By Marie Gullard
These are big houses on tiny lots," Eileen Jacobs says of her two-story, all-brick traditional home in Owings Mills.
Her decorating challenge, therefore, was not the exterior but rather the interior space of 3,400 square feet, not counting the basement. She was more than up to the task, and while the house was being constructed, she designed rooms and bought furnishings working only from floor plans.
"The [design] was all in my mind's eye before we moved," she said. "One to two months afterward, I had everything in place."
Eileen Jacobs, a dental hygienist, and her husband, Howard Jacobs, a pulmonologist, settled in their $750,000 home in May 2008. An additional $58,000 was spent on interior upgrades (such as a floor-to-ceiling, double-sided stone fireplace in the family room), furniture and accessories, and a screen-enclosed outdoor deck.
Eileen Jacobs worked from a self-designated color palette of warm shades embracing beige, brown and orange throughout the open layout of the home's first floor, complete with master suite. Here, she says, she and her husband can live comfortably without ever having to use the second level.
Included on the first level are a large living room and dining room on either side of an entrance hall, an open kitchen, study, powder room, a grand family room that's open to the second level, a cheerful sunroom, master bedroom with bath and a screened porch.
The open kitchen at the rear of the home boasts 42-inch walnut cabinets with warm granite counters complementing a rustic backsplash of travertine tile.
An inlaid mahogany pedestal table is graced with place mats woven in autumn shades of yellow, red and brown. Oak flooring (found throughout the first level) and walls painted in a rich shade of burnt sienna, complete the cozy and welcoming design.
"My favorite room is the family room," Eileen Jacobs said.
Once again, warmth owns the space here in walls painted medium beige with an accent wall displaying a stenciled, bold flower design in brown and white. Supple brown leather furniture is softened by the presence of accent chairs in white duck cloth, and personalized with a framed painting of the Jacobs' two grown sons, Danny and Mitchell.
The screened-in porch is Howard Jacobs' favorite place to be. Here, wrought-iron furniture with plump cushioned chairs cozy up to a wide-screen TV.
Eileen Jacobs' designs for her four-bedroom second level are still in the planning stage. There is no rush for this self-proclaimed budget-conscious, maintenance-free designer who admits she doesn't like fuss.
"We're not going anywhere," she said. "I'm tired of moving."
Have you found your dream home? Tell us about it at homes@baltsun.com.
Dream element: The Jacobs' two-story home sits opposite a large estate in Owings Mills. When the estate's owner sold off a hefty parcel of the land, developers Richmond American planned the construction of 21 homes on the property. The Jacobs' all brick, traditional-style home was the first one completed and has the enviable position across from the original manor house.
Design inspiration: Eileen Jacobs decorated her home in traditional fashion on what she proudly calls a budget. "I bought everything before the house was even built," she said. And while choosing many construction upgrades that include a two-sided fireplace in the great room, a first-level master bedroom, granite counters and Berber carpeting, she then proceeded to shop discount stores such as Home Goods, Marshall's and Target for each room's accessories. She purchased her furniture, of which 75 percent is new, from Gardiner's and Home Goods.
Surprise feature: In Eileen Jacob's living and dining rooms, she takes an artistic twist on the current trend of painting an accent wall in vertical strips of coordinating colors. Instead, her wide stripes of taupe and medium beige are horizontal, and in the dining room this technique is used only to the chair rail where the bottom half of the wall is paneled and inlaid with boxes of grass cloth.
Personal touch: Eileen Jacobs, who never once sought the help of an interior decorator, says, "You need to have a good eye and know where things go." She is keen on putting unlikely items together, such as formal curtain tassels draped over hanging bath towels and beads cascading down a window on her staircase landing for some coverage, but mostly light. She notes that several of her ideas have come from watching HGTV.
These are big houses on tiny lots," Eileen Jacobs says of her two-story, all-brick traditional home in Owings Mills.
Her decorating challenge, therefore, was not the exterior but rather the interior space of 3,400 square feet, not counting the basement. She was more than up to the task, and while the house was being constructed, she designed rooms and bought furnishings working only from floor plans.
"The [design] was all in my mind's eye before we moved," she said. "One to two months afterward, I had everything in place."
Eileen Jacobs, a dental hygienist, and her husband, Howard Jacobs, a pulmonologist, settled in their $750,000 home in May 2008. An additional $58,000 was spent on interior upgrades (such as a floor-to-ceiling, double-sided stone fireplace in the family room), furniture and accessories, and a screen-enclosed outdoor deck.
Eileen Jacobs worked from a self-designated color palette of warm shades embracing beige, brown and orange throughout the open layout of the home's first floor, complete with master suite. Here, she says, she and her husband can live comfortably without ever having to use the second level.
Included on the first level are a large living room and dining room on either side of an entrance hall, an open kitchen, study, powder room, a grand family room that's open to the second level, a cheerful sunroom, master bedroom with bath and a screened porch.
The open kitchen at the rear of the home boasts 42-inch walnut cabinets with warm granite counters complementing a rustic backsplash of travertine tile.
An inlaid mahogany pedestal table is graced with place mats woven in autumn shades of yellow, red and brown. Oak flooring (found throughout the first level) and walls painted in a rich shade of burnt sienna, complete the cozy and welcoming design.
"My favorite room is the family room," Eileen Jacobs said.
Once again, warmth owns the space here in walls painted medium beige with an accent wall displaying a stenciled, bold flower design in brown and white. Supple brown leather furniture is softened by the presence of accent chairs in white duck cloth, and personalized with a framed painting of the Jacobs' two grown sons, Danny and Mitchell.
The screened-in porch is Howard Jacobs' favorite place to be. Here, wrought-iron furniture with plump cushioned chairs cozy up to a wide-screen TV.
Eileen Jacobs' designs for her four-bedroom second level are still in the planning stage. There is no rush for this self-proclaimed budget-conscious, maintenance-free designer who admits she doesn't like fuss.
"We're not going anywhere," she said. "I'm tired of moving."
Have you found your dream home? Tell us about it at homes@baltsun.com.
Making a dream home
Dream element: The Jacobs' two-story home sits opposite a large estate in Owings Mills. When the estate's owner sold off a hefty parcel of the land, developers Richmond American planned the construction of 21 homes on the property. The Jacobs' all brick, traditional-style home was the first one completed and has the enviable position across from the original manor house.
Design inspiration: Eileen Jacobs decorated her home in traditional fashion on what she proudly calls a budget. "I bought everything before the house was even built," she said. And while choosing many construction upgrades that include a two-sided fireplace in the great room, a first-level master bedroom, granite counters and Berber carpeting, she then proceeded to shop discount stores such as Home Goods, Marshall's and Target for each room's accessories. She purchased her furniture, of which 75 percent is new, from Gardiner's and Home Goods.
Surprise feature: In Eileen Jacob's living and dining rooms, she takes an artistic twist on the current trend of painting an accent wall in vertical strips of coordinating colors. Instead, her wide stripes of taupe and medium beige are horizontal, and in the dining room this technique is used only to the chair rail where the bottom half of the wall is paneled and inlaid with boxes of grass cloth.
Personal touch: Eileen Jacobs, who never once sought the help of an interior decorator, says, "You need to have a good eye and know where things go." She is keen on putting unlikely items together, such as formal curtain tassels draped over hanging bath towels and beads cascading down a window on her staircase landing for some coverage, but mostly light. She notes that several of her ideas have come from watching HGTV.
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun
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