RoomRecipes » Krista Watterworth

What are some ideas you have used with Home Theatre Electronics to keep flow in a room design?

Krista Watterworth — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:24:31 +0000

Thank you Bob Minhas! I think what Bob is trying to say is how do I keep from stubbing my toe every time I walk by my big honkin’ home theater equipment? My general rule with electronics is hide it, hide it, hide it! There is nothing aesthetically pleasing about naked sub woofers. I designed a small TV room recently and I put in some compact custom cabinetry. You can buy similar stuff at IKEA and make it look custom.

We were going to insert white fire rated fabric normally used for speakers on the cabinet doors, then house the speakers within the cabinets. But the builder Victor found this awesome Digital Sound Projector which we installed below the TV. It’s compact and provides excellent sound. It’s the Yamaha YSP 5100 and it’s worth the $1500 you’ll pay for it!

Cabinetry and wainscot done by Wainscot Solutions

Pastori’s on Restaurant Impossible

Krista Watterworth — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:04:08 +0000

Pastori’s Restaurant in Connecticut underwent a major renovation on the Food Network’s Restaurant: Impossible. My design was inspired by the rolling hills and surrounding horse country of this small town. And the story was so inspiring! This family was very sweet and they were having real problems.

Fish tanks modernized

It was an amazing episode and I’m grateful I was part of something so special. The design turned out really beautiful, thanks to our talented crew Division 9 and all the volunteers. It was great to be back in my home state, just up the street from my sister’s house. I got to sit and have dinner off the new menu, usually I’m ready for bed by the end of Day 2. It’s exhausting, but so rewarding. Thanks Robert for being you.

Check out the Before & After photos and if you want anything you see here, the ingredients for this Room Recipe is below! Video to come soon! Special thanks to all the companies that donated product… we love you!

Restaurant Impossible: Pastori's

ALLOC	style #674981	LAMINATE FLOORING
AMAZON		ASTRO TURF FOR SIGN

BED BATH BEYOND		DRAPERY RODS
Craftcuts.com		WHITE WOOD 8″ LETTERS
CSN Stores	LAY1228	LAMP FOR HOST STAND
CSN Stores	fcl2533	Sconces for walls
CSN Stores	GKV1718	George Kovacs Red Pendants
CSN Stores	ARA1288	BAR STOOLS
CSN Stores	KLS1004	WALL SHELVES
CSN Stores	FBM1107	FRAMES 20X24
Kmart.com	#028W012381770001	WAGON WHEELS
Furnituregourmet.com	KAK018	APPLE CENTERPIECES
IKEA	700.338.70	NEW CHAIRS
IPA LAMINATING		LAMINATE BOOTH FABRIC

JAMALI	300500	WHEAT GRASS WHITE POT
JAY WALLACE		HORSE MURAL
KOYAL WHOLESALE		RIVER ROCK
Onlinefabricstore.net	RA0000185340	BOOTH FABRIC

Piercedtin.com		“P” CUSTOM PANEL FOR DOOR
Stanpacnet.com	STAN’S STARTER	MILK BOTTLES
Goldenstateart.com	20241620	20×24 Mat for 16×20 print
Largeformatposters.com		16×20 Semi Gloss print

Make Your Own Mod Lights

Krista Watterworth — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 06:00:07 +0000

On my HGTV show Splurge & Save I made some cool lighting and people have been asking how I did it. Modern lighting can cost hundreds, but I cheated the system. The Huang Family and I made our own for a fraction of the cost. Here’s the Room Recipe for these hipster luminaries.

Homemade Modern Lights

DIRECTIONS:
• Blow up beach balls – small and large
• Tape a starting point and wrap with armature wire (a sturdy wire used frequently in art projects). Smaller gauge is for small balls.
• Leave an opening at the top the diameter of a light bulb insert light kit.
• Wrap in full circles around ball in random directions. Cover the surface of the ball like a spider web. Go around approx. 100 times or until you’re happy with your coverage and can barely see the ball.
• Deflate the ball and remove it. You’re left with the silver wire.
• Stick the light kit (cord with a light bulb attached from a hardware store) down through the hole until the light bulb is in the center of the ball.
• Use 2-4 pieces of small armature wire to secure light kit in place closing in the hole at the top of the fixture.
• Hang the light kit with a cup hook on the ceiling

INSPIRATION: Random Light at DWR.com

TID BITS:
• For $10-$20 you have a modern light that could cost in the hundreds
• Lighting can turn a dark corner into a unique and creative source of radiance
• A modern style uses accessories that are elegant, shiny, and patterned in subdued colors such as silver, grey, or black

DIY HOW TO VIDEO:

Too Cool for Gruel

Krista Watterworth — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 04:51:57 +0000

Goldstein Kitchen: Before and After

This family had just moved from New Orleans after the flood. They lost their home there and were ready to start fresh. I gave this kitchen a modern, sleek look and expanded into a tiny pantry so they could have more counter space and cabinet storage.

Click for bigger view

I had an island built out of some larger cabinets and I balanced out the cost saving materials with some high end picks including:

Alloc laminate flooring
Solid surface counter top
A small amount of Daltile glass tile
Home Decorators custom linen roman shades
New stainless appliances
Jazz art from Art.com, and more.

All in all, a modern space that has some rich textures and a deep monochromatic color palette. Plus I love how the green Le Creusetcookware really pops.

Click for bigger view

Courtesy of HGTV and Spice Up My Kitchen

Is that your house or are you happy to see me?

Krista Watterworth — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:19:15 +0000

A floating glass house jutting off into a rock hill leaves one hoping that an avalanche is not popular to these here parts. Yikes! Yes it’s very cool looking. Almost too cool for school. Who are these people? She is a violinist who plays with the Boston Symphony, and he – well – an architect. How come the old adage “a good cobbler has no shoes” never applies to architects? They always have the most amazing homes, this Berkshire cantilevered beauty is no exception. Since the industry of architecture is often infused will male talent and wisdom, I find many of the homes a bit angular and – excuse me but – phallic? Am I alone on this one?

In “A Cantilevered Glass House”, the Wall Street Journal offers ten beautiful views of this floating glass structure. Check it out. And feel free to pass on any other homes that you may feel fall into this category.

St Rose Kitchen

Krista Watterworth — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 20:29:58 +0000

This homeowner really wanted a country kitchen that felt good when she was cooking. Needless to say, she got quite a transformation for very little money.

I Can’t Cook!

Krista Watterworth — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:33:07 +0000

Odd as it may sound, I learned a lot of what I know about myself and design from being a total failure in the kitchen.

My flare for drama comes from being the youngest born to an Italian family. From a strictly DNA perspective my sisters and I are a mixed breed. However to my spunky grandmother, Angelina, we are 100% Italian.

When they came over from Naples, my family split into two sets–half went to Manhattan, the other half to the backwoods of Connecticut. The latter is where I spent most of my time, traversing sprawling farms and blue collar towns until I went off to college. The NYC crew established neighborhood restaurants serving up Italian “peasant food”, while my parents built a restaurant of their own in Connecticut.

I spent countless hours in my parent’s restaurant alongside Cheech, the head chef. Cheech didn’t speak a lick of English, but when it came to my cooking affliction it wouldn’t have helped matters if he spoke the queen’s English! I was all thumbs in the kitchen. I eventually discovered that I CAN cook a meal when I follow a recipe. I started Room Recipes from that experience because I think many people have similar insecurities about their ability to design and style their own homes.

My infatuation with design was also ignited by my experience in school. While I had no patience for math and science, I could spend all night tinkering with interior design drawings and furniture catalogs. I love design. Plain and simple. I started drawing elevations at age 7, but it took a while for it to occur to me that interior design could be my life’s work. After years of searching for my professional identity (including a stint in law school and an MFA at the Actors Studio), I finally got to Parsons School of Design to study and hone my craft.

So all that time in the kitchen taught me many things—most importantly the rewards of hard work, dedication and passion. But it also taught me that no one can create a masterpiece alone. On my HGTV shows I have a crew of talented people and craftsmen that make my drawings come alive. Their expertise make my dreams literally come true. But nothing can prepare you for the long hours, sweat and drywall dust in your ears! Major TV redesigns often happen in a fraction of the time usually allocated for a given project. But when we (and the rest of America) see our homeowners smiles (and sometimes tears) at the end of a shoot, we all feel like rock stars.

Cheech taught me the importance of a good recipe, and I guide people through practical designs and easy fixes. I try to inspire them to do the work with their own hearts and hands. With my lucky gold studded drill and a little bit of spunk, anything is possible.

My Gold Studded Drill

For more info go to kristawatterworth.com.

Vaccarino Living & Fireplace

Krista Watterworth — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:14:51 +0000

I gave this room a clear focal point, and if you have a great carpenter this look can be done very inexpensively.

Does this fireplace make me look fat?

Krista Watterworth — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:03:12 +0000

Why are people so afraid to dress up and show off their fireplace? It’s always a great opportunity to make a statement and a clear focal point. Here are a few tips that may help if you have fireplace fears.

BULK UP

If you have a very talented carpenter, like Tom Zemon who did this beautiful build out, then you’re golden.

Bulk it up

THE HOT MANTEL

Tom Zemon is at it again! This is another amazing transformation. Built with simple MDF because it’s easy to work with and paints beautifully… plus this tiny room needed storage.

Hot mantel

SEXY SHELVES

A family room needs a big ass television. This was a tiny room so I utilized all the space I could to create storage as well as a nice display case.

Sexy shelves

Basement Love

Krista Watterworth — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:03:47 +0000

The basement is always the last on the “honey do” list when it comes to home renovation. I love an underdog. For that reason, the basement is one of my favorite spaces to design. Here are three basements I worked on and some tips to take a dungeon and create an oasis!

COLORFUL ART DECO GAME ROOM

There was a lot to hid and very little money to do it! We took a white box with pipes exposed and a lonely flat screen on the wall, and infused bright colors with lots of fun conversation pieces. It’s ready for a party!

Art Deco Gameroom

NATURE INSPIRED LOUNGE

This basement had no character. The homeowners love nature and felt claustrophobic in this narrow space. I used a forest wall mural to bring in depth, built a piano bar and changed the seating arrangement.

Nature Inspired Lounge

COASTAL GETAWAY

A basement with a sliding door is a huge asset. These homeowners previously owned a home on the shore, so I brought in some coastal charm to this basement. Now they can house guests proudly!

Coastal Getaway