Client Story: Dysfunctional First Floor

The client’s frustration with her first floor was multifaceted: a jumbled living room was rarely used while kids activities took over the dining room, forcing the family to eat in the kitchen at a makeshift breakfast bar. The entry hall was a disorganized dumping ground for everything and anything, including a piano. Divorce left behind awkward living room furniture and no spare cash for upgrades. The client felt too embarrassed to entertain and too overwhelmed to do anything about it.

What Did We Do?

To start, we moved the couch from the far end of the living room to a more welcoming position in the middle. That bumped the TV to the opposite wall at a more comfortable viewing distance and out of sight from the door. Two over-sized recliners (which were on their way to the curb) now nestled nicely in front of the picture window where the couch used to be. End tables found practical spots, and the coffee table came up from the basement because the new arrangement created much more space.

Once we settled the living room, we pushed the unused piano into a perfect-fit spot between the living and dining rooms and left a message for a teacher to start lessons! This opened an area under the staircase large enough for two benches from the garage with storage for boots and mittens. A big plant pulled from the back porch made the entry area feel alive and inviting.

Next we grabbed bright throw pillows from the attic to cushion the unused window seat in the dining room. This drew attention to the wall of gorgeous patterned-glass windows, making that area a unique focal point for the first floor. With the help of some large wicker baskets borrowed from upstairs, it also became a defined nook for toys and projects. The dining room table was freed for a lovely woven runner and colorful candles found hidden away in the kitchen pantry.

Then we replaced random decorations like plastic fruit and miniature statues with objects that held memories and meaning, like grandma’s vase filled with rocks collected on a family hike. Suddenly the two main rooms and foyer felt wonderfully spacious, looked beautiful, and shined with functionality. Amazingly, we accomplished it all in two hours!

The client wrote to say when her daughters came home from school, they literally squealed with delight about their “new house,” and started a crossword puzzle on the coffee table. That night family dinner was shared with friends in the dining room.

Client Story: Desperate and Ready to Move

A family of four was so fed up with the layout of their home, they were ready to move. They purchased new furniture for the family room where they spent most of their time, because the bigger living room was not comfortable. In a final attempt to make it work or prepare to put the house on the market, they painted the entire first floor and scheduled an appointment with me. When I entered the scene, everything they owned was pushed into the center of the rooms. 

What Did We Do?

At first we talked at length and drew options on graph paper. We agreed the proportions of the rooms, location of doors and windows, and placement of the electronics cable made it nearly impossible to find a functional arrangement for either the living or family room. The solution only became clear when we stopped trying to imagine alternatives, and started physically moving the furniture around.

The puzzle came together when we put the new furniture in the living room rather than the family room, and tried an unconventional placement for the large sectional sofa. We split the seating pieces into a typical sofa and a loveseat/chaise. We pulled the pieces away from the walls and put them facing each other with a coffee table between. We placed the arrangement perpendicular to the windows within viewing distance of the TV.

After that, literally every other piece of furniture and object they had took on new life in a new position. Too-big end tables suddenly fit perfectly. Bookcases, lamps, chairs, rugs... everything old found a new spot and looked fantastic! We were able to add in furniture relegated to the basement because of lack of space. Now there was even enough room for a useful homework desk and fun craft table in the family room.

The family was so relieved to avoid the expense and hassle of moving. More importantly, they were thrilled to commit longterm to a neighborhood they loved within walking distance of school and a wonderful park.

Client Story: Big Creativity in a Small Space

One of my clients is an artist with big, bright creativity. She happens to live in a very small, rather dull space.

As an artist myself, I know creative expression can come with lots and lots of stuff. Besides the art that is made, there are unruly piles of materials and tools. Many artists also love to be surrounded by what inspires them, which can mean collections of everything from colorful buttons to drift wood. Somehow all of this stuff must be organized -- stored and accessible at the same time. For this client, the art stuff turned her entire apartment into a disorganized mess. It was impossible for her to be productive or relax.

What Did We Do?

With the bold intention to prioritize her artistic expression, we transformed the typical one bedroom apartment into the layout of a studio apartment with an art studio attached. We really had to trust the process, because what we were trying to do seemed illogical. Our goal was to squeeze three functions into a space that seemed too small for even simple living.

First we moved her double bed into the far end of the living room in front of patio windows. Then we crammed multiple tables, dozens of canvases, innumerable brushes and stamps and stacks of paper and boxes into the small bedroom. The results were nothing short of miraculous! 

The (old) bedroom is now a womb-like artist studio with everything she needs within reach and more organized than before. Although we added a large bed into an average-size living area, clearing the rest of the space of art supplies created enough room for her to bring treasured furniture out of storage. Her new bed area feels like a sanctuary, divided from the rest of the living room by a wonderful ficus tree. The big-personality furniture fits and feels fabulous.

For the first time in seven years, the client's apartment reflects her creativity and whimsy. Now she is celebrating her love of color with bright patterned rugs and artwork filling the walls. She can spread her artistic wings and entertain with pride.