The views alone will sell this home! There is a clear view of the water from your first step inside the door. The cathedral ceilings in this contemporary home's living room give it a wide-open, spacious and airy feel. The master bedroom and bath (complete with sauna) are elegantly comfortable and have direct access to the wrap-around deck to enjoy the waterfront view.

                                               BEFORE                                                                                                           AFTER

                                                                         

The only room in this gorgeous Cape-style home not to have been painted or designed since they purchased it, the homeowners were ready for a change. The "clutter room" was a place to house all items and furnishings that didn't have a place to live. Wanting a sitting room for knitting or a cozy conversation as well as a part-time guest room for the bi-annual overnight visitor, we put together a beautiful, cozy, functional space with a very limited budget. Furniture is easily moved aside to accommodate an air mattress for visitors.

                                                BEFORE                                                                                                           AFTER 

A lovely 2-bedroom condo with a great entry and balcony was a pleasure to stage. Most of the furnishings had been moved out, but with its neutral walls and finishes and a few pieces of furniture and accessories, we were able to stage it to look spectacular!

This pre-teen girl's bedroom was in desperate need of de-cluttering and updating. With some creative storage, colorful accessories and fun new items, I was able to capture her bubbly personality.

                                                BEFORE                                                                                                             AFTER

                                                    

By clearing out the toddler toys and finding functional storage solutions and a few new pieces that represent his interests, this young boy's bedroom has grown up and looks like a brand-new room.

                                                BEFORE                                                                                                              AFTER

                                                                 

Focusing on the rest of their home, a busy couple with three young children never had the time to put much thought into their own bedroom. Finally ready, this loving wife wanted to surprise her hard-working husband with a lovely retreat as well as a place where he could quietly get some work done away from the hectic downstairs area.

By using all of their bedroom furnishings and moving a few pieces from other parts of the house, I designed a more functional room layout with the bed now in a power position, good traffic flow and more storage. Adding a corner desk that fits perfectly and some new bedding and window treatments, this room not only works as my clients need it to, but is also a beautiful retreat at the end of a busy day.

                                   

This wonderful, spacious attic was freshly painted and carpeted, just perfect for a busy family to hang out. The space includes an office area, TV area and reading and play areas for the kids. There's something for everyone. By re-purposing some furniture the homeowner had stored away, organizing the toys and adding a few accessories, the attic is now an inviting, comfortable and functional space with tons of storage.

                                                    BEFORE                                                                                                       AFTER

                                                     

In just over an hour, the homeowner's wish came true of making her living room more inviting through redesign, while remaining functional. Using existing furnishings and window treatments from the living room and displaying a gorgeous antique chest that had been tucked away in a corner, I was able to create a comfortable seating arrangement, allowing the fireplace to become a lovely focal point. By incorporating several pieces from other rooms in the home, we found the right combination of accessories to pull everything together.

                                                   BEFORE                                                                                                        AFTER

                                                

This living room needed some help. It was a multi-purpose room, complete with desk/office area, limited seating, and kids' toys. By determining what the intended function of the room was, I used the homeowner's existing furnishings (and a few new pieces she intended to buy) to create a seating area, a dedicated office space using the computer armoire, and pulled together accessories to create lovely decorative touches around the room.

                                                BEFORE                                                                                                            AFTER

                                                                              

With no room in the house for a quiet office space, I transformed a corner of the oversized mudroom into a functional office area. The door to the mudroom can be closed to the rest of the house allowing a private area to get work done. The sliders provide a lovely view to the backyard, allowing natural light to filter in.

                                                BEFORE                                                                                                            AFTER

                                         

Keeping counter space tidy is sometimes a very tough thing to do. De-cluttering is the first step. Toss anything you don't need and file away anything you do need. A couple of inexpensive seagrass baskets is all that was needed to hold the items the family wanted to keep handy, and allow the area to stay neat.

                                                BEFORE                                                                                                            AFTER

                                          

© 2010–2012 Functional Home Designs