I love, neh LOVE when I get to see a room featured that I was able to watch form from the ground up. Thanks to Instagram, a Birmingham home featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Veranda is a prime example of watching it happen - from concept to glossy color pages.
This is a long one, filled with lots of before, during and after pictures, even before/before pictures - you know, the kind where you wonder how they decorated before they hired the decorator! It's a good one. And there are links where you can get the look for less, too!
The house, a beautiful ranch style house with a walk out basement in Birmingham, Alabama. The owners, Ragan and Brad Cain, a beautiful young couple with great taste, a penchant for pretty, and a nostalgia for old houses. The decorator, Mark D. Sikes, the photographer Amy Neunsinger. Together, with Amy's superior skill for styling and grabbing the right shot, they've captured some of the most beautiful rooms ever, and these certainly top the list (in my opinion).
Way back in 2014, Holly Mathis did a tour of Ragan and Brad's previous home, shortly after it had been featured on the cover of Southern Living. The Southern Living featured touched solely on the exterior renovation of their cottage. Thanks to Holly's feature, it was easy to see that Ragan already had great taste in design. But when she and Brad bought their dream home they looked to Mark to refine their palette and get them access to the fabrics and papers and furniture that are exclusively to the trade.
Ragan Cain standing in her beautiful living room, a beauty herself. The room is absolutely stunning. There isn't one piece here that I wouldn't love to have myself, including those gorgeous Lee Jofa Althea curtains! The house was in great shape, but it took vision to get it here, vision that came from Mark and his team, which Ragan and Brad no doubt trusted implicitly.
The Living Room - Before
The fabrics and colors while Mark was working on the scheme from his instagram
Pieces of Rose Medallion that he was shopping while in Atlanta
The Living Room - After
Gobsmacked. Seriously, aren't you? Can you see it now? From the inspiration board to the finished product? Such beauty.
Mark's instagram photo during the installation. His coromandel screens from Henredon, his tufted sofa from Henredon - there's actually a lot of his pieces from Henredon in this house. This photo was taken prior to the brackets being hung around the painting, and the collection of rose medallion plates and jars were added, which you can see in the Veranda print.
The Foyer - Before
Mark's selfie, during the photo shoot after install
The Foyer - After
In their old home, the beautiful gilt wood settee had been in their bedroom. Mark had it reupholstered for the foyer here.
Old House - Real Estate Photo
The Dining Room - Before
Wallpaper Scheming with the Client
The Dining Room - After
I mean, come on. I want to move right in! The Cain's had this lovely case piece in their previous home, along with the collection of majolica stoneware.
Old House - Real Estate Photo
There, the hutch set inside of a niche created from what might have been an old coat closet inside of the living room. You can also see part of the collection.
I screenshot nearly all of Mark's stories while installation was happening at the house, because I knew that I would be going back to these pictures for inspiration. Even set, before the flowers and photo styling, this room is perfectly designed. Color, Pattern, the right mix of darks and light.
The Sun Porch Before
The Sun Porch After
Beautiful in a mass of green wicker. I love this room, almost as much as I love the living room. It's pretty, and there's nothing wrong with a little pretty, am I right?
A few photos from install day from Mark's instagram. Here you can see some of the additional pieces in the room, including that fabric covered game table, and the beautiful pattern to the drapery which also covers the four wicker club chairs.
The Kitchen - Before
The Kitchen - After
Now, if this doesn't show you how much paint can do, I don't know what will. There wasn't much changed here. The cabinets were painted, but the layout stays the same. The beautiful sink stayed in place, with new unlacquered brass faucet and handles. Cabinets over the sink were removed, as was the window - shelves were created in their place. The island is new, replacing the previous, but for what amounted to very little renovation - this kitchen looks gorgeous and completely brand new.
The Den - Before
The Den - After
You might remember those lamps. They were in the bedroom of the old house.
Attic Bunk Room - Before
Attic Bunk Room - After
Guest Bedroom - Before
Guest Bedroom - After
This room actually has two beds, as you can see from this photo that Mark posted to his instagram during the photoshoot. I'm fairly certain that the bedroom was the before bedroom above, just taken at a different angle.
Guest Bedroom - Before
Guest Bedroom - After
Beautiful, right? You all know this bedroom reminds me of my own striped bedroom, now in transition. These beds were smartly slipcovered with beautiful blue ties to dress them up a bit, but they were used in the Cain's old home, here:
Old House - Real Estate Photos
We will finish up this house with their Master Bedroom, first the before:
The Master Bedroom - Before
Master Bedroom - After
This is so gorgeous. Absolute beauty defined. Waking up to this every morning must really be a dream come true! Mark and his team finished up the Cain's home in July of 2018. They sold their original cottage in November of 2016. So where were they held up until this house was finished? Their beautiful second home in the small town of Eufaula, Alabama.
It's quite the before and after, too - but Mark didn't work on that one. It was designed by Melanie Pounds Interior Design and while there isn't much of the house up online, it was featured in an online article by Birmingham Home and Garden.
Second Home Living Room Before
Living Room After
Living Room After
Dining Room - Before
Dining Room - After
Den Before
Den After - Alternate View
Breakfast Room Before
Breakfast Room After
Kitchen Before
Kitchen After (major renovation)
Master Bedroom Before
Master Bedroom After
Needless to say, the Cain's wake up in beauty no matter which house they're in. Such a beautiful collection of pieces, new and old in both houses. I hope you enjoyed the journey! Here are a few other pieces from World Market, I thought you might also like to check out!
I love that sun porch!
ReplyDeleteIt's all so pretty and beautifully done....hard to pick a favorite room!
ReplyDeleteomg... where to start. Mark's work on this house is ah-mazing! Love every single bit of it. Your detective work and eye for detail to write this post that much have taken you a week to put together... also ah-mazing. Loved all your shopping links too. You're so good. You and Joni would be dangerous if y'all banded together for evil:O :)!!! And their second house- love. I googled that little town and omg.. the antique/historic houses there- love. I used to have Rose Medallion (plates) hung at the house in Dallas. I still have them and still love them. I never understood why they went out of favor. So happy to see them back, along with Imari which we also collected and I used on the terrace last summer:) Loved this before and after post so much Artie! (btw, the "hutch" with the majolica is called a "Welch dresser"- they were very popular back when I was selling.) xxojoan
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