Leasa Erkiletian, Interior Designer at our Leesburg store, shares this design project that blends Babette's past and present to create a fresh transitional style. Our beloved customer recently downsized and wanted to integrate several statement pieces from Babette's that they love to their new home. We beautifully added transitional furniture and accessories throughout the home to transform the look from traditional Tommy Bahama to an elegant transitional home. The homeowners have a great sense of style and quality and were very receptive to design advice to help complete this very special project!

Leasa Erkiletian, Interior Designer at our Leesburg store, shares this design project that blends Babette's past and present to create a fresh transitional style. Our beloved customer recently downsized and wanted to integrate several statement pieces from Babette's that they love to their new home. We beautifully added transitional furniture and accessories throughout the home to transform the look from traditional Tommy Bahama to an elegant transitional home. The homeowners have a great sense of style and quality and were very receptive to design advice to help complete this very special project!

Leasa Erkiletian, Interior Designer at our Leesburg store, shares this design project that blends Babette's past and present to create a fresh transitional style. Our beloved customer recently downsized and wanted to integrate several statement pieces from Babette's that they love to their new home. We beautifully added transitional furniture and accessories throughout the home to transform the look from traditional Tommy Bahama to an elegant transitional home. The homeowners have a great sense of style and quality and were very receptive to design advice to help complete this very special project!

What a beautiful way to downsize for retirement. This backyard is a true testament to compact luxury with no essential feature overlooked. Careful planning has ensured that the yard is basically low maintenance, while the perfect complement of flowers and shrubs can count on attentive green thumbs for their loving care.

Mid-sized transitional built-in desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor study room photo in Toronto with beige walls

The homeowners of this condo sought our assistance when downsizing from a large family home on Howe Sound to a small urban condo in Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver. They asked us to incorporate many of their precious antiques and art pieces into the new design. Our challenges here were twofold; first, how to deal with the unconventional curved floor plan with vast South facing windows that provide a 180 degree view of downtown Vancouver, and second, how to successfully merge an eclectic collection of antique pieces into a modern setting. We began by updating most of their artwork with new matting and framing. We created a gallery effect by grouping like artwork together and displaying larger pieces on the sections of wall between the windows, lighting them with black wall sconces for a graphic effect. We re-upholstered their antique seating with more contemporary fabrics choices - a gray flannel on their Victorian fainting couch and a fun orange chenille animal print on their Louis style chairs. We selected black as an accent colour for many of the accessories as well as the dining room wall to give the space a sophisticated modern edge. The new pieces that we added, including the sofa, coffee table and dining light fixture are mid century inspired, bridging the gap between old and new. White walls and understated wallpaper provide the perfect backdrop for the colourful mix of antique pieces. Interior Design by Lori Steeves, Simply Home Decorating. Photos by Tracey Ayton Photography

A clinic in downsizing, this condo is filled with pieces and art that were carefully selected, sentimental and one of a kind. The renovation was intended to stand the test of time, functionally and aesthetically. Having relocated from a much larger property, the client wanted a space that resonated with the urban beauty of Portland's West End. Photos by Erin Little.

Brad Nicol Photography For this project, I helped my client downsize from a larger home to a smaller attached home. I determined which furnishings could be reused - where and how; what should be eliminated; and what needed to be newly purchased. In this space we added custom valances at the windows and pillows on the bed and chaise lounge.

Lovely high rise condo on Wash Park remodeled for couple moving into town while downsizing. We removed partial walls in living room to access view of Rocky Mountains in the near distance.

Empty nesters take on a new life and new home in Northwest DC. Downsizing has its monumental challenges, and that was definitely the case with this project. The clients wanted a very narrow, partially below-ground, and slightly sterile space to feel like home. Ralph Lauren was our inspiration - both the clients and I love rich plaids, warm textures and touches of leather mixed with interesting metals. Because the rowhouse is so narrow, we added an entire wall of navy blue built-ins to the living space to create the illusion of more depth while adding much-needed storage. We wanted this home to convey the feeling of a favorite cashmere sweater, worn jeans and Gucci loafers.

The owners were downsizing from a large ornate property down the street and were seeking a number of goals. Single story living, modern and open floor plan, comfortable working kitchen, spaces to house their collection of artwork, low maintenance and a strong connection between the interior and the landscape. Working with a long narrow lot adjacent to conservation land, the main living space (16 foot ceiling height at its peak) opens with folding glass doors to a large screen porch that looks out on a courtyard and the adjacent wooded landscape. This gives the home the perception that it is on a much larger lot and provides a great deal of privacy. The transition from the entry to the core of the home provides a natural gallery in which to display artwork and sculpture. Artificial light almost never needs to be turned on during daytime hours and the substantial peaked roof over the main living space is oriented to allow for solar panels not visible from the street or yard.

Empty nesters take on a new life and new home in Northwest DC. Downsizing has its monumental challenges, and that was definitely the case with this project. The clients wanted a very narrow, partially below-ground, and slightly sterile space to feel like home. Ralph Lauren was our inspiration - both the clients and I love rich plaids, warm textures and touches of leather mixed with interesting metals. Because the rowhouse is so narrow, we added an entire wall of navy blue built-ins to the living space to create the illusion of more depth while adding much-needed storage. We wanted this home to convey the feeling of a favorite cashmere sweater, worn jeans and Gucci loafers.

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless guest dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel in Edmonton with gray walls

James McCarthy | Retail Photo Graphics
Example of a small transitional travertine floor and beige floor great room design with blue walls and no fireplace

Empty nesters take on a new life and new home in Northwest DC. Downsizing has its monumental challenges, and that was definitely the case with this project. The clients wanted a very narrow, partially below-ground, and slightly sterile space to feel like home. Ralph Lauren was our inspiration - both the clients and I love rich plaids, warm textures and touches of leather mixed with interesting metals. Because the rowhouse is so narrow, we added an entire wall of navy blue built-ins to the living space to create the illusion of more depth while adding much-needed storage. We wanted this home to convey the feeling of a favorite cashmere sweater, worn jeans and Gucci loafers.

These clients wanted help with updating their kitchen but didn't want to spend a ton of money; they expect to downsize soon. I chose a marble-inspired laminate countertop which complimented Benjamin Moore's gray owl paint.

This client sold her large home in a Houston suburb to downsize. She wanted a dining space that could transition easily from entertaining formally to enjoying toast and jelly on a lazy Saturday morning. We mixed custom upholstered chairs and a custom upholstered bench with ready made chairs to produce a one of a kind look. Bench seating adds comfort and a feeling of formality with the high tufted back. Custom made drapes and shades along with a beautiful contemporary chandelier and rug complete the look.

Our clients were downsizing from a large multi-level home to a smaller ranch home by the New Jersey shore. Key to this move was finding a home close to other family members that had good bones, but could be transformed into the home of their dreams. This meant renovating the kitchen to create an open floor plan style with all new appliances, cabinetry and granite countertops

The decision to go small is about her personal values, committing to a lifestyle, and living within her means. The move to design small is a subjective decision that weighs in on a number of factors that can’t possibly be summed up in one statement, but the obvious benefits jump to the front...easier to maintain, less cleaning, less expensive, less debt, less environmental impact, less temptation to accumulate. Her design requirements were simple, small footprint less than 1000 sq. ft., garage below the living area, and take advantage of the amazing view. It’s smaller than the average house, but designed in a way that it won’t feel like a shoebox. My client thought long and hard about downsizing her home and her lifestyle, and she couldn’t be happier