The Art of the Refresh

Open House Magazine | Published on Apr 27, 2020​​

Sooner or later, every home, no matter how beautifully decorated, will need to undergo a design refresh to avoid looking dated. With more than three decades of experience, Donna Grimes, owner of Serenity Design in Ship Bottom, has perfected the art of the refresh.  

Serenity Design is a complete home design center. Many of Grimes’ projects are new construction, where she works side-by-side with architects to design clients’ interiors from the start of the building process. “Clients are referred to us several ways,” Grimes explains. “Sometimes they are sent by the builder, other times by the architect, and still other times they visit the store on their own, when they find us through our website, Instagram or word of mouth from our long list of satisfied clients.”

The need for a storefront stemmed from Grimes’ growing involvement in the design process. Her firm does it all, from start to finish, complete with partnerships with preferred contractors to truly get the entire job done. “When renovating their homes, people don’t need to visit 16 different shops. My ability to buy direct from suppliers allows me to offer our clients a large selection of products at competitive prices,” Grimes shares about her storefront, which sells flooring and tiles, lighting, cabinetry and furniture, window treatments and smaller home accessories.  

However, you don’t need to completely rebuild your home to update your look. Grimes’ latest project in Beach Haven Park is a refresh on a design project she originally completed about 14 years ago. “It was a spec home. We personalized it with furniture, window coverings, area rugs and a few custom pieces,” Grimes says.

Though the clients took pristine care of their furniture and home, the desire to freshen up the popular tan and cream palette of the early 2000s was a natural progression. Armed with the trust of her clients to fulfill their vision for a second time, Grimes, along with her daughter, Victoria—an interior designer who has worked for the business for the past three years—got to work on the home’s kitchen, living room, dining room, stairwell and foyer areas, in addition to small updates to the master bedroom.

First, the basics. All walls were repainted white, instantly brightening up the open floor space from its previous tan color and providing a fresh canvas. Shiplap paneling was added to the ceilings in the living room to add clean texture to areas with a pitched ceiling.

The duo then let the original perimeter of the kitchen serve as their roadmap, but replaced all of the intricate cream-colored and glass cabinet doors with a simpler design, and added a fresh coat of white paint to all the cabinets. The dated, gold granite countertops were replaced with white quartz, and a new backsplash was installed to add visual interest between the rows of cabinets. With a goal of creating a common area in the kitchen, they removed the original island set parallel with the stove, and installed a new, bigger island positioned perpendicularly.

In open concept spaces, creating circulation through the various areas is key. A kitchen table that previously served its purpose, yet took up a lot of space, was replaced with a custom, built-in bench, offering more seating and opening up the room, creating space to add a small bar area complete with wine cooler.

The old, grand fireplace was stripped and rebuilt with a simpler, modern mantel, echoing the design of the kitchen cabinets across the room. The lighting fixtures were updated throughout the spaces as well, swapping out metallic pieces for textured fixtures in neutral shades.

The finishing touches included new furniture, including custom cushions, bar stools, couches, chairs and rugs, tying it all together.

“We loved working on this project because it shows that you don’t need to redesign your entire home every few years,” Grimes says. “There’s truly something for everyone at Serenity Design.”

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The Shoppe at Serenity is located at 1102 Long Beach Boulevard in Ship Bottom. For inquires, email victoria@serenitydesignlbi.com, and follow the firm on Instagram @serenitydesign.