Clients seek our services for our design finesse and meticulous attention to detail. Every project we undertake begins with a deeply personal conversation where we take the time to get to know what makes you.
Imagine your home being transformed into a reflection of your taste and the way you live your life. We mold each room to your routines and preferences, informed by the precise measurements we take of your ergonomics and the way you use each space.
For a beloved client last summer, we put the same attention to detail towards her mere 49 square foot library. In her lovely historic bungalow, this room needed to function as not one but three unique spaces. A guest room, a sitting room for her book club, and a place to raise prize-winning puppies for her legacy of dog shows all over the world. Her home is filled with tasteful worldly collections, with intricately crafted wooden frames and glorious art from her travels to Indonesia.
Like many of our clients, although she might not admit her impeccable taste, it’s apparent in her home. A desire to find the intersection of her favorite styles is what brought her to Miller Interior Design for her suburban residence design project. Her first love is Art Nouveau. Her tastes have been influenced by travels in the Czech Republic and an adoration for the textiles and patterns she found there, as well as her treasures collected in Indonesia. She sought our help in making her collections cohesive and accomplishing the impossible: turning a small room into a multifunctional, efficient space to meet the needs of every season in her home.
We admired the vintage settee set and textiles she collected in Prague. But they stood alone in the room, not feeling quite at home just yet. Her bookshelves were overflowing. Even the petite settee left no room for a guest bed, and she didn’t want the hassle of moving one in and out of storage multiple times a year. She wanted guests to have a comfortable bed and nightstand configuration that doubled as storage through the rest of the year. She needed a creative solution. We introduced her to the idea of a concealed wall bed, which turned out to be the perfect answer; it’s compact, has ample storage above, and folds out of the way when not needed.
We set about designing a custom wall bed. We measured her library and determined the exact dimensions necessary to accommodate the depth of the unit while still maximizing the space left over. We drafted elevations of the nightstand, shelves, and each wall of paneling to keep everyone on the same page. And my, did they come in handy when communicating with the team!
With custom specified paneling and LED lighting, our wall bed design offered ample shelving and details designed to coordinate with the original 1920’s molding that dressed the rest of the house. Our affinity for communicating with architects, contractors, and craftsmen alike is why we specialize in suburban residence design projects like this one. We delight in the details, crafting thorough specifications and managing every project phase with forethought and efficiency.
We worked closely with our client to understand the habits of her overnight guests, from a small mirror and a USB plug in the built-in nightstand to a spot to hang up clothes. The rolling ladder served to access the top shelf that wraps around the perimeter of the room to hold books, and also as a place to leave folded blankets or towels for the house guest. The wall bed cavity was deep enough to allow the bed to be folded up when it was made up so that even during their stay the room could be used as a sitting room.
We took inspiration from vintage sleeping cars on trains for our compact, efficient design. From their rolling ladders to the miniature nightstands, the sleeping car layouts and her tiny library were a perfect match.
For the other seasons in her home, we ensured the wall bed took up minimal space so we could tuck her Czech sofa and pair of chairs in for the reading club. We chose a beautiful pattern from her friend’s store in the Czech Republic to make a rolling shade for the lovely west facing window, keeping the room cool in the summer. We selected a contrasting scale to the fabric on the sofa and successfully communicated with the showroom across language and cultural barriers, learning much about the rich history of these patterns.
Then in the spring, with each new litter of puppies, we made sure the shelves and drapery were high enough to be too far for those playful little paws. We found a way to make a dramatic design statement on a simple pine floor, avoiding the risk of scratching new marquetry or staining carpet; instead, we used an outdoor-rated porch sealant over a beautiful hand painted pattern that combined her love for Czech designs and the Art Nouveau style. Genevieve designed the floor pattern by hand, inspired by extensive research and delicate blending of stylistic eras. The Art Nouveau era was very brief, and its influence on Czech designs even briefer. We discovered the term, “Szecesszio” patterns, that led us to designs from this particular moment in design history.
There’s nothing we love more than referencing accurate design history to bring character and depth to our projects. The result was this beautiful floral pattern that holds the curves and details our client loved and pulled in the colors and art that graced her home.
The color palette draws from the custom wall colors that flow beautifully throughout the rest of the house. More than 60 hours, 20 different brushes, and one giant stencil later, the design fits the room like a glove. It speaks fluently with the Czech fabrics and sculptures in the room and communes beautifully with the Art Nouveau pieces throughout her bungalow. We were honored to orchestrate this artistic process and design something so unique.
Speaking of art, we found the perfect pedestal to highlight the Balinese carved wooden figure she brought back from her travels. We added carefully placed lighting above on a separate switch and voilá: a built-in display case! The surrounding shelves hold her books and references in order of use, storing well loved but less often sourced collections on the perimeter shelf above.
We took great joy in weaving these designs together to create a space that functions seamlessly and is a perfect reflection of her taste. There’s nothing we love more than a satisfied client. We take delight in our suburban residence design projects, and we maintain close relations with the most respected contractors and architectural firms in the Seattle area to serve the needs of every project we undertake.
Allow us to orchestrate the details of your remodel, acting as a liaison between the many hands at work. Sit back as we transform your home into a place that is both deeply enlivening and distinctly personal.
