A Secret Closet Garden

When I first walk into a consult, I never judge my clients' homes. They are busy with work and family, it's understandable that things get busy and their home isn't perfect all the time. I however do judge my home constantly. Since it's my profession, it's important for me to keep it presentable at all time if at all possible. I'm just glad we can hide some things behind closed doors. For example, my closet has been an eyesore for a while. Proof below. 

No styling, no prep, this is what it used to look like. We live in an older home and actual closet space in the master bedroom is non-existent. This closet butts up against the eaves of our roof which means expansion is out of the question. And one of the few times in my life where I'm glad that I'm vertically challenged. Anyone taller than me would never be able to use this as a closet. 

As you can see the closet is technically "finished" but rather drab and seemingly dirty although I promise you it's not. I briefly considered hiring a closet professional to come and help me but then I regained my sanity and realized we have a laundry list of more important items to focus on. So what to do? Armed with $200 I decided I could make it look and feel better. Ready? 

I decided wallpaper was the way to go, the biggest impact for relatively low cost. And I chose this one by Hygge and West during a recent sale. I love the pattern, it's feminine without being overtly so. And it's just so darn cheerful and happy. It looks even better on the walls!  

First step, I cleaned out my closet and donated/removed anything I haven't worn this past year. I actually clean out my closet every 4 to 5 months. I'm not a capsule wardrobe type of girl but I do keep my closet fairly edited. 

I moved the dresser horizontally to make this tiny closet feel roomier. I had a leftover round mirror from another project and reused it here. This mirror is perfect for when I apply makeup, lotions and potions. 

The old shoe rack was no longer working for me. Since I retired my pumps, I definitely have more flat shoes which didn't grip well to the shoe rack. I also wanted a more built-in look without the cost. It's amazing how many of life's problems can be solved by a trip to Target. Hyperbole, I know but somehow true. This shoe storage unit from Target is white and fits in with the dresser fairly seamlessly. 

Not all of my clothes fit into this one dresser. I'm a minimalist but not a monk. Below is how I store my hanging clothes. 

This closet actually runs the entire length of the house and there is another entrance to it from the guest room. So a fixed closet rod was out of the question since there is no immediate wall to the left. The garment rack is the only practical way to store my hanging clothes. I wheel it forward when I need something from the rack and wheel it back when I need some shoes or an item from the dresser.  In an ideal world I would prefer a walk-in closet a la Carrie's closet in Sex in the City. Alas, this is real life. And this setup works for me for now, especially with the small updates. 

Every morning when I open up my closet doors to get ready for the day, it's an absolute pleasure to have this bright and cheery closet greet me and set me in the right mood. It's just a closet and perhaps one wouldn't normally invest some time in such a small space but like in most of my work, I'm a big believer that every detail matters. Our spaces are a vessel for not only the life we currently inhabit but also a means to create the life we wish to have. And this closet to me says there are many more fabulous and exciting things to come! 

A Bright and Cheerful Boys' Nursery

For a very long time while I was growing up, I shared a room with my sister. Some of my fondest memories are of us talking late into the night. So when a client approached me to help her create a nursery for her son and his soon-to-arrive younger brother, I was really excited. 

A bit of background: the nursery was originally in a smaller guest room. Since the nursery would be for two tots and not just one, we were moving everyone to the larger guest room. Challenges? There was a laundry list. First every single wall had windows and/or doors, making furniture placement difficult. Also, we had to squeeze in two cribs, which had to be placed out of reach of curtains and windows. A sitting area was a must for reading. And of course, a changing table was a necessity for when the newest member of the family arrives. 

The design plan was to keep things minimal and monochromatic for the most part. I wanted the room to be one that the boys could grow into. I was positive that books and toys would bring in enough color to make sure that this room didn't feel drab. And although this is an older home, I pushed for a bit more modernity in this room to keep things fresh.  Below is the design board. 

Here are a couple of before photos of the room. 

As you can see, the wall colors had yellow/beige undertones which made the room feel a bit heavy. The brown curtains with the darker wood flooring made everything feel one note. The hardware and the fixtures throughout the room had to be updated. And the curtains were hung too low, making things feel a bit stuffy. Let's move on to the fun stuff. 

Yes, I promise you, this is the same room. As you can see, we deviated slightly from the original design board but generally the plan remained the same. 

 Let's start with the big changes we made. First, a big one: the clients replaced the windows. We also painted the room a lighter cooler color, Behr Lunar Light. We upgraded the sconces and the curtain hardware to polished nickel. Also, although we were on a budget, I thought it was very important to raise the curtain rods and get longer curtains. You can see how much of a difference this small change makes, it's almost like magic. It seems the room has grown taller! No Alice in Wonderland magic here, just curtain rods installed at a higher height. And yes, these are blackout curtains to create the ideal sleeping conditions for tired young boys. 

The perfect reading nook? Right here. 

This accent chair was repurposed from the master bedroom. It brings color into this otherwise neutral room. The gold accent table adds shimmer and light, also a great landing space for drinks and/or books. The changing table is just a dresser from Ikea that is perfect for a nursery, a workhorse furniture piece that should last for several years but can handle some dings and scratches. 

Where is big brother sleeping? See below. 

Yea I know, I want to move in too.  I'm obsessed with this graphic rug. It's also really thick, ideal for a bit of roughhousing. Since this is California (earthquake country), I rarely place anything framed or sharp above a bed and that includes a crib. This beautiful yak print is unframed and still looks beautiful. 

Look up, it's a ceiling fan that doesn't remind you of the 1970's. I don't have a before photo of the original fan fixture but I promise you that this is a good upgrade. It has clean lines, wonderful color and circulates air in the room, what more can you ask for?! 

Where is soon to arrive little brother sleeping? Take a look below. 

Yes, younger brother gets Mr. Buffalo to watch over him. Adorable. We kept things cohesive by purchasing the same Ikea crib that is on the other side of the room. 

But Clara, where are all the toys?! Follow me. Here is the before of this sad corner. 

And below is the after!

The gallery wall brings in so much color and life into this room. The cutest table lamp with the black and white shade touches back to the main colors of the room. It also brings in another source of lighting. These boys have their own little library and baskets interspersed throughout corral the smaller toys. I like how everything is consolidated into one side of the room, keeping the room visually clean and airy. 

I loved how this room turned out. It's bright, cheery and modern. Most importantly, we've carved out a space for play and sleep which is important for every nursery, especially a shared one. I hope you enjoyed it too. This transformation is just a reminder that even if you're confronted with a challenging space, even the smallest changes such as paint and longer curtains can make a world of difference. Thanks so much for reading!  

Midcentury Millbrae

This is a story about a room . . . well, to be more exact, this is a story about two rooms in one. I'll explain more below.

In a house with two busy working parents, it is often the case that the master bedroom becomes neglected. With the impending arrival of a new addition to the family, these clients realized that their master bedroom needed a makeover. In its existing state, the master bedroom would be unable to accommodate a small nursery setup, a necessity until the new baby was old enough to move in with her big sister. I know this is a common problem that confronts many of my clients who live in smaller spaces, especially in San Francisco and New York. I hope this before/after shows you that it can not only be done but done stylishly! 

Here are some before photos to give you a sense of the space. 

The room isn't small by any means, but it is shaped a bit awkwardly. Directly across the bed is a sliding door which sounds nice in theory. But it made the bedroom visible to the entire rest of the house due to the home's layout, making it necessary for the curtains covering it to remain closed most of the time to preserve privacy. The storage furniture in the room felt a bit oversized and was making the room feel smaller than it was. And somehow I didn't grab a picture of the long row of glass closet doors that covered the entire length of the wall. (Note to self, take better before photos.) The glass closet doors made the entire room feel somewhat dated,. The paint color was an off-white with yellow undertones, which contributed to this dated feeling. We like midcentury, but we want the 2016 version of midcentury if you get my meaning. Here we go! 

To bring in modernity, richness and interest in this room, we wallpapered! See below. 

An improvement, I would say. Remember I mentioned the glass closet doors that extended through the entire length of the room? We replaced them with these off-white heavy curtains.  I was slightly concerned that it might be too much fabric but it turned out so well. Due to the height of this closet, standard closet doors would not fit, and custom doors were outside the budget. This is a great long-term temporary solution. 

I work really, really hard to collaborate with my clients and find compromise wherever possible.  I also don't push for something unless I feel very strongly about it. This wallpaper was one such suggestion. There was some hesitancy on the clients' part but I knew this blue grasscloth would work so well here and I'm so glad they trusted me. The wallpaper has a sheen and richness that the camera can't truly capture, it adds so much to this otherwise blank canvas of a room. 

We replaced the rug with one that was bigger and more appropriately sized to the space. Grounding the space with the right sized rug is a principle that is often overlooked but it's really important in creating the right balance in a room. The warmness of the walnut bedframe and nightstands seriously pops against the wallpaper. And there are touches of gold and brass detail throughout the room including these wall-mounted sconces which allow for more surface space on the nightstands. 

Let's move on. This is a very sad corner, secretly dreaming to be brighter and better. 

I think we did this corner justice. We tucked the glider in the corner, as can be seen below. 

Such a sweet corner. Don't worry, the clients are purchasing a roman shade for that window to make sure the newest addition of the family gets proper shut-eye. The bassinet will be placed between the glider and bed, making things slightly tight for a little while but there is still room to move around. 

We just wallpapered the one wall, getting a lot of bang for our buck. We repainted the other walls Grey Owl by Benjamin Moore. It's such a small change but makes such a difference. The cooler tones offset the warm wood floors and create this beautiful contrast. 

Should we move to the other side of the room? Directly opposite the bed is a slider door as I mentioned above. Here is the before. 

Due to privacy issues, and the fact that the clients never used this sliding door, they placed storage furniture in front of it. I thought the situation could be improved. Below is the after. 

Photo by @mrgregma

The existing heavier silk curtains were just not working for the room or the clients. The room felt very dark since these curtains were always closed to maintain privacy. We replaced them with these curtain panels which are the perfect solution. The panels allow some natural light to come in yet preserve a sense of privacy since this area is the primary dressing area.  And before you get up in arms about blocking the sliding door, don't worry, this is a temporary floorplan. Once the glider moves out, the dresser can be relocated to that corner.

As I always do, I brought some plants in to bring in some life and energy. Pro tip? I swear that plants from Ikea are hardier than most. Since I knew my clients are insanely busy, juggling their careers and household, watering plants falls to the bottom of the list. Fingers crossed that these survive. 

Sconces above your nightstand are so on trend right now and you can see why below. They create the coziest and most inviting bedroom lighting. 

Photo by @mrgregma

All you parents out there, I know you're busy and you work really hard. You really deserve to come home to a master bedroom that is truly a retreat. Don't forget to take care of your needs as well as your kids. Even the smallest changes can make a big difference as this before/after demonstrates. Let me know if you're interested in changing your bedroom into a sanctuary you deserve. Thanks for reading!