Mill Valley Project, Part Deux

Finally here! Mill Valley Project, Part Deux. If you want the background, rewind and read all about it here.  It feels like we've been working on this project for a while, but not so. We tackled this large transformation and completed it about two months. Whew. Just tired thinking about it.

Quick recap? The family was moving into this new home within 30 days because the newest addition to the family was dying to come into this world, basically 2 weeks after move-in. We tried to accomplish as much as we could in a month despite a host of logistical hurdles. And for the most part we did! But as is the case with projects like this, we needed more time to perfect things. This post is about my second installation where we finished the rest of the rooms and put finishing touches on others. 

We saved the best for last, ready? Here we go. 

Let's start with the kids' rooms. Here is the before of C's room with the staging furniture. 

Granted this was with the staged furniture and staging is a very hard job, but I definitely wasn't feeling the curtains or the red pendant light, especially for the cutest girl I know. With good bones and a clean canvas, this room was relatively easy in terms of design. We wanted to make sure it was a room that C could grow into. So for curtains and lighting we chose items that were slightly more traditional. For accessories, we had more fun.  Below are the after photos. 

Decor above cribs can be challenging. I long to hang a gallery wall or even just a nice framed print but in California I would never dare. Earthquakes are a reality. A great solution? A colorful garland can cover that bare wall in a beautiful way.  Here, C can stand in her crib now so I hung it a bit higher so she can't reach and pull it down. Safety first. 

This guy's name is Floppy and he's just perfect. He was just a digital file that I printed out so nothing too valuable or precious. Floppy's monochrome colors tone down the cuteness level just a bit to the right level of sophistication. 

Onward! Let's move on to H's room. Below are the before photos with the staging furniture. 

LIke C's room, very much a blank canvas that was crying for some fun and personality. Here are the after photos. 

As most of you know, for the first few months, a nursery may remain empty while the baby stays with mom and dad. I wanted to make sure H had a room he would enjoy and love when he was ready. Adhering to the minimalist theme throughout the house, I kept things clean, bright and modern. Mom and dad can fill things out with all the baby necessities when H is ready for his own room. 

On to the TV room. This room sits outside the kids' room and will be primarily be used for family hangouts and play. Accordingly, we chose comfortable and kid-friendly seating along with minimal accessories to keep things clutter free. Here is the before again furnished by the stagers.  

We can do better right? We want a kid friendly lounge area but not one that is literally screaming that this is for kids only. 

The coziest corner. I kept everything neutral and soothing so that when there is a huge pile of toys on the floor, it won't be so bad. The long bench cushions also keep things visually clean and attractive. 

With no coffee table, it was important to provide as much landing spaces as possible for coffee, water and wine. These nesting tables were an ideal solution. A secret? These aren't actually marble but they look so real. Even better for a space dominated by kids, right? No need to worry about watermarks or etching. 

Last but not least, let's head upstairs to the master suite. Below is the before, again with the staging furniture. 

The clients were ready for a change. Their old bedroom furniture was dark wood that felt a bit heavier. We wanted to start with a clean slate, bring in some modernity with a mix of classic. Below is the after. 

So fresh and so clean. That about sums it up. With those beams and all that natural light pouring in, I would never get out of bed if I lived here. The neutral headboard and nightstands are mainstays, a good foundation for any bedding. The lamps are different in both shape and color and add interest. The ideal sanctuary for busy parents. 

Thanks for joining me on this Mill Valley journey. Hope you had as much fun as I did!

Reading Rooms for Mom and her Mini-Me in Noe Valley

One of things I love about my job? Working on different projects with different clients allows me to flex my creative muscles. I often have clients with styles different from my own and that's completely fine.  Part of my job is to distill, edit and implement my client's design vision no matter the style or space. But when I come across a client whose style is so closely aligned with my own, the collaboration process is absolutely effortless. That is what happened here. 

This client lives with her family in a lovely Victorian in Noe Valley. She needed some help revamping two small spaces in her home. I used to live in a Victorian in Hayes Valley so I'm familiar with (and fond of) the quirky layouts that are commonplace in older San Francisco homes.

The first room to tackle was an office that was being used as more as a gathering place for odds and ends that didn't fit anywhere else in the room.  We dubbed this room the "Pink Room" for obvious reasons.  The goal was to create a reading room for Mom, a place for her meditate, relax and read after a long day of work. 

The second room on the roster was a passageway between mini-me's bedroom and the kitchen. Since mini-me's bedroom was on the smaller side, we thought we could utilize this passageway for her, an extension of her bedroom. Previously, it was being used for storage, laundry, etc. The priority was finding seating in this teeny tiny space, around 55 square feet. We anointed this room the "Reading Nook."

Below are the before photos for the Pink Room. 

At around 320 square feet this room seemed massive compared to the Reading Nook but by no means is it large. Two things were apparent to me. First, there was too much furniture in this room. Second, we needed more closed storage.  No matter how much you kondo your home, you're going to have things. Things need a place, preferably out of sight is my motto. 

I came up with a design plan which included a large credenza to tuck the majority of the office and personal items out of sight. I know the client wanted to keep things minimalist and airy, a retreat from all the craziness of life. So I limited the amount of furniture to the bare necessities. 

The white Eames chair!!! It was sitting unused in the client's master bedroom with the chair and ottoman stored separately because there was no room. What a sad state of affairs, right? Of course we had to make sure it took center stage in this reading room. See below for the after. 

The chair is haloed by natural light probably loving its new queen spot in this sanctuary. We rounded out this ideal spot with a Saarinen marble side table to rest books and glasses. A proper reading room needs proper lighting, do you spy that gray beauty?  I've been coveting the Grasshopper Floor Lamp forever so it makes my husband happy that I can live vicariously through my clients.  Last but not least, no Banner Day room would be complete without some plants. The Little Fig tree is one of my new favorites, I've added it to my rotation. 

Let's turn to the other side of the room. Below is the before. 

Although this corner was set up as a home office, the client didn't really use this space for work. After bouncing a couple of ideas, we thought perhaps a better idea was to install seating in the opposite corner of this room, as can be seen from the above photos, and place additional closed storage here. 

What a beauty. So everything you saw in the office corner is now tucked in this glorious credenza. Out of sight, out of mind. The striped table lamp provides additional lighting, the surface of the credenza can be used for books, plants and perhaps even a small bar in the future! 

Now that Mom's been taken care of, let's turn to mini-me. This space was a challenge as I stated above. The biggest hurdle was finding the appropriate seating. The door from the kitchen to this nook swung open into this room, meaning that we had to make sure the settee allowed sufficient clearance and was also petite enough to fit against the only wall without a door or window. 

Here are some before photos. 

The goal for this room was very simple: provide a dedicated reading and play space for mini-me. We had a ton of books so storage was a priority. Since this nook would primarily be a kid space, I wanted to make sure it was whimsical and fun. Below is the design I came up with. 

It's so rare to find the right place and time to install a curvy, green settee. Luckily, we found the ideal home for one. Lighting was a big concern since natural light didn't reach most of the room. Sconce lighting with gold accents are the perfect solution for when you need additional lighting and there is little to no floor space to spare. All in all, a charm filled room. See the transformation for yourself below. 

This room just makes me happy . . . and seriously makes me want to crawl into this settee to read. The client will add to the gallery wall, taking the artwork all the way up to the ceilings. The shaggy rug is soft so you can play games on the floor and the pattern will hide any minor stains. Let's move on to the opposite corner. See the before below. 

The pantry closet is to the right and as you can see, the open shelving is overflow. After purging and consolidating, the client was able to clear this open shelving out entirely. We were able to install a bookcase for mini-me. 

A girl after my own heart. Look at all those books! I purposely installed the bookcase flush against that wall. I understand that there is a window there but it looks out to a shared staircase with not much of a view. Also, easy access to the pantry was a must and I wanted to make sure the pantry door was able to swing wide open. 

What are your thoughts? Does this inspire you to change up that neglected corner/room in your own house? I hope so. These rooms show that even with the smallest square footage, with a little work and creativity, you can make every inch of your home work for you. 

Thanks for reading!

Mill Valley Project: Chapter 1

Have you tried furnishing a home in around 30 days? My advice: don't try it if it can be helped. But if not, below you'll find some before/after photos of how we did it and some tips if you're in a similar situation.. 

My former clients called me and said they had just closed on a house. They absolutely needed to move in 30 days because the newest addition to the family was expected in about 50 days. In addition to the short turnaround, there were other challenges. The current sellers were still living in the house (so we had to schedule furniture deliveries and visits carefully), and we needed to buy a ton of furniture since their square footage had tripled in size.  As you might guess my first reaction was like....I need to take a seat. But since I had done something similar before (story here). I felt more than up to the challenge. Thankfully Mill Valley is much closer than Las Vegas!

Because of the tight timeline and numerous logistical challenges, I decided we would try to order as much furniture as we could, have the house move-in ready as possible and then refine the design in September. As such, this project is still ongoing. We're filling out some of the spaces and waiting for some final deliveries, but there are a couple of finished rooms I can't wait to share with you. The main living area is a lovely open space. First up, the formal living room. Below is a before photo with the furniture from the stagers. 

The floor plan essentially remained the same and we used all the furniture my clients had in their prior living room which I helped them decorate a couple years ago. 

To me, this room is so very Mill Valley to me - classic, clean and inviting.  Moving on from the living room, we head directly into my favorite room, the dining room. 

Yup, I want a closer look too but before we do, here is the obligatory before photo. 

The clients decided to leave their old dining set behind.  They were ready for a change, a mix of style with a modern bent, my speciality.  And below is the after! 

Stunning. The blue bohemian rug adds that unexpected element and the tension it creates against the more traditional table and chairs is ideal. The built-in bar saves spaces and pares down the furniture in the room, letting the table take center stage. A closer look below. 

Follow me over to the kitchen which needed just a bit of styling. Again, here is the before. 

Just some small changes and decluttering to leave the clients with a kitchen that will make anyone envious. 

Can I move in? The island is perfect for entertaining and some quick meals. The reclaimed wood accents throughout warm up the space and brings in the cozy.  Right next to the kitchen is the kitchen nook.  Below is the before. 

The previous wallpaper was in good condition but didn't really go with my clients' style and was a bit too contemporary compared to the rest of the furniture in the house. We changed it up and chose dining furniture that was more aligned with the style of the kitchen. See below for the after! 

This kitchen nook before/after is a great lesson in how wallpaper and furniture can literally transform the style of a space completely. Where the before photo shows a more contemporary industrial nook, the after space exudes a sense of classic modern living at its best. Last room? The adjacent family room. Below is the before photo with the staging furniture. 

This room is still in progress. We're still waiting for the delivery of the sectional, but here is a sneak peek of how it looks now.  

A child-friendly room that invites you to lounge, relax and kick your heels back. Can't wait for the sectional to get delivered, which is expected at the end of this month.

All of the furniture in the dining room, kitchen nook and various other pieces throughout the rest of the house were ordered and delivered in around 30 days, all from different vendors. If you've ordered furniture recently, you will know that 30 days is an incredibly short lead time. For upholstered pieces, 6 to 8 weeks is often the minimum.  Even tables, rugs, etc. can take close to two months depending on inventory and shipping speed.  If you're under a tight deadline and need to have a home furnished asap, here are some tips:

- Look for quick ship options, especially for upholstered items.

- Check the inventory of items prior to purchasing. 

- Ask detailed questions re shipping timelines. 

- Stay flexible and if possible consider ordering as many items as you can from one vendor to reduce delivery appointments and further logistical challenges. 

- Try to schedule all your deliveries on one day if possible to keep you sane. 

- Be nice but relentless with customer service, they can often bump up your delivery appointments if you press. I had West Elm on speed dial. 

I'm doing a second smaller install mid-September since we're still waiting for deliveries for the guest room, master bedroom, nursery and TV room. So keep your eyes out for the next installment of this amazing project.