You know what’s not ideal? Two young boys, two dogs and an absolutely unusable large backyard. In the winter, when the existing bricks met piles of wet leaves, the dad described it as “as slick as an ice skating rink.” No good. Liz had already launched the project with a team of well-meaning landscapers when she got a little nervous and called me in to make it serviceable and peaceful. The red brick was driving her batty, and she wasn’t sure how to lay the pavers that had already arrived, in bulk, from Home Depot. There she was, with crumbling brick and concrete, three different styles of redwood fence, and some very oddly shaped spaces, including a spot for an outdoor table that was skinny and long.

We made it all come together, ordering outdoor furniture, including a beautiful super-narrow dining table and seating from DWR, and Adirondack chairs and a firepit. We sorted out the wonky paver problem, and laid down DG.

I brought in Alfredo, my very favorite native plant gardener wizard. We ordered a truckload of plants from my go-to wholesale nursery (trade only) in Colma, saving vast amounts of money. Alfredo made sure that the app-based watering system — I like B-hyve — was actually working.

Favorite story: Like most of the two-career families I work with, Liz and her husband are VERY busy — so we met at 8 am on Saturday mornings, coffee mugs in hand. One of those mornings, I was carrying pint can samples of stain and a couple of paint brushes. The plan was to try some colors on the many-different-tone fences. Two adorable little boys greeted me and asked if they could also “paint.”

Now you know that I run Garage Art Workshop — an after-school program for elementary-school age kids. And I love stimulating every child’s desire to create. But the samples of stain in my hands were — um — going to stain anything they came in contact with, including the boys and the two elderly dogs. And it’s fair to say that what was in those cans was likely to be toxic if inhaled or swallowed, heaven forbid. But their mom (amazed that I would even countenance this addition to my original work order) said it was okay, and under my supervision, the boys took a crack at staining a fence. Good practice, since redwood fences need to be stained every five years, at least. By the time those fences are due for an overhaul, those guys will be ready.

I also spec’d all of the outdoor lighting, and brought exterior lighting magician Juan in to install it. Now, the outdoor space is ready for evening parties.

Liz had a mile-long “dream” list of what she’d like to do inside the house. Most of it would have to wait until the bank account recovered from the outdoor work. That’s standard procedure for my clients. That’s why we work in phases. You get a clear sense of accomplishment, without unnecessary financial stress.

But in phase 1, here’s what else we did:

1- Liz didn’t like the stain color on her husband’s parents’ heirloom dining room table — a really curvaceous little number that should never, ever have been stained taupe. We sent it off to Sacramento (saved a lot of $$$) for rejuvenation and it came back a beautiful blond, proud of its voluptuous figure.

2- Chairs were urgently needed for that table —and Liz found some terrific black ones at Serena & Lily’s outlet store in Berkeley. A quick phone consult with FFD, and they were hers, and a bargain.

3- The house had some quality wood floors, but they’d yellowed with age. When the family went on vacation, they left the refinisher in charge and came back to gleaming, pale oak.

4- The front entry desperately needed a facelift, and we found the perfect piece from Joss. & Main. We also bought a nice little end table for the living room from West Elm. Sometimes you save more than you pay me in fees.

5- Liz had a treasure trove of paintings and prints in the garage — but all of them needed reframing, in a consistent and modern manner. My pals up at CP in San Rafael knew exactly what to do, at a terrific price. I popped them into the frames for her — and now her favorite pieces make her house feel much more like home.

Here’s what Liz had to say about working with Family Friendly Designs:
”Cathryn came into my life just when I needed her most. I fortuitously came upon her website - like the universe knew that I desperately needed her to rescue me. And she did! Cathryn’s incredible problem solving and decision making skills to helped me navigate the many decisions and hiccups that come with every home project. She was quick to provide answers, solutions, resources, and design advice - in addition to some much needed hand holding - whenever I needed it. She had the ability to understand my style and help me visualize the end goals. After a month with Cathryn we had a beautiful landscaped yard, refreshed home interior, and a plan for future projects when our budget allows.”