th century chimney structures located within the building. The main central chimney which dates to 1750 is a true workhorse with four fireplaces feeding into it, one of which was the original colonial kitchen hearth complete with a beehive oven. The second chimney was part of a 1790's addition onto the house when it is believed the kitchen was moved into the brick floored first floor of the addition and the second chimney served as the new cooking fireplace. This hearth sits in what we today call the bar and still retains its beehive oven which was used to bake breads and the firebox still has the original iron hook that would swing cast iron pots over the open flame to cook stews and soups.

The fireplace was the centrpiece of The Martin House bar during its tenure as a restaurant and warmed patrons as they dined on the long banquette (including Norman Mailer who was a regular and always requested the corner table).

A promotional photo from The Martin House Restaurant archive with the fireplace in the backgroundWhen we took over the house this year the ravages of time and neglect had not been kind to the fireplace in the bar. Further investigation uncovered that the chimney was no longer structurally sound or compliant to modern day building codes and we needed to come up with a solution if we wanted this fireplace to ever work again.

The fireplace during the building inspection last winter after years of neglect and not being usedA view from this summer before restoration work beganThis summer I hired a very talented local mason who came up with the solution of cladding the existing structure in a course of new bricks to both stabilize the chimney and create a fire safe envelope around the old chimney. We agreed upon the use of salvaged bricks and that he would try to replicate the existing structure as closely as possible in an effort to retain historical accuracy and thus the work began!

A layer of fiberglass reinforcing mortar was spread on the face of the existing chimney to help increase the structural stability (left). The new brickwork then began to rise up around the exisiting structure (right).Floorboards on the second floor were removed to make way for the new brick work coming through the floor from below (left). Once through the floor the cladding of the chimney in the master bedroom was quick work (right).The finished product is a safer version of its former self, the structure still retains the charm and organic shape from before but is now more proportionate and more importanly, more functional. On the second floor the chimney remains a quirky object in the future master bedroom as it steps its way up through the roof.

This afternoon we conducted a test of the newly completed fireplace and it works just as good as I imagine it did the day it was built back in the 1790's. With these new repairs it will hopefully continue to warm The Martin House for another 200 years!

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]]>THE MARTIN HOUSE: VINTAGE FINDShttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2010/10/13/the-martin-house-vintage-finds.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2010-10-13T15:47:22ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesShipments are arriving daily of furniture, accessories, hardware etc. In addition to new items the key to a successful interioir is mixing in vintage and antique items and I wanted to share with you some of the exciting items I have picked up over the past few weeks at various tag sales in town, the Wellfleet Drive-In Flea Market and doing some cleaver trolling on the internet.

This unique metal folding chair is part of a set of four picked up at a friend's tag sale in town, the chairs are stamped 1924 and need a little T.L.C. but are sure to be a unique addition to our patio in the Spring.

This impressive gilt frame was grabbed at a local yard sale a few weeks back for a steal! I love that there is some damage on it showing its unique patina. It will have a prominent new home at The Martin House very soon!

In an effort to build period bathrooms in the house I am using salvaged plumbing fixtures wherever possible. This generous sized pedestal sink was picked up at the amazing New England Demolition and Salvage and is dated 1904 on the bottom. I love that it still has the original lever to block off the drain.

This beautiful pair of brass andirons were found at the flea market, they are marked with manufacturer's stamp of "Bennett" which I have discovered is a very old maker of andirons. The shape of these will compliment another incredible antique procured for the house....but you will have to wait to see them all together!

This stool was found at a moving sale in town, I was attracted to the unique patina of it showing years and years of use. The gentleman I bought it from told me it was one his most treasured pieces and he was very sad to let it go, I assured him it would be loved for years to come as a prominent fixture in The Martin House. (I intended to leave it as is, I love pieces that reveal their history like this one does)

This is an incredible old tool chest which was found in town. We sanded a layer of very ugly burgundy paint off this to reveal the incredible wood below. A coat of hand rubbed polyurethane brought out the many wonderful nicks and cuts showing a lifetime of heavy use. This piece will have new life as a blanket chest in one of the guestrooms.

While on the subject of bringing old things into this antique house I wanted to share with you the new color for the patio door. Painted a rich hue of Benjamin Moore "Heritage Red" I don't think you can get much more classic New England than this...

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]]>The Martin House: Transformationshttp://kevinosheadesigns.com/the-studio-blog/2010/10/7/the-martin-house-transformations.htmlKevin O'Shea Designs, LLC2010-10-07T20:33:53ZInterior Design Cape Cod Interior Design Provincetown Kevin O'Shea Designs The Martin House The Martin House UpdatesThe house is changing dramatically from day to day now as we quickly approach the end of construction. I wanted to share with you some of the exciting changes that have occured recently:

All of the drywall is up throughout the house, this is a view looking up the stairs into the new corridor. The drywall installation was an artful puzzle working around the historic beams that criss cross throughout the second floor of the house.

The drywall installers did an amazing job following the organic contours of the exposed chimney on the second floor. The chimney pokes thorough walls in both guestrooms (shown here in the smaller guestroom) and into the corridor.

Tile installation has commenced in the master bathroom shower stall. You can also see the bead board paneling which clads the walls in each bathroom.

Beadboard also clads some of the walls in the kitchen. The lone sink is the only survivor in this room and it eagarly awaits its new faucet and adjacent countertop.

The entire heating system was replaced in the house and we now have brand new high efficiency baseboard radiators throughout the house. While not the most beautiful units this is one case where form follows function and I look forward to warm winter nights!

Here is a detail of an incredible vintage chandelier that I procured for the house. It was in really rough shape when I purchased it but lovingly spent two days rewiring it and stringing new crystals to return it to its former glory.

One of the more ambitious projects currently underway is the cladding of the bar chimney with a shell of new recycled bricks to help increase the structural stability of the chimney and to bring the firebox up to code so we can safely burn wood in the fireplace this winter. Our mason is a true artisan as he and his team replicate the unique shape of the chimney as it travels two stories up through the bar and master bedroom.

The end is near and its really rewarding at the moment as everyday brings about changes that draw steps and steps closer to the The Martin House being transformed! Stay tuned for more updates very soon...

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