The first proposal is called Sophisticated Country by designer Vera Voss.  She has selected more modern furnishings for the room, in warm cream and earth tones.  She feels the layout of the living room furniture gives the room a more intimate feel. "It's nice to sit and relax and watch some television, but it's even nicer for a family to sit and chat near the fire." She has replaced their heavy drapes with lace curtain panels to lighten up the room and keep in line with the Sophisticated Country look she's striving for here. Vera has replaced their old, scuffed-up wooden floor with a similar, but darker, wood floor, and given the entire place a refreshing lift with the new wall treatment. "I couldn't wait to get rid of that floor, it was old and worn."

The dining room is small, so she agrees they need two tiny tables instead of one large one.  "When Johnny is away,  they can move one table against the wall, giving them a romantic dining room for the two of them." Vera suggested moving the refrigerator, and increasing their counter space to allow for more efficient cooking. The Burbs love the colors and materials she has chosen.

 

The second proposal, by designer Jade Devere, is a more radical change.  "I feel the Burbs need a clean, modern look to make their home look less drab."  Jade first painted the walls a refreshing white, then  added a modern molding along the ceiling. Next she replaced the wooden floor with a plush carpet. "I hated that old, scratched wood floor.  Wall-to-wall carpeting is much nicer, and this one is very durable." Jade selected black-and-steel living room furniture, and arranged it in a way that would allow them to enjoy both the fireplace and their tv shows simultaneously. "I chose black because I knew right away that black  would be the best accent for the dining room, to go along with the rich antiques they already owned.  Then I worked from the black, to apply it to the other rooms so the pieces work with each other, and the entire floor flows together."

"Kitchens are easy, and once I knew I was working with black, it was even simpler.  A sleek black counter to go with modern black cabinetry is perfect.  And of course it complements the new steel appliances perfectly." The antique furniture they wanted to keep has been moved into the dining room, where the new black-framed chairs add just the right touch to keep the dining area  in line with the new modern look of the house. The Burbs were amazed at the transformation, and thrilled with the living room furniture arrangement, but Brad wasn't fond of the "hidden sink" concept in the kitchen.

 

The third proposal comes from designer Hayley Martin. "I like to think of it as a "cool comfort" style.  It's cool and modern, but at the same time, there's a cozy and  comfy feel to the room."  Hayley also replaced the old wooden floor right away.  She chose the same replacement floor as Vera Voss, but chose to paint the walls a denim blue.  "Blue is a soothing, relaxing color.  I use blue in quite a lot of my designs."  Hayley chose blue armchairs for the living room.  "I like to use armchairs rather than sofas in rooms like this.  It allows the room to be more open, and they're more versatile when it comes to rearranging for  parties or holidays, things like that." Hayley also moved the refrigerator and added counter space to the kitchen.  "I love the cream appliances, so I used cream curtains to accent the kitchen.  The new  counters are fabulous - the stone has been treated to prevent staining, so it's very durable, not to mention gorgeous."

Hayley chose lace curtain panels to soften the look of the dining room.  She kept the Burbs' dining chairs, because "they were the inspiration for the entire project", but "the tables had to go.  One big table just doesn't work with the scale of the room, but we needed new ones to match the new decor.  We could have covered the old ones with a nice linen tablecloth, but I'm not big on a lot of fabric, and I loved these the moment I spotted them."  The Burbs were pleased with the look of the room, and were happy with the way their old furnishings were used.