I am SO RIDICULOUSLY excited to be sharing this finally!!! I hope you’ll scroll all the way down and look at the before and after comparisons because when I say we’ve changed A LOT since we started (just 6ks ago!) it won’t cover just how different this space really is. Ok I'm jumping ahead so lets start at the beginning, Nov 7th to be exact. I get a call from Della that was somewhat urgent. Her dream is to downsize to a condo on Lake Oswego and knows it can be Terry’s dream too but he is less than excited about the said condo they’re supposed to be moving into in just three weeks. I meet Della at the condo to assess just what we are working with. It is offered as fully furnished and move in ready… but we realize we really want to start fresh. Anyway, our meeting quickly changes into a discussion about having everything removed and permission to repaint and change the carpet, which will now all need to happen within the three days between their current house closing and moving in. If that wasn’t challenging enough, the Shanley’s already have holiday guest scheduled to arrive and will have just 8 days in total to completely transform and furnish everything.
Planning began when I reached the parking lot and my mental wheels start turning. Once home I start a Pinterest board and create a presentation to share with them my vision of the space based on our discussion. Modern + Nautical + Glam. Once approved I’m in overdrive because we’ve got one shot at this people! No time to spend months dilly-dallying on making decisions and him-hawing on the perfect pieces. Things must be accurately scaled, practical for everyday use and multifunctional because they are going form 3k sqft to 1k sqft. So you’re wondering if we pulled it off? Well keep scrolling to find out :)
The banquet was inspired by a fellow Pinterest user that did this in her own home and I knew it was a perfect solution for their space. It has a ton of storage and keeps the table tucked against the wall so there is a clear path to the deck. The chairs were chosen to tie into other cane details throughout the house and their modern design takes up little visual space. The chandelier was Della’s mom’s. We converted it to a plug in and swagged it over the dining table to anchor it and add sparkle. It pairs nicely with the lucite and brass credenza we added a lower shelf to in order to make it a more functional bar.
The paintings above were commissioned by Terry for Della and hold a lot of sentimental value. They are the first thing you see as you come down the hall from the front doors.
Honestly I’m still kicking myself for not keeping those antique African baskets and brass birds for my house because I fell in love with them but that’s when you know its good, when its hard too let go.
Oh hi! It’s me! Just doin my styling thing, lol. Learn more about me and how I got started on my bio.
This room is what I would compare to a design trust fall. Originally designated as the master bedroom, I convinced them that it would be best used as a multifunctional space. Della works from home and when you’ve got a lake view it would have been quite a shame to deny her that from her desk. Terry loves to read. Knowing first hand what its like to share a small living space with your beau, having lived in a 700sqft Manhattan apt with mine for 7yrs, I knew the value of having two living spaces. The sofa matches the one in the living room so they can pair in a larger space down the road but this one is a sleeper sofa to accommodate guests.
We added a large book shelf across from the sofa to house Terry’s books and special items to remind them of family and a life well lived.
Never underestimate the power of paint. With a little extra material from our bedroom wall installation we added this chair rail to the half bath off the office/library and with a LOT of time cutting in with a small paint brush we made this small bath feel much bigger and more luxurious.
We used paint once again to clean up the main bathroom. A light grey for the cabinet and white for the walls. We switched out the mirror and drawer pulls and if you haven’t heard about peel-and-stick tiles you should check them out. They are a great option for a rental because they can be heated to be removed and are actual real marble.
If you only look at one before and after comparison it should be this one! I was a little bit stumped when I saw this room because it had a hot orange grass paper wall that I couldn’t take down or paint. My solution was to cover it with 1/4 plywood and add this pretty 1x3” feature wall.
Just because you are downsizing doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice luxury. This spare room is a perfect example of that. We were careful to add storage throughout the entire house so that this room could be designated as a walk in closet. I custom designed the closets to fit their needs and added a beautiful beaded chandelier above a storage ottoman perfect for sitting on to kick your shoes off at the end of the day. For Della, we used an open wall for a makeup vanity.
And the reason we are here… access to the lake from this beautiful deck! Careful planning went into the layout and scale of the pieces. The bar height table is at rail height so you look straight onto the lake when dining and can be paired with two matching stools from the kitchen island to seat 4. When the heater over the sofa is on, the candles are lit and the string lights are powered up it is almost impossible to leave :)
