Plain Pieces - Photos & Ideas

I first came to Mary Beth’s home to help with her living room. But that changed when we looked at the office, and started talking about how it wasn’t working. When I stepped it to take a look, I immediately noticed how heavy and cramped it felt. Too many large pieces and clutter created a feeling of overwhelm. It needed to be redone. Since Mary Beth works full time from home, I wanted to help her make this a space where she could be productive, and feel good about being in for long periods of time. The end result is an impressive transformation – and it was done very affordably. “Prior to the re-design, my office was a cluttered, disorganized mess that really said nothing about who I am. I tended to use it as a catch all for things I didn’t know where to put or what to do with,” tells Mary Beth. Now, she says it feels so much better working in there, and even got rave reviews from her family when they visited for the Holidays. “It’s now well-organized, bright and seems to flow in the way it’s laid out”. To remove clutter and the “heavy” feeling, two large bookcases and the couch were removed, and lots of time was spent decluttering. A nicer bookcase was moved to a place that made more sense; together with a cozy rug and upholstered chair we created a lovely reading area, a place she can also relax. A neutral green on the walls is also soothing, and brings an element of nature inside. Groupings of photos from her travels hang on the walls now, and a larger piece of art creates a focal point. A piece I was delighted to help her find – hand-painted but affordably priced – it makes Mary Beth feel happy, “The art above the desk is beautiful, and it showed me that big doesn’t have to be overwhelming”. A new desk, relocated to the “command position” in the room (a more powerful placement) is also less weighty than what she had before, but functionally allows for more workspace. We upgraded her desk chair to a high-back leather one. In total, this setup was intentional, for an enhanced feeling of being in control. Mary Beth notes, “I love the desk and how it sits. I can either work by the window and look out at the garden and at the birds, which I love to do, or look out into the living room and be part of anything going on there”. On the windows we replaced metal blinds with woven roman shades, also with a natural look. They’re cordless, so nothing hangs in front of the beautiful backyard view, and they feel lighter. With the new office design, we also gave Mary Beth plenty of places for storage. Now the things she does use and need don’t need to be out in plain sight, cluttering things up. In the end, we accomplished our goal of creating a space for Mary Beth conducive to work and also enjoyable. She says, “My work attitude and feeling of what the office is has definitely changed – I like to be there even when I’m not working. It doesn’t feel only like an office but is actually a relaxing place to be”.

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It’s no surprise these Hanover clients reached out to Cathy and Ed of Renovisions for design and build services as they wanted a local professional bath specialist to turn their plain builder-grade bath into a luxurious handicapped accessible master bath. Renovisions had safety and universal design in mind while creating this customized two-person super shower and well-appointed master bath so their clients could escape to a special place to relax and energize their senses while also helping to conserve time and water as it is used simultaneously by them. This completely water proofed spacious 4’x8’ walk-in curb-less shower with lineal drain system and larger format porcelain tiles was a must have for our senior client –with larger tiles there are less grout lines, easier to clean and easier to maneuver using a walker to enter and exit the master bath. Renovisions collaborated with their clients to design a spa-like bath with several amenities and added conveniences with safety considerations. The bench seat that spans the width of the wall was a great addition to the shower. It’s a comfortable place to sit down and stretch out and also to keep warm as electric mesh warming materials were used along with a programmable thermostat to keep these homeowners toasty and cozy! Careful attention to all of the details in this master suite created a peaceful and elegant environment that, simply put, feels divine. Adding details such as the warming towel rack, mosaic tiled shower niche, shiny polished chrome decorative safety grab bars that also serve as towel racks and a towel rack inside the shower area added a measure of style. A stately framed mirror over the pedestal sink matches the warm white painted finish of the linen storage cabinetry that provides functionality and good looks to this space. Pull-down safety grab bars on either side of the comfort height high-efficiency toilet was essential to keep safety as a top priority. Water, water everywhere for this well deserving couple – multiple shower heads enhances the bathing experience for our client with mobility issues as 54 soft sprays from each wall jet provide a soothing and cleansing effect – a great choice because they do not require gripping and manipulating handles yet provide a sleek look with easy cleaning. The thermostatic valve maintains desired water temperature and volume controls allows the bather to utilize the adjustable hand-held shower on a slide-bar- an ideal fixture to shower and spray down shower area when done. A beautiful, frameless clear glass enclosure maintains a clean, open look without taking away from the stunning and richly grained marble-look tiles and decorative elements inside the shower. In addition to its therapeutic value, this shower is truly a design focal point of the master bath with striking tile work, beautiful chrome fixtures including several safety grab bars adding aesthetic value as well as safety benefits.

Sample Photography

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