The Value of a Finished Room
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. ”
A Case Study for One Room, Meaningful Change
When longtime clients purchased a home in Myers Park, they brought with them pieces from the two previous homes we had worked on together. Well-made and worth keeping, they gave us a familiar starting point for a home with its own architecture, natural light, proportions, and color. Rather than deciding where everything would go, we looked at the room as a whole and considered what we could reimagine, what we would add, and how it could all come together.
After: Our clients' completed room merged and refreshed existing pieces with new selections. We infused their personal style into the space.
Before: The previous owners’ design reflected a different aesthetic.
The sofa and pair of Fauteuil-style chairs had previously been used together in our clients' family room. For this home, we refreshed them with new fabrics to work with the rug selected for the room. We added swivel barrel-back chairs, a custom cocktail ottoman, accent tables, and lighting to complete the furniture plan and give the familiar pieces a new setting.
Another view before our clients purchased the home.
The completed room combines reimagined furnishings with new selections. Though the color palette is similar, layers of warmth are added through texture, pattern, and accents. Notice the difference in the rug size as well. Proper proportions are considered in planning a space.
A Plan With Purpose
This project is also a good example of something I've come to believe after years of designing homes: there is a difference between furnishing a room and finishing one. Whether starting with an empty space or one that already holds beautiful furniture, collected art, and pieces with meaning and history, bringing everything together requires a thoughtful plan.
Creating a finished home doesn't mean tackling it all at once, either. In my experience, focusing on one room can make the process feel more manageable and far more enjoyable, while seeing it through to completion can set the tone for what comes next.
That is the idea behind our One Room, Meaningful Change service. It is full-service design, not an abbreviated version of the design process. We begin by getting to know our clients, how they live, what they love, and what they hope will feel different. Measurements, photographs, and space planning provide the practical foundation, followed by design development, selections, procurement, installation, and the finishing details.
Rather than leaving you to sort through endless possibilities on your own, we guide the decisions, source what the design calls for, and manage the details that bring it all together. With a plan in place, decisions can be made in relation to one another rather than one at a time.
After considering the room as a whole, an initial concept board helps to provide a visual path forward.
Custom touches in the existing built-ins: Shelves were landscaped with found and commissioned accents, including small oil paintings tucked inside each. We added a textured wallcovering for a softer backdrop.
The Difference Is in the Whole
A room feels finished when each decision works in harmony with the next, creating something more meaningful than any single selection could achieve. Once the last detail is in place, what remains is the pleasure of living in a room that feels complete, personal, and entirely your own.
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