From our Go Fund me Page Feb. 2016 Princess Kaylee is only two and a half years old and was recently diagnosed with cancer. We need your generosity so that we can give her the enchanted room of her dreams as she endures 2.5 years of treatments. We're breaking out our magic wands and designing a gorgeous room for this sweet little girl. With your assistance, we can create a fairy tale space for Kaylee and her family to rest and recover. Kaylee's story hits especially close to home in our tight-knit community. Her mother, Kelly, is an oncology nurse at Rady Children's Hospital. Yes, you read that correctly - her mother has spent the last 8 years compassionately caring after children who have been diagnosed with cancer. In fact, she was one of the dedicated nurses who so wonderfully cared for Savvy Giving by Design's very first recipient, Kasey Harvey. And Kelly is not the only hero in this family. Kaylee's father, Jared, is a local CHP officer who keeps our streets safe and not long ago rescued multiple children after a lengthy stand-off with their abductor. http://www.10news.com/news/chp-officers-relive-moments-in-highway-standoff-121214 Jared and Kelly have two beautiful children. Their son Drew is 5 years-old and daughter Kaylee will turn 3 in August. Kaylee's diagnosis, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, turned this family's world upside down. While her prognosis is, thankfully, very good (with a 93% cure rate), the treatment will be incredibly arduous. Kaylee is facing 2.5 years of ongoing treatment with periods of intense chemotherapy followed by "maintenance" chemo. As hard as it is to believe, Kaylee's treatment will not be complete until she is 5 years-old and preparing to enter kindergarten. Given the ongoing and onerous treatment regimen that Kaylee faces, Savvy Giving by Design knows that she will need a beautiful and comfortable room where she can rest and be visited by family and friends. Kaylee is currently transitioning out of her crib and we have big intentions for this princess-loving little girl. Our plan is to combine fun and functionality with details and personal touches that will show Kaylee that there is an entire community rallying behind her. We will incorporate Kaylee's favorite colors (pink and purple) and turn her fantasies into reality by installing a built-in castle bed that makes her room feel magical and shows this little girl that anything is possible. This room will have some very personal special touches incorporated into it to pay tribute to Kaylee's fairy godmother. When Kelly was 13, she lost her very best friend, Jessica, to cancer. Kelly paid tribute to her dear friend by naming her daughter Kaylee Jessica and she wholeheartedly believes that Jessica will be watching over her little girl as she travels this difficult road. With sufficient funding, we will also be able to do a little makeover for Kaylee's knight in shining armor, her big brother Drew. We recognize and appreciate that Drew faces a struggle all his own as his little sister battles this disease. Savvy Giving by Design is a the philanthropic arm of Savvy Interiors, Inc. We are registered with the state of California as a nonprofit and awaiting our "formal" 501(c)(3) designation by the IRS. Your donations are tax-deductible. All monies collected will go directly to this space! Any excess funds will be distributed directly to the family. Since late 2014, Savvy Giving by Design has transformed 8 spaces and our ultimate goal is to have sufficient funding to take on one project each month. As stated in our founding documents, "Our mission is to provide comfort, support, and healing to families with a child facing a medical crisis by transforming the interior spaces of their homes at no cost to them". We hope you will support our mission to makeover these two rooms for this very deserving family and give Kaylee and Drew's loving parents the gift of knowing that their children are happy, safe, and ready to take on the battle of a lifetime. If you would like to join and follow Kaylee's team page, "Tutu's and Chemo drips," you can do so here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/158667784506286/ To join our ongoing grass roots efforts, please join our Savvy Giving closed group page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SavvyGivingbyDesign/

Example of a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor home office design in Atlanta with gray walls

Our clients relocated to Ann Arbor and struggled to find an open layout home that was fully functional for their family. We worked to create a modern inspired home with convenient features and beautiful finishes. This 4,500 square foot home includes 6 bedrooms, and 5.5 baths. In addition to that, there is a 2,000 square feet beautifully finished basement. It has a semi-open layout with clean lines to adjacent spaces, and provides optimum entertaining for both adults and kids. The interior and exterior of the home has a combination of modern and transitional styles with contrasting finishes mixed with warm wood tones and geometric patterns.

Craft room - small coastal built-in desk light wood floor craft room idea in Other with white walls

The back garden was conceived as a spiritual meditation garden. It's laid out as three interlocking ellipses, each raised 6" from the previous. The links speak to life struggles, and ascent to a higher spiritual plateau. Perennials with warmer colors are sited around the first link, with flowers eventually turned to a pure white and royal purples and blues in the last and highest link. There's also a walking path around the perimeter of this garden.

A Thoughtful Condo Makeover for a Young Chef in the Making This project began with a middle-aged couple looking to refresh their one-bedroom condo for their young adult son. The unit had been a rental for years and wasn’t well-suited to his needs. The kitchen had an awkward, oversized island, the closets lacked functionality, and the overall look was outdated—cream walls, mismatched narrow flooring, and beige tiles throughout. The bathroom also needed serious attention, with grimy, moldy finishes. After a tough renovation experience years ago in their other home, the family knew they needed someone they could trust. Having worked with Andrei before, they turned to Sosna with full confidence. While the general layout remained similar, some key changes made a big impact. The oversized island was replaced with a peninsula, which opened up the space and provided extra storage and a longer counter surface. New custom closet organizers were designed specifically around the son's lifestyle, and the bedroom closet got a set of new doors. We also replaced all of the flooring, using medium-gray porcelain tiles in the foyer and kitchen, and light wood-look vinyl in the living areas and bedroom. To ensure a smooth transition between materials, we used self-leveling compound to keep everything even. Despite working around holiday delivery schedules and condo board renovation policies, the project stayed on track and was completed on time. The result is a fresh, Japandi-inspired home that’s both stylish and functional. The kitchen features light wood cabinetry, leathered quartz countertops, a large-format tile backsplash, and matte black accents that bring it all together. A single-bowl sink now easily accommodates a Dutch oven, and the thoughtful closet design gives the son plenty of organized storage space. Fresh paint and updated finishes create a calming, cohesive atmosphere. One memorable part of the process was helping the family work through design decisions together. As close as they are, they had different tastes and sometimes struggled to align. With clear guidance, we helped them move forward with confidence and find solutions they all loved. Now, their son has a space that reflects his personality and passions—and the family has peace of mind knowing it was done right.

Our clients wanted to increase the size of their kitchen, which was small, in comparison to the overall size of the home. They wanted a more open livable space for the family to be able to hang out downstairs. They wanted to remove the walls downstairs in the front formal living and den making them a new large den/entering room. They also wanted to remove the powder and laundry room from the center of the kitchen, giving them more functional space in the kitchen that was completely opened up to their den. The addition was planned to be one story with a bedroom/game room (flex space), laundry room, bathroom (to serve as the on-suite to the bedroom and pool bath), and storage closet. They also wanted a larger sliding door leading out to the pool. We demoed the entire kitchen, including the laundry room and powder bath that were in the center! The wall between the den and formal living was removed, completely opening up that space to the entry of the house. A small space was separated out from the main den area, creating a flex space for them to become a home office, sitting area, or reading nook. A beautiful fireplace was added, surrounded with slate ledger, flanked with built-in bookcases creating a focal point to the den. Behind this main open living area, is the addition. When the addition is not being utilized as a guest room, it serves as a game room for their two young boys. There is a large closet in there great for toys or additional storage. A full bath was added, which is connected to the bedroom, but also opens to the hallway so that it can be used for the pool bath. The new laundry room is a dream come true! Not only does it have room for cabinets, but it also has space for a much-needed extra refrigerator. There is also a closet inside the laundry room for additional storage. This first-floor addition has greatly enhanced the functionality of this family’s daily lives. Previously, there was essentially only one small space for them to hang out downstairs, making it impossible for more than one conversation to be had. Now, the kids can be playing air hockey, video games, or roughhousing in the game room, while the adults can be enjoying TV in the den or cooking in the kitchen, without interruption! While living through a remodel might not be easy, the outcome definitely outweighs the struggles throughout the process.

Stewart Bird
Inspiration for a small rustic l-shaped vinyl floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Vancouver with a drop-in sink, shaker cabinets, light wood cabinets, laminate countertops, stainless steel appliances and an island

This project was for a long time client of mine who lives in a wonderful patio home with a finished basement. There were several challenges with which to contend. First, as you enter the Foyer, all of the spaces are open to each other so we had to make sure everything worked together. Second, furniture arrangement had always been a struggle for the large living area with the fireplace on an angled corner wall and large built-in. Last, although the homeowner loves color – especially blue/greens – we had to convince her to bring it into her home as an accent and make it work with the other spaces. We started with a neutral sofa positioned across from the built-ins and paired it with a settee in a blue/green fabric. The settee does not block the fireplace and reinforces our color scheme. The homeowner upgraded her husband’s chair and ottoman with a contemporary leather one, and we added a perfectly scaled swivel chair to the corner next to the built-ins. We finished off the space with a mixture of unique accent tables including a beautiful coffee table with wood inlay, a small metal french drink table, a two-tiered egg shaped table, and a pedestal table with marble top. We added lighting, artwork and accessories to the built-ins and tables to complete the space. We also added blue/green accessories to the breakfast area to make the spaces flow seamlessly. We love how these spaces in the Open Concept Redesign turned out. It is a very pleasing palette that does not overwhelm the spaces, but adds interest. Enjoy!

This project was such an incredible design opportunity, and instilled inspiration and excitement at every turn! Our amazing clients came to us with the challenge of converting their beloved family home into a welcoming haven for all members of the family. At the time that we met our clients, they were struggling with the difficult personal decision of the fate of the home. Their father/father-in-law had passed away and their mother/mother-in-law had recently been admitted into a nursing facility and was fighting Alzheimer’s. Resistant to loss of the home now that both parents were out of it, our clients purchased the home to keep in in the family. Despite their permanent home currently being in New Jersey, these clients dedicated themselves to keeping and revitalizing the house. We were moved by the story and became immediately passionate about bringing this dream to life. The home was built by the parents of our clients and was only ever owned by them, making this a truly special space to the family. Our goal was to revitalize the home and to bring new energy into every room without losing the special characteristics that were original to the home when it was built. In this way, we were able to develop a house that maintains its own unique personality while offering a space of welcoming neutrality for all members of the family to enjoy over time. The renovation touched every part of the home: the exterior, foyer, kitchen, living room, sun room, garage, six bedrooms, three bathrooms, the laundry room, and everything in between. The focus was to develop a style that carried consistently from space to space, but allowed for unique expression in the small details in every room. Starting at the entry, we renovated the front door and entry point to offer more presence and to bring more of the mid-century vibe to the home’s exterior. We integrated a new modern front door, cedar shingle accents, new exterior paint, and gorgeous contemporary house numbers that really allow the home to stand out. Just inside the entry, we renovated the foyer to create a playful entry point worthy of attention. Cement look tile adorns the foyer floor, and we’ve added new lighting and upgraded the entry coat storage. Upon entering the home, one will immediately be captivated by the stunning kitchen just off the entry. We transformed this space in just about every way. While the footprint of the home ultimately remained almost identical, the aesthetics were completely turned on their head. We re-worked the kitchen to maximize storage and to create an informal dining area that is great for casual hosting or morning coffee. We removed the entry to the garage that was once in the informal dining, and created a peninsula in its place that offers a unique division between the kitchen/informal dining and the formal dining and living areas. The simple light warm light gray cabinetry offers a bit of traditional elegance, along with the marble backsplash and quartz countertops. We extended the original wood flooring into the kitchen and stained all floors to match for a warmth that truly resonates through all spaces. We upgraded appliances, added lighting everywhere, and finished the space with some gorgeous mid century furniture pieces. In the formal dining and living room, we really focused on maintaining the original marble fireplace as a focal point. We cleaned the marble, repaired the mortar, and refinished the original fireplace screen to give a new sleek look in black. We then integrated a new gas insert for modern heating and painted the upper portion in a rich navy blue; an accent that is carried through the home consistently as a nod to our client’s love of the color. The former entry into the old covered porch is now an elegant glass door leading to a stunning finished sunroom. This room was completely upgraded as well. We wrapped the entire space in cozy white shiplap to keep a casual feel with brightness. We tiled the floor with large format concrete look tile, and painted the old brick fireplace a bright white. We installed a new gas burning unit, and integrated transitional style lighting to bring warmth and elegance into the space. The new black-frame windows are adorned with decorative shades that feature hand-sketched bird prints, and we’ve created a dedicated garden-ware “nook” for our client who loves to work in the yard. The far end of this space is completed with two oversized chaise loungers and overhead lights…the most perfect little reading nook! Just off the dining room, we created an entirely new space to the home: a mudroom. The clients lacked this space and desperately needed a landing spot upon entering the home from the garage. We uniquely planned existing space in the garage to utilize for this purpose, and were able to create a small but functional entry point without losing the ability to park cars in the garage. This new space features cement-look tile, gorgeous deep brown cabinetry, and plenty of storage for all the small items one might need to store while moving in and out of the home. The remainder of the upstairs level includes massive renovations to the guest hall bathroom and guest bedroom, upstairs master bed/bath suite, and a third bedroom that we converted into a home office for the client. Some of the largest transformations were made in the basement, where unfinished space and lack of light were converted into gloriously lit, cozy, finished spaces. Our first task was to convert the massive basement living room into the new master bedroom for our clients. We removed existing built-ins, created an entirely new walk-in closet, painted the old brick fireplace, installed a new gas unit, added carpet, introduced new lighting, replaced windows, and upgraded every part of the aesthetic appearance. One of the most incredible features of this space is the custom double sliding barn door made by a Denver artisan. This space is truly a retreat for our clients! We also completely transformed the laundry room, back storage room, basement master bathroom, and two bedrooms. This home’s massive scope and ever-evolving challenges were thrilling and exciting to work with, and the result is absolutely amazing. At the end of the day, this home offers a look and feel that the clients love. Above all, though, the clients feel the spirit of their family home and have a welcoming environment for all members of the family to enjoy for years to come.

Before installing solar screens, this Las Vegas homeowner struggled with harsh sun, hot rooms, and rising energy bills. The desert heat was making afternoons unbearable—until they called Best Custom Screens Las Vegas. Our expert team installed custom-fit solar screens designed to block UV rays, reduce heat, and improve comfort. With over 30 years of experience, we delivered fast, clean installation—and big results. Now the home stays cooler, looks great, and the customer finally feels at ease. Las Vegas heat? Handled. Solar screen installation? Done right. Trust Best Custom Screens Las Vegas for your next window screen upgrade.

A view from the lawn looking back at the house. The sedge in the tree well creates the feeling of more lawn while keeping mowers and weedwhackers away from struggling oaks.

Rickie Apapito
Kitchen - coastal kitchen idea in Orlando

Our clients relocated to Ann Arbor and struggled to find an open layout home that was fully functional for their family. We worked to create a modern inspired home with convenient features and beautiful finishes. This 4,500 square foot home includes 6 bedrooms, and 5.5 baths. In addition to that, there is a 2,000 square feet beautifully finished basement. It has a semi-open layout with clean lines to adjacent spaces, and provides optimum entertaining for both adults and kids. The interior and exterior of the home has a combination of modern and transitional styles with contrasting finishes mixed with warm wood tones and geometric patterns.

This back garden space was struggling with a chafer beetle infestation and the intention was to create a lawn free, low maintenance space. Cedar beams extend through the patio into the landscape framing the tree. River rock and basalt boulders add interest to the space and contrast the surrounding plantings.

Vistafolia's luxurious foliage panels provided the perfect decorative screening solution for this classic formal garden in Hampstead, London, harmonizing beautifully with the conventional elegance of the scheme. Privacy screening with the customary trellis from the neighboring property posed a problem in the shady boundary space, as real planting would struggle without sufficient natural light. The client also desired an attractive green backdrop to improve the visual appeal of the bust sculpture as well as the handsome formal trees lining the perimeter.

The kitchen is where you spend most of your time, shouldn’t it be the most inviting room in the house? That was the logic behind this South Shore of Boston Renovision. The owners entertained frequently but struggled with lack of organized storage space and poor flow for traffic in and out of their kitchen. Renovisions totally reorganized the way the kitchen worked. The wall between the family room and kitchen was re-built to accommodate bar stools and added countertop space. Considerations were given to the design layout for a separate beverage/wine refrigeration station, while making sure additional prep space was adequate. A better flow in the kitchen was created, eliminating the annoyance of the typical ‘bottle-neck’. Fine shaker cabinetry in a white painted finish with contrasting dark blue-grey island cabinets which boast large, deep drawers set the stage. A full gamut of appliances was provided including a 36” induction cooktop, convection microwave, double wall ovens, full size refrigerator and a bar refrigerator. The matching paneled dishwasher ensured an integrated look. The custom wood hood along with the unique shaped arabesque glass tile design frames a stunning focal point when entering this kitchen. Glass mullion doors flanking the hood with clear seeded glass created an upscale look and coordinated with the seeded glass shades of the island pendants. Renovisions custom fit red oak wood flooring to match the existing floor and then re-finished with a grey stain and 3 coats of poly to add durability while also providing a beautiful new look throughout the house. Good lighting is key especially when spending so much time in a space. LED under-cabinet lights, recessed ceiling lights and three separate pendant fixtures which all operate on dimmer switches created options for mood lighting, work lighting and everything in between. New double-hung windows with 6/1 grid configurations were added in just the right places – adding more essential natural light. In addition to the kitchen ‘Renovision’, two corner cabinets in a white painted finish were installed in the dining room to not only accommodate the clients fine china and glassware, but also to provide a more custom built-in look to the space with the interior of the cabinets matching the wall. Overall, our client could not have been happier with the completed project. Family, friends and guests were impressed with the design and fit and finish of every detail provided by Renovisions.

In coming to Minnesota from Iceland, the owners of Home 4 found themselves more than 3,000 miles away from home, hoping to build something new – literally and figuratively – that would feel like home for their family of five. They purchased a scenic piece of land in Rochester and identified a general idea of the spaces they would need, but they struggled with how to define a sense of character that would incorporate their culture and identity into the design. The architect-led design team was tasked with creating a house that would help establish the homeowners’ roots in a new country while still recalling familiar comforts of their heritage. The result is a warm family home that combines elements of Nordic design with a touch of American farmhouse aesthetic. Gracious proportions, custom woodworking, and cheerful details create a welcoming atmosphere, while modern conveniences like a large mudroom and second-floor laundry help day-to-day life feel easy. Around each corner, a new detail greets the eye, from the Lundie-inspired column at the staircase, to the double-heart detail inscribed in the woodwork, to the custom table designed for the breakfast nook. Each element is lovely individually, but experiencing the holistic effect as the details intentionally pair and play together helps to craft a house that feels like home. Most important, the homeowners’ history, heritage, and hopes are melded together into a home that represents their family. Each unique element and carefully considered material combine to form a house that feels as if it could have belonged to this family for generations, even though it is brand new.

This backyard space got a full make-over. The 3 citrus trees were existing, but struggling due to no water source. Using almost exclusively CA Native plants and a variety of low, small succulents, we created a functional space for this family to enjoy: A Meandering decomposed granite path, perennial garden beds around the entire perimeter, a CA Native Grass area for a kids play area, and just out of sight behind the garage we installed gravel to add another texture to the garden. Also featured is a small paver pad for sitting around a small fire pit or for a hammock.