Girl's Bedroom photography: David Gilbert

Copyright Michael J. Lee Photography LLC 2012

Karyn Millet Photography

Designer: Ruthie Alan

Walls are Sherwin Williams Wool Skein. Sofa from Lee Industries.

Fireplace: Raven color Caesar Stone Photo Credit: Sam Gray Photography

Please visit my website directly by copying and pasting this link directly into your browser: http://www.berensinteriors.com/ to learn more about this project and how we may work together! These custom designed floating bookshelves make for an artful way to display books and collectibles. Robert Naik Photography.

Werner Straube Photography

Everyone deserves to end the day in a comfortable, tranquil home. And for those with children, it can seem impossible to reconcile the challenges of family life with the need to have a well-designed space. Our client—a financial executive and her family of four—had not considered a design makeover since moving into their apartment, which was more than ten years ago. So when she reached out to Decor Aid, she asked us to modernize and brighten her home, in addition to creating a space for her family to hang out and relax. The apartment originally featured sunflower-yellow walls and a set of brown suede living room furniture, all of which significantly darkened the space. The living room also did not have sufficient seating options, so the client was improvising seating arrangements when guests would come over. With no outward facing windows, the living room received little natural light, and so we began the redesign by painting the walls a classic grey, and adding white crown molding. As a pathway from the front door to the kitchen, the living room functions as a high-traffic area of the home. So we sourced a geometric indoor-outdoor area rug, and established a layout that’s easy to walk through. We also sourced a coffee table from Serena & Lily. Our client has teenage twins, and so we sourced a sturdy sectional couch from Restoration Hardware, and placed it in a corner which was previously being underused. We hired an electrician to hide all of the cables leading to the media console, and added custom window treatments. In the kitchen, we painted the cabinets a semi-gloss white, and added slate flooring, for a clean, crisp, modern look to match the living room. The finishing touches included a set of geometric table objects, comfortable throw rugs, and plush high-shine pillows. The final result is a fully functional living room for this family of four.

Regan Wood Photography

A typical post-1906 Noe Valley house is simultaneously restored, expanded and redesigned to keep what works and rethink what doesn’t. The front façade, is scraped and painted a crisp monochrome white—it worked. The new asymmetrical gabled rear addition takes the place of a windowless dead end box that didn’t. A “Great kitchen”, open yet formally defined living and dining rooms, a generous master suite, and kid’s rooms with nooks and crannies, all make for a newly designed house that straddles old and new. Structural Engineer: Gregory Paul Wallace SE General Contractor: Cardea Building Co. Photographer: Open Homes Photography

A room to transition from nursery to big girl bedroom, this space is the perfect balance of practicality and whimsy. Aqua colored murano glass bead wallcovering sets the stage for fresh pops of white, pink and turquoise bedding while the multi-colored rug and playful artwork pull the color palette together.

Modern mix with custom hand cut paper bird art. Photographed by Amy Braswell.

Treasure chest and some fun lighting.