We’re kicking off the Hermosa Groves project reveal with the entry and the dining room. This home belongs to one of my childhood best friends, which made the project feel extra personal from the very beginning. She’s known me forever and has seen our work evolve over the years, so when it came time to design her own home, she had some ideas but trusted us to bring it to life.

These first two rooms really set the tone for the rest of the house, and we wanted them to feel layered, warm, and entirely her.

The Entry

From the start, we knew the entry needed that wow factor. Our client’s inspiration images had lots of checkerboard floors, but rather than go the expected route, we reimagined the idea with a custom marble tile layout. The pattern still delivers that high-contrast, graphic feel, but with softer tones and a more elevated look. It blends traditional charm with a modern edge in a way that feels fresh but rooted.

Extending the tile from the entry into the dining room gave the front of the home more presence and created a seamless flow between the two spaces. We stopped the tile just before the hallway and staircase to give the eye a natural place to rest and let the flooring shine where it matters most.

One of the most dramatic changes was the staircase. Before, it had no character. Now, it features exposed wood details and iron railing that add interest and tie in beautifully with the rest of the home.

Before + After

Before, the entry felt dark and heavy and now, it feels completely transformed. The marble floor sets the tone from the second you open the door, and that star pendant adds just the right amount of detail.

The Dining Room

Since there’s no kitchen table in this home, the dining room is the main space for hosting and family dinners. We kept it simple with a clean-lined table and brought in a beautiful new light fixture to replace the ceiling fan. That one swap made such a difference. To create more of a statement, we decided on a gallery wall instead of just one or two art pieces. It brings so much texture, warmth, and color into the room and gives it that layered, collected feel.

We also made some structural updates throughout the home. Every wall was skim-coated to get rid of the old texture, and we removed unnecessary soffits that were weighing the spaces down. This made such a huge difference!