Live With Style

Creating beautiful interiors that reflect the unique

taste of each client

This mid-century home was well-built but the kitchen was ready for a renovation. My clients’ love of the Arts and Crafts style became our design direction, while the color choices originated with a painting that is a family heirloom. In the original kitchen, a peninsula cut the room in half, while guests sometimes crowded into the cooking area. I designed an island to open up the traffic flow, but it also allows the cook to work while talking to guests on the other side of the island. We found a beautiful granite for the countertops and had new cherry cabinets made. Lighting was added in the ceiling, under the upper cabinets and pendants with stained glass dragonflies. The Arts and Crafts backsplash tiles put the stamp on this stylish kitchen.

  The original 1950’s kitchen

The challenge of this kitchen was finding more storage without changing the footprint of the space, while keeping the charm of this 1920’s home. I added cabinets and changed countertops, while supplementing the existing lighting. The breakfast nook’s corner cabinets were painted blue on the inside, to highlight a collection of creamware, while the kitchen cabinets’ glass doors and interior lighting accent the jewel tones of heirloom glass pieces.

When my client asked for help with her kitchen remodel, she wanted to change the darkness of the original stained oak cabinets to a much lighter look. Her style is very light and full of sunshine! We painted the cabinets white and took a color cue from her blue Dutch oven, given pride of place over the stove. As a master chef, she carefully considered where everything would be placed, down to the yard stick on the side of the the new blue island. She also wanted maximum flexibility for entertaining. So, the island can be moved to a side wall in front of the windows, and the tables brought to the middle of the room, to allow seating for a crowd.

In this classic Shaker Heights home, I combined traditional style with contemporary design. The main bedroom, with its four-poster bed and classic dresser, benefitted from enhanced lighting, both in the ceiling and reflected in the new mirrors on either side of the bed. In the guest bath, mosaic tiles glisten like water-washed pebbles, while a hollow-core door was given new dimension with faux-painted panels. In the dining room, where there was only a window, I specified new French doors that lead to a new screened porch. The small powder room is still my all-time favorite, with its large-scale wallcovering, custom vanity and antique mirror.

After a long successful career, my client wanted to have a quiet space where he could write a book. We transformed a dark bedroom with one single door into a distinctive office, with plenty of space for books and files. Removing the single door and replacing it with a pair of French doors made all the difference, flooding the room with light. I designed the bookshelves in a classic style, illuminated with brass accent lamps. The Roman shades at the windows add elegance with a hand-printed design.

Photography by Peggy Turbett.

These homeowners - she from Cleveland and he from Dublin, Ireland - were ready to remodel their 1950’s basement, with its wrap-around bar, flourescent lighting and linoleum floor. We envisioned an Irish pub with references to Dublin. I designed the custom bar (painted “Dublin blue”) and storage shelves for my client’s collection of DVD’s, CD’s and books. Together we searched antique shops and consignment stores to find the Presider’s Chairs by the fireplace, the pub table and vintage dining chairs, and antique cabinets for liquor and glassware. Modern conveniences include a beverage cooler built in to the side of the bar, carefully placed lighting, a wall-mounted screen and state-of-the-art sound system. With a comfy sectional sofa and leather ottoman, the pub invites friends and family to watch a movie and linger together over a Guinness.

Original 1950’s bar

My clients were ready for a kitchen remodel in their 1920’s French Art Deco home. They needed a better traffic flow, more storage, more counterspace for working and better lighting. All this in the same square footage. I decided to move the well-used coffee maker to a new spot where the broom closet/pantry stood. My contractor found so much extra space around the closet that we were able to create a coffee station, install a new microwave and toaster oven, and add more cabinets for storage. Now there are two work areas instead of one. The cabinets elevate the kitchen’s classy style with two shades of French grey paint. New lighting, countertops and flooring brighten up the space, while the stainless steel hood and backspalsh behind the stove make for easier cleaning. In the breakfast nook, contemporary dining chairs and a cozy banquette surrounding the antique pub table are illuminated by an industrial-style pendant. We also replaced the home store posters with personal photos of their travels. One special image was blown up and printed on canvas, and is now a daily reminder of shared adventures together.

My clients’ living room is a perfect example of their sophisticated style. It is a blend of traditional architecture, family heirlooms, contemporary artwork, customized furniture and unique accessories. Our starting point was the beautiful rug, with its jewel tones of raspberry, periwinkle and sage green on a creamy ground. These colors can be found throughout the room, creating a visual harmony. I designed the custom loveseats, upholstered in blue velvet, and the yellow leather Klismos chairs. The room sparkles from the brass and glass coffee table to the mirror with crystals around the frame, to the colorful hand-blown shade of the floor lamp.

Looking in to the “Jewel Box” living room from the foyer

My clients wanted a bathroom remodel that would function well for them today and also as they age in place. We used “Universal Design”principles to create a space that is accessible to all, including those who may have disabilities. I included plenty of space for a wheelchair, including a sink with proper height and openness, as well as a zero entry shower. It has no curb, so a wheelchair can be pushed in and have enough room to turn around. We did not want the bathroom to have a clinical feel, though, so we took our style inspiration from my clients’ love of the water. The colors of sun, sand and sea envelop the space. Painted cabinetry and beadboard on the lower walls create a cottage feel, while a sleek soaking tub and chandelier add a spa-like elegance. In the shower, watery blue accent tiles continue the beach theme. With all of the function and beauty that this bathroom now affords, it is ready for the next chapters in my clients’ lives.

The bathroom before renovation

In this client’s bungalow, an unused loft space was gathering dust, and he wanted a room for guests. After a fresh coat of paint and the purchase of a mattress and bedding, the space needed some personality. My client invited me to search through his collection of treasures to bring personality to the new guest suite. He had antique rugs, chairs, lamps, brass sculptures, artwork and lots of books! After carefully curating a collection of accessories, the loft has been transformed into a very personal cozy space, ready to invite special guests.

In shaping this raw basement space into a playroom, I planned for my clients’ grandchildren of different ages. While a baby can roll around on the soft rug, there are shelves full of toys and games to keep older ones busy. A baby doll bed, a child-sized kitchen and a dollhouse offer lots of opportunities for imaginative play. New seating, upholstered in washable fabrics and featuring soft rounded edges, offers comfy places to read stories and watch movies together. Raggedy Ann sits on an heirloom rocking chair, while an old family rocking horse waits to give rides to a new generation of children.

Raw space waiting for transformation into a playroom

This 1950’s ranch home has a living room that flows into the dining room. French doors lead to the outdoor patio but the traffic flow was challenging around the dining room table and chairs. My client wanted more storage and desired a more contemporary style. Moving the dining area away from the middle of the room allowed more space for moving around, as well as enabling us to plan for custom storage pieces. Placing a storage cabinet on either side of the new banquette created a cozy seating area, while the new oval dining table anchors the space. The dining chairs, chandelier, floating shelves and carefully chosen accessories add more modern elements. In the living room I replaced the traditional fireplace and mantle. A gas insert, custom mantle, new stone hearth and herringbone tiles on the fireplace surround combine to create a lighter, more contemporary feel.

My client’s traditional style fits seamlessly with her century old cottage in the heart of charming Chagrin Falls. However, her tiny kitchen needed a refresh. Renovated in the 1980’s, it now felt dark and dated. Her first priority was to decide how much to change. We discussed the possibility of making major architectural changes to allow for a much larger kitchen, which would increase the home’s market value, but in the end agreed that smaller changes would suit her life better. We would leave major changes for the home’s next owners. This actually gave us a lot more freedom to make this kitchen very personally hers. She chose an elegant quatrz countertop and baksplash tiles in her favorite cranberry color. Instead of replacing the cabinets, which were in good condition, we had them painted in a light green. The color direction came from another favorite design element - a Jacobean floral wallcovering that now is a focal point in the back hall. I designed a custom pantry in the hall to replace a desk that had become just a dropping off space.

  A Grown Up Bedrooom

Cleveland Heights, Ohio