Grandparents’ House Reimagined
Honestly, you don’t even need to read this, because Jessica’s review of our work says it all. We cried tears of happiness when we read it, because this is exactly why we do what we do.
This professional couple – Kevin and Jessica -- and their toddler moved into Jessica’s grandparents’ house, a home where Jessica and her siblings had spent many happy hours, when Grandma and Grandpa moved to a smaller place. Soon after, their baby boy was born – and there was no time to do anything but try to keep their heads above water.
Here’s what we found: Toys scattered in every room, overflowing closets, lots of donated dressers and consoles and chests, but oddly, no storage, nowhere to sit down – and both spouses working at home.
The first step –well, there was no first step, because so many things had to be done concurrently –culling, emptying, ordering, updating, all in accordance with the kids’ napping schedule and school vacations. Fortunately, at Family Friendly Designs, we’re awesome multitaskers.
On the docket: a big-boy room for the youngest, one giant sectional for the living room, one regular sofa for the family room, both in the most bullet-proof performance fabrics on the market, made by our favorite custom sofa-maker (no, not more expensive – actually less expensive than C & B). New carpets, fresh paint throughout, installation of new wood floors, refinishing existing ones, plenty of built-in cabinetry. New rugs for family room and living room –we use a great company that makes cool carpet squares that you can pick up and wash. Yogurt spill, anyone?
An entirely re-envisioned living room – ripped out the quasi-Colonial fireplace surround and mantle, chose black herringbone tile, had a sleek black mantle made to fit, and chose a berry chair and a yellow faux leather ottoman that sings “we are young, we are fun…”
The stair railing shrieked “late 80s spec house,” and we designed a installed a new one – yes, we have people for that, too. Sleek black iron – and completely changed the look of the foyer. We took out one of those deep, dark understairs closets and built a mini mudroom, a perfect mix of charm and utility.
Kevin was working out of the guestroom, crammed in between a wall and a queen-size bed, not a great corporate look, even if you use a Zoom backdrop. We ordered a full wall beautiful blue built-in cabinetry that includes a Murphy bed. Kevin’s parents, who come to stay from the East Coast, were very happy.
We converted a big chunk of the gigantic three-car garage to a playroom. We called in our garage floor specialists, who coated and filled the floor, then broke the bank (not really – think under $600) on Ikea toy storage. Ceiling lights and ceiling heaters came next – and now the family has a 365-day play space that everyone loves. Kevin has his gym set-up out there, and Jessica likes it so much that she’s taken one corner for her office. A roaring success.
Sometimes the little things make all the difference – new bedding and towels, a paint job for the kitchen cabinets. A new round kitchen table on a chic black pedestal – top made of bullet proof granite. New sleek minimalist ceiling lighting fixtures all around.
Perhaps the biggest challenge here was helping Jessica figure out what could go and what should stay. Some were just hand-me-downs that she’d accepted because she’s a sweetheart, but other items had sentimental value. It took a lot of talking and exploring to separate one from the other – plenty of sidewalk freebies and a few trips to the dump (yes, we handle that), but eventually, we got there.
We started in early spring. By the time the reframed art and the new art was on the walls (we helped them select it) the atmosphere in their house was light and cheery, the Christmas tree was up – and the kids were waiting for Santa.
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“If you’re a busy working mom looking to improve how your home looks and functions without sacrificing time with your family or career, Family Friendly Designs (FFD) is the perfect choice.
I discovered FFD through a recommendation in the Mainstreet Mamas of Marin Facebook group. After checking out the website, I emailed Cathryn, and she responded quickly. We scheduled a consultation for the following weekend.
During the consultation, Cathryn visited our house and really listened to our needs. We have two young children, ages 2 and 5, both my husband and I work full-time at demanding jobs, and my husband’s east coast family often visits and needs a comfortable place to stay. At the time, our home was struggling to meet these demands. My husband was working out of a cramped guest room, our dining room-turned-playroom was overrun with toys and failed organization attempts, and our garage was a chaotic storage space cluttered with things we no longer needed.
Cathryn immediately started brainstorming solutions: converting the garage into a playroom, adding a Murphy bed in the guest room/office, building storage in the family room, and replacing furniture with more modern, functional options. Excited about these ideas, we engaged her on the spot for 20 hours to begin work.
From there, the project evolved into a complete transformation of our home. We ended up replacing our floors (with new hardwood and staining old ones to match), adding custom closets for everyone, creating a mudroom in the entryway, and reclaiming our living room as a comfortable family space instead of a cluttered play zone.
We also got to work with Alice, an incredibly talented and hands-on member of the FFD team. Alice handled everything from organizing toys and clothes to framing, hanging, spray painting (everything black, of course!), and bringing Cathryn’s vision to life in ways we hadn’t even imagined.
FFD made the entire process as easy and stress-free as possible. Cathryn hired and managed all contractors—each of them pre-vetted and professional. If something went wrong, she took care of it, often ensuring that vendors covered the cost of their mistakes. Her dedication to protecting our budget was honestly better than I would have managed myself!
FFD kept us on track with meticulous expense tracking (all available in a shared Google Doc at any time), calendar scheduling (added directly to our calendars), and timely text reminders. Her responsiveness was a lifesaver during the project.
Cathryn’s design ideas for furniture, bedding, and upholstery were thoughtful and always tailored to our needs. She even suggested hiring a family photographer, managed the printing and framing, and created a gorgeous gallery wall with Alice—all I had to do was pick my favorite photos.
FFD also tackled the overwhelming task of decluttering our home. Items we no longer needed were sold, donated, or hauled away, and they handled it all. Now, our garage has epoxy floors and IKEA storage that makes toy cleanup easy—even the kids can do it!
The results exceeded all expectations. Our downstairs is now a stylish, organized, and functional space perfect for life with young kids. We have backpack bins, low coat hangers, and durable, stain-proof furniture that suits our lifestyle. The new systems allow our kids to dress themselves and clean up independently, which has been a game-changer.
Since the redesign, our lives have truly improved:
- We’ve hosted more friends and family in the past 6 weeks than we did all of last year.
- Our home is consistently more organized, thanks to built-in storage, custom closets, and a functional mudroom.
- Our children are more independent with systems designed just for them.
If I could do it all over again, I absolutely would—and sooner! Family Friendly Designs made a huge difference in our home and our lives, and I wholeheartedly recommend Cathryn and her team to anyone looking to create a space that truly works for their family.”
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