Crystal Ward Kent

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Ever wonder what it would be like to win $10,000? Meghan and John Hubacz did until last fall, when they got a phone call telling them they’d won a contest for a living room makeover.

Announced in the September 2006 issue of Accent on Home & Garden, the contest was sponsored by the magazine in partnership with Abode Home Furnishings, A&M Paint and Wallpaper, DC Audio Video Systems, C. Randolph Trainor, WOKQ 97.5 and several other vendors. “We still can’t believe we won,” says Meghan.

“Nothing like this has ever happened to us before. Having our rooms redesigned was fantastic. We could never have achieved these results on our own.”

One of hundreds of entries, John and Meghan Hubacz’s living room lacked style and design before winning the Abode Home Furnishings Living Room Makeover contest.

Who needs a makeover?

John and Meghan Hubacz bought a1940s cottage in Wells, Maine, three years ago. The cottage had been moved from its original site and, about ten years ago, the previous owner had made some additions, but little else had been done. The Hubaczes knew they had undertaken a fixer-upper but thought the little house had possibilities. What they didn’t realize was how much work needed to be done. The walls were paper thin without any insulation, there was a lot of water damage, the floors were bad, the fireplace chimney was swathed in ugly stucco and the house needed a new roof.

“Basically, we’ve had to redo the house from the top down,” says John. “We’ve made good progress, but there is a lot of work remaining. Consequently, the interior has had very little done. It’s functional, but that’s about it.”

When Meghan, a schoolteacher, saw the contest ad, she felt a glimmer of hope. If they won, they could have a nice living area in time for the holidays. “My living room still had an unfinished floor,” she says. “We had no doorway trim, no baseboards and old mismatched furniture. This is our first house so neither John nor I had any decent furnishings. We desperately needed a makeover.”

At Abode Home Furnishings in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, owners Carl Rohacek and Mike Roache were involved in the happy task of choosing the contest winner. Meghan and John’s plight won them over. “They were very deserving,” says Carl. “They put a lot of time into their entry, and it was clear that they had done a great deal of work on their house. We were happy to help fulfill their dream.”

When the call came, John initially thought it was a family member playing a joke, but the truth sank in and within a few days the couple were caught in the whirlwind of renovations.

With guidance from interior designer Randy Trainor of C. Randolf Trainor LLC and colorist Lee Perrault of Via Design, this drab living room was transformed into a cozy living space.

With guidance from interior designer Randy Trainor of C. Randolf Trainor LLC and colorist Lee Perrault of Via Design, this drab living room was transformed into a cozy living space.

The full design team met at the home, then interior designer Randy Trainor, of C. Randolph Trainor, LLC of Brookfield, New Hampshire, and Lee Perrault, a colorist, from Via Design of Rye, New Hampshire, whisked the couple off to Abode Home Furnishings.

Randy had previously suggested that Meghan go through magazines and select looks she liked and those she didn’t like. Armed with these illustrations, Randy worked with the couple to help them identify furnishings in Abode that fit their style.

Decisions are made

The butter yellow wall coloring and furnishings combine to create a comfortable and functional reading nook. Wall color compliments of A&M Paint.  Painting done courtesy of Giuseppe Maini of Faux Finishes & Custom Painting. All furniture and accessories compliments of Abode Home Design. Audio equipment and flat screen TV provided compliments of DC Audio.

The butter yellow wall coloring and furnishings combine to create a comfortable and functional reading nook. Wall color compliments of A&M Paint. Painting done courtesy of Giuseppe Maini of Faux Finishes & Custom Painting. All furniture and accessories compliments of Abode Home Design. Audio equipment and flat screen TV provided compliments of DC Audio.

“We started by picking the sofa and the rug—these choices would help anchor the room,” explains Randy. “We wanted to keep the room light and bright, so getting these two pieces selected would help us tie in a color scheme. I then asked Meghan and John all kinds of lifestyle questions. Do they watch a lot of television? Would they sprawl on the floor or stretch out on the sofa? Do they entertain and if so, with how many guests? This information helped me determine how they would use the room and what other pieces they would need. I knew they wanted to retain the cottage feel, so that was another guiding factor.”

Meghan wanted any clutter kept out of sight, so Randy made sure that the tables selected had storage capacity. In the end, Randy and the couple settled on a pale blue sofa with contrasting pillows; a large Oriental rug in muted tones of rust, sage and cream; a cream and brown wing chair; a long cream table with drawers; two end tables; floor lamps; and a charming wicker wingback chair with cushions and an ottoman.

“Randy taught me a lot,” says Meghan. “At first I had told her, ‘No wicker.’ But she was convinced this chair would work. When I saw it in the room, I knew she was right. I had always thought of wicker as white and for porches. This wicker is dark brown—not at all summery—and so comfortable. It complements the room perfectly. I’ve learned not to have preconceived notions and not to be afraid to try something different.”

This fireplace, once covered in stucco, was sandblasted to reveal its natural beauty. It now serves as as a focal point that separates the entryway and living room area. Furnishings and accessories compliments of Abode Home Design.
Because the house is open-concept, with entry, living area, kitchen and dining room all flowing together, Randy, Lee and the team went beyond the living area with painting and decorating touches. Randy added several small armoires to the entryway—a small one adjacent to the kitchen for storing cookbooks and a larger one in the entryway alcove for displaying mementos. She also queried Meghan and John about how they used the entry, and then added an upholstered chair and small table just inside the door. The table is perfect for depositing keys and mail, and the chair a handy place to sit while changing your shoes.

Randy also added a number of finishing touches to the room: a trio of ceramic vases in sage and muted blue grace the long table, while a large, free-standing vase in blue and white, filled with white hydrangeas, is a living room focal point. On the shoulders of the brick fireplace perches a wooden rooster sculpture.

This fireplace, once covered in stucco, was sandblasted to reveal its natural beauty. It now serves as as a focal point that separates the entryway and living room area. Furnishings and accessories compliments of Abode Home Design.

Meanwhile, Randy and Lee spent considerable time working on a color scheme, all the while sharing their recommendations with Meghan and John. “People don’t always understand what a colorist does,” laughs Lee. “We’re the people who help you get from the paint chip in the store to the color on the wall. Choosing the right room color is a big decision, and it can be a tough one. Often, the lighting in the store isn’t the truest light. You need to evaluate a color in both natural and artificial light, and at different times of day. A really bright color, for example, can overwhelm a room, if it’s the wrong choice.”

Lee knew Meghan’s color preferences, and after consulting with Randy on furnishings, the choices were made. In the living area, Benjamin Moore’s Philadelphia Cream was selected for its nuances of yellow and green, which echoed the green of the rug and complemented the pale blue sofa. Lee also wanted the color to project some warmth, since the room received primarily “cool” eastern light.

Near the living room entryway, one side wall had the cozy alcove where Randy had tucked the larger glass-fronted armoire. To make it stand out, Randy and Lee used C2 Misty Morn, a lovely blue that made the green chest pop and set the area apart.

Because the living room, kitchen and dining room all connect, the color choices of the other rooms were equally key. The kitchen was done in the same Philadelphia Cream, but the kitchen’s track lights and rusty cedar ceiling give the cream a subtle rosy hue.

Featuring a unique palette of greens, blues and yellows, this entryway alcove now provides visual interest and some extra storage.

The kitchen and living room colors play perfectly off the earthy tones of the stonelike flooring, which covers the entryway and kitchen. The dining room is painted a deep terra cotta (C2’s Rodeo) with striking, white window trim. Lee chose Rodeo for this room, as the area is flooded with bright northeast light and the deep red tones create a softening effect. “Reds are also good colors for spaces involving food as they stimulate the appetite and promote interaction,” she notes.

All the paint—a total of eight gallons—was supplied by A&M Paint and Wallpaper of Portsmouth. A&M also provided all the necessary supplies, such as rollers, tape and primer. “Much of the paint used was from C2, which is a high-end paint,” owner Scott Alexander explains. “They offer a unique color palette, which you don’t see from anyone else. You see color choices that have a lot of nuances and shadings, more complex colors. The C2 paints also provide excellent saturation. They can make a difference in the look of a room.”

All the painting was done by Giuseppe Maini of Faux Finishes and Custom Painting of Portsmouth. “Giuseppe is the most conscientious painter I know,” says Scott, who works with him frequently. “His quality of finishing is wonderful, and his faux finishes are extraordinary.”

Giuseppe went above and beyond the initial plan of painting just the living room. Because the room was relatively unfinished, ceiling moldings, door frames and baseboards were installed just before he arrived to paint.

Featuring a unique palette of greens, blues and yellows, this entryway alcove now provides visual interest and some extra storage.

Giuseppe did all the preparation work—filling in nail holes and priming, then painting not just the living room but the entry, kitchen and dining room so that the entire space worked together. He also repainted the living room windows so that all paint was fresh. “What was supposed to be a two-day job, became 36 hours, but I was glad to do it,” says Giuseppe. “It was worth it to see the end results and see the rooms come together.”

A living room wouldn’t be a living room without some entertainment features, which were donated by DC Audio Video Systems of Portsmouth.

Owners Nick Mark and David and Sharon Copestakes generously contributed a wall-mounted flat panel LCD television by Sharp, a Sony DVD player and a Bose stereo music system.

Scott of A&M Paint and Wallpaper echoes Nick’s enthusiasm. “The whole contest was great community service,” he says.

“It was wonderful to be part of something like this. It was fun and nice to see businesses coming together to help a deserving young couple.”

As for Meghan and John, they are still in a happy state of shock. “These rooms are more beautiful than anything we could have dreamed of,” beams Meghan. “It was so much fun working with everyone, and the results are perfect. We can actually entertain now. It feels like home.”

The units all connect, creating a dynamic audio and visual experience. “It was good to be part of a group of people all working together to do something nice,” says Nick. “Meghan and John were so thrilled, they hugged all of our installers. That doesn’t happen every day! It made it all worthwhile.”

Resources
Abode Home Furnishings in Portsmouth, N.H.; 603 431-2117; www.abodehomefurnishings.com
A&M Paint and Wallpaper in Portsmouth, N.H.; 603 436-5366; www.ampaint.com
DC Audio Video Systems in Portsmouth, N.H.; 603 433-4393; www.dcavs.com
Giuseppe Maini of Faux Finishes and Custom Painting in Portsmouth, N.H.; 603 988-6394
C. Randolph Trainor, LLC in Brookfield, N.H.; 603 433-4485; www.crtinteriors.com
Lee Perrault of Via Design in Rye, N.H.; 603 436-5555; viades@comcast.net

Crystal Ward Kent’s work has appeared in Yankee Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul and Guideposts Books, among other publications. She owns Kent Creative, an award-winning agency in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that provides writing, design and marketing services, and is author of Mainely Kids: A Guide to Family Fun in Southern Maine. She can be reached at cryskent@earthlink.net.

David A. Petty provides clients with creative advertising illustration through digital photography and video. His business, DPImaging, is located in Hampstead, New Hampshire, and his portfolios can be seen at www.dpidp2.com.