Design for Change

Incorporating Medical Equipment into a Stylish Space

Kathleen — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 15:29:09 +0000

Having a family member with special medical needs means facing all kinds of challenges. From a design perspective, creating a room that functions for these needs while providing comfort, cheer and inspiration to all family members is a call to creativity! Recently I had the exciting opportunity to help fulfill another wish granted by The […]

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Extreme Storage Challenge

Kathleen — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 23:08:24 +0000

Two little girls with medical needs, two nurses, two oxygen tanks and respirators, two TVs, clothing, specialized food and feeding devices, 800 DVDs, oh and yes, a place for Mom to sit – in one room. This was my most recent challenge from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This beautiful family has adopted two very disabled little […]

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Wishing For A New Bedroom

Kathleen — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 16:42:25 +0000

I recently had the honor of being asked by the Make A Wish Foundation to design a new bedroom for a teenage girl named Cyrel who lives with severe disabilities. We began by determining how her room would function with the dual goals of creating an enchanting bedroom as well as an inviting space where […]

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Having Company

Kathleen — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 19:16:15 +0000

Most of us dress the house up for company. We might buy fresh flowers, plan a menu, or even go as far as polishing the silver. I confess I went a bit farther last weekend. We were honored by being asked to be on The Capitol Hill House and Garden Tour. Being the crazy woman […]

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Temporary Quarters

Kathleen — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:30:22 +0000

Creating Home in Temporary Spaces We live in a transient world. Life pulls us here and there and yet still we long for a small space to call home. I read a wonderful book recently by Xorin Balbes called Soul Space; Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life. In it he writes about his partner’s […]

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Design for Change: Vacation Memories

Kathleen — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 18:03:38 +0000

It is so hard to say good-bye to vacation and leave behind sensations in which you reveled. Why not bring some pieces home with you to invoke the memories and call up feelings that you experienced? My dear friend Pam has several ways in which she does this. On her kitchen counter stands a […]

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Outdoor Living: Dining Al Fresco

Kathleen — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:08:30 +0000

Eating in the open air is such a treat. Wine, Cheese and Cherries on the dock; a picnic of bread and cheese, pancakes on the porch; what could be more delightful? I think the reason we don’t do this more often is because it seems like too much work. The path of least resistance […]

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Empty Nest Blues? Try Orange For a Sunny New Outlook

Kathleen — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:22:47 +0000

New colors, fresh upholstery, and new drapes can all put a fresh new perspective on one’s personal space and outlook. Of course this does not mean that one has to do away with favorite old furniture, artifacts, habits, etc. But sometimes it is good to shake things up a bit. For some this might mean […]

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Designing a Space Around a Favorite Object

Kathleen — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 13:45:07 +0000

When this client arrived in DC to take up a long-term temporary job assignment, he wanted a place to call home, even while he maintained a permanent home in another city and spent most weekends there. To make the most of a small space, a Murphy bed was purchased and installed in the nook of […]

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Children + Divorce = That Topsy Turvy Feeling

Kathleen — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 12:03:47 +0000

When faced with their parent’s divorcing most children feel a frightening lack of control. Of course they need lots of reassurance about how this was a grown-up decision having nothing to do with how much both parents love them. One good idea is to find ways in which children can exert a bit of control […]

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