The Surprise Star of Home Design?

For the last child still living at home, my philosophy on their bedroom upkeep and maintenance was simple: close the door. So you can imagine my surprise one weekend when my youngest daughter pulled into the driveway, home from college and began unloading storage containers and hanging systems from Target out of her SUV. I couldn’t resist the raised eyebrow and smirk. She shot right back, “What?? I’ve got to get organized!”

Amazing. Even the evolving brain of a teenager eventually craves order from chaos.

In the adult world, that’s one of the joys of designing spaces—bringing order to chaos. Some of the chef's kitchens, laundry rooms, home offices, and over-the-top storage projects we’ve worked on are nothing short of fantasy come to life. I once spent hours guiding groups through a grand remodeling project we helped bring to life—complete with soaring beamed ceilings, a graceful balustrade and banister, an oversized master bath, and a dream kitchen.

And yet, what left people truly wide-eyed? The mudroom. Family lockers. A built-in pet washing station. Like the stock photo above, people stood oohing and awing.

Go figure.