All The Things We Love About Doug And Chesca Kramer's Modern Rustic Home In Progress
For power couple Doug and Chesca Kramer, nothing in life is more important than family time.
With three (going four!) beautiful children in their hearth, they know by heart that the most prized treasure they could ever be blessed with is the chance to love them and be loved by them in return. The first ingredient to this love story in the making? A home fit for a loving family like theirs, of course!
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The needs of this family were what Doug and Chesca had in mind when they decided to build a new home from the ground up, an elegant structure that's sure to transform into their new haven for countless memories to be made.
Now in the process of furnishing Team Kramer's new headquarters, they take us through what they've accomplished and what they hope to soon accomplish. Check out the details of the new family house below!
Wood and warmth
As this couple describes it, there's simply something about incorporating wood into one's home that immediately makes it warmer and more welcoming. The element is sorely lacking in their current home, so Chesca was sure to make up for it by picking out matte oak wood for bedroom floors, while Doug chose bold combinations of kamagong, mahogany, and narra for the living area.
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Personal touches
Even when in keeping with a theme or color palette for one's home, it's important to remember to add personal touches that reflect your family's loves, interests, or shared memories because, it is after all, your home! When it came to the Kramers' place, a custom wooden rectangular block composed of contrasting square blocks of wood were designed to create a cross. The subtle nod to their faith was positioned in a shared space where they'll likely spend most of their family time together.
Built with purpose
Despite having absolute freedom in designing their home, Doug kept purposeful construction in mind when he designed each space. This was especially true when he and Chesca conceptualized the kids' study area, a crucial place in the home as all three children are home schooled. Separate from their bedrooms, equipped with lots of shelves and desks needed for learning, clutter-free, and painted in calming colors, the room was outfitted for this purpose exactly.
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Indoor-outdoor living
One of the biggest trends in architecture these days is building a home that seamlessly combines the inside and outdoor aspects of one's property. Gone are the days of shutting out wind, heat, and garden foliage; instead, homeowners are finding ways to enjoy the country's tropical climate in more stylish, suitable ways. Take the wooden lanai that the Kramer family is looking forward to; it's got a pool, barbecue pit, lounging area, and a spectacular view that'll make it feel like it's summer all year round.
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Visual treat
Although the point of designing a lovely home is to enjoy time indoors, it's always great fun to decide on where to place windows (and the rooms that they illuminate) to take advantage of the views outside. Check out the work that Chesca credits to Doug; they won't only have the chance to appreciate the scenery outside from the comforts of their bedroom, but can also enjoy it up close, thanks to a romantic bedroom balcony.
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Continuity
A home is your kingdom; you can do as you please, especially when it comes to color combinations. Yet a rule of thumb to keep in mind when wanting to achieve an effortlessly elegant finish is to stick to variants of the same color cousins. Gray, brown, beige, black—these are the colors that Doug stuck to and by choosing to go either lighter or darker in certain parts of the house, depth was added to an otherwise neutral palette.
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Own inputs
One of the best ways to end up with a home that truly speaks leagues about your family's personality is to be hands-on and vocal about what you want it to look like; don't depend heavily on an interior designer's choices, but be part of the process. For instance, Mr. and Mrs. Kramer simply put their heads together (with the help of the Internet!) to come up with the unsual combo of rustic-meets-chic industrial, a look that turned out to be totally original cohesive, and very them.
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The purpose of building
The Kramers made sure they were building a home—not just a house. Beautiful as a structure might be, it's essentially just walls and a bunch of heavy furniture and equipment inside if it lacks a reason for being—providing a safe space for a family that's growing together and happy to be under one roof. Doug and Chesca never fail to remind themselves of why they're working on this project, and the meaningful outcome they expect to reach.
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Life training
Overall, building a home isn't just about raising something from the ground up and then decorating it; building a home is an accurate metaphor for building one's very life, the process of which can sometimes tests one's limits. Disappointments, setbacks, compromise, and delays are all part of the construction process, but isn't life, too? All of Chesca and Doug's posts about their new home almost always speak of their excitement about their next adventures as a family and the things they learn about one another as husband and wife as they hit one milestone, one at a time.
It's turning out that their dream house come to life is serving more purpose than one: a place to come home to, and a home where they'll never stop learning what it really means to be a family.
READ: 4 Ways To Break The Monotony Of Your Black And White Interior Spaces
Photos from @dougkramer
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