traditional + contemporary design portfolio
BEFORE
AFTER
En suite BEFORE, complete with cold-water old-school bidet
AFTER
BEFORE: front room
AFTER
BEFORE: The third bedroom was being used as a home office. The light walls and dark furniture are too harsh a contrast, and this type of office-grade furniture does not belong in a home.
AFTER: a little boy's room with low (less tipping risk, but still anchor everything!) cube storage for books and bins of toys, and my favorite hopscotch rub from CB2
BEFORE: A narrow bowling alley of a basement room, being used as a workout space and a crafting area. An all-around depressing space.
AFTER: A nice coat of white paint, a daybed with pullout storage, curtains on the pocket doors for privacy, and a shelving unit to separate the little sitting area and kitchen from the bedroom, and bam, you've got yourself a lovely, welcoming guest room.
BEFORE: basement
AFTER: Removing the doors from the tops of the shelving units and painting the units white gave this an *almost* built-in look. This became a cozy hangout spot for the kiddos.
BEFORE: one of my very first design projects, a high-rise apartment kitchen in Chicago, right on Lake Shore Drive overlooking Belmont Harbor. This kitchen was so dated before I got to it - not sure if I was more appalled by the linoleum floor or the green plastic outdoor bistro set being used as a kitchen table
AFTER: to be fair, even this is dated now but it was TRES CHIC back in 2008. Doing a reno in a high rise is no easy feat - the elevator schedule alone would give you hives
BEFORE: a terribly depressing, yellow-tan bedroom. Why do people paint their entire interiors this color?
AFTER: gray walls continue in from the hallway for continuity, with one dark blue accent wall. Coordinating bedding, a nice bench to take shoes on and off, and low-key curtains and this looks like a whole different room. This was a very small budget for just aesthetics, and didn't include funds to ditch the dual ceiling fans (this had been two rooms that were joined to make one owners' suite) and put up just one in the center.
BEFORE: This half of the walk-in closet was staged as an office area, which during the pandemic was a big selling point! It didn't make sense, though, to have the view of anyone you're zooming with to be the entirety of your closet and clothing
AFTER
BEFORE: Figuring out how to arrange the couch and tv in this long, narrow room was a CHALLENGE
AFTER: new light fixture, knockoff molded-plastic Eames chairs, and a dining table made of a reclaimed barn door
there's that fake eucalypus again. Thanks, Joanna Gaines (it's from her Target brand)
BEFORE: staged to sell
AFTER: Did you even notice all the trees in the BEFORE picture? The green really pops in this room when you contrast it with the rich caramel of the Poly+Bark leather sofa
BEFORE: this couch is the wrong scale for this big room with high ceilings
AFTER: a warm cognac leather couch from Poly+Bark pairs well with the greenery outside the window, and the large black coffee table grounds everything
Sadly, no BEFORE photo of this one, an office I designed in Dupont Circle, DC
A little indoor house is the family dog's "safe space" and home base. His house has an address, too!
this chess set is so pretty it stays out year-round
This dining room table is an old reclaimed barn door - there's something sassy and delightfully unexpected about pairing that rustic vibe with the molded-plastic midcentury chairs
