residential spaces


Teen Bedroom  1
Bedroom design for a 16-year old girl.
Furnishings are all chosen to maximize floor space and make cleaning easy.
Natural products such as Cork flooring, all organic cotton bedding, latex mattress help reduce allergies.
A roll up shade made of natural grass can easily be vacuumed.
Ample work surfaces accommodate studying with a buddy. The client is an aspiring modern dance student. We left plenty of floor space to practice when at home.


 



Teen Bedroom 2
Bedroom design for a 14-year old girl using formaldehyde-free furniture, organic cotton, strand bamboo flooring, and colorful accents.
The client loves to read. An Ikea bookcase and a reading nook provide a special place for reading with the view of the outdoors.










Healthy Bedroom






Affordable Housing
These plans were prepared for an affordable housing project in Willow Glen.
The units are side by side and two-story, two-bedroom lofts on top of 1 or two bedroom units with parking at street level.






 Sustainable building materials are specified throughout.

Residential Remodel
Proposed floor and furniture plan
Existing floor plan



 In this remodel, I worked with a team of designers to create a home that suited the needs of our clients. A couple with grand children who stay over frequently and a church group that met regularly. We had a budget limitation, so we kept structural changes to a minimum. But we opened up the kitchen so our clients could interact with their guests. The two guest bedrooms are equipped with wall beds or convertible bunk beds to allow maximum flexibility. Significant improvements appear in the living room, kitchen, bedroom laundry area and office.

Multi-functional Guest Bedroom


This is a proposal for a guest bedroom furnishings in the above remodel. The clients need to have private quarters for adult relatives who may have long stays with them. But also needed the space to function as a television/den room as well.
I decided to design a built-in solution with a wall bed. When guests are visiting the wall bed could be pulled down and HIS and HERS closet space on either  side can store their belonging. When guests leave, the whole thing can be closed off, lounge chairs are pulled to the center and face the flat screen TV mounted on the opposite wall.




 furniture plan when wall bed is closed and seating is arranged for TV viewing.

 Furniture Planning and Specification


After a major remodel, I was hired to purchase new living room furniture. The client owns 3 cats that previously scratched everything in sight and created other messes.
The client loves to watch favorite sports and theatrical events on the TV on opposite wall.
The off-white modern recliner is comfortable and stylish with an EZ rocker lever. With a light touch it rocks back and forth.
The red sectional provides ample seating for company. 

With quality leather furniture, cat scratches are minimal. The messes can be wiped clean and deodorized easily. 
Keeping with the minimal furniture scheme, cleaning and vacuuming is easy and less dust accumulates on surfaces.

Healthy Bedroom Design


This bedroom was designed to eliminate dust and allergens, but to create the comfort you experience at a resort hotel room.

Floating bedside tables, allow for easy vacuuming and wood headboard is easily dusted.
Intentionally minimized table top surfaces to avoid cluttering the side tables with unnecessary objects. 
The custom wood trunk not only hides extra pillows and blankets, it keeps them dust-free for when they are needed.

Before photo









A passion for Stickley
This is a proposal for a living room of a mid-century A frame. The client is passionate about arts and crafts and Stickley furniture. With so much light coming through these windows, furniture with darker wood is more attractive.

Proposed chaise lounge
Proposed classic Stickley leather chairs
Old damaged Linoleum flooring was recycled after removal. New Marmoleum floors are care-free and pet-friendly. 100% wool tibetan rug grounds the living room and adds visual warmth.

Intimate Gathering Space
 


Before photo
A great friend of mine needed a makeover of the space next to her kitchen where all her guests would linger during parties. But the scale and type of furnishings left much to desire.
Since she does not use the space for casual dining, we decided on a comfortable gathering space. The day sofas were specifically chosen because the arms and backs unfold for additional seating or can be used for overnight guests. Her own antique textiles that were tucked in drawers were used as pillows and framed artwork. A wool rug from another room grounds the space.Friends loves to hang around this area and catchup during parties.

Living Room, Fireplace make-over

Before photo
This is a typical 1950's small bungalow in San Francisco bay Area California. The client purchased it at a great price, painted the walls, and still unhappy about the unexciting mantel. Having a more modern taste wanted significant improvement.
It is not always feasible to refinish the entire fireplace mantel. It is messy and costly.
A simple solution is to simply wrap the insignificant mantel.

Our friendly carpenter, simply built a chunky sleeve, a simple box made of reclaimed wood, stained it very dark for contrast (low VOC stain of course). This box slides on to the existing mantel. We purchased a simple fireplace screen from the local hardware store.

The carpenter also refinished an old vintage side table that almost headed out to the sidewalk to match the stain on the mantel.
A few different pieces of existing accessories from other rooms help create a cozy space next to the fireplace to relax in after a hard day at work.


Meditation Space






Before photo
My designer friend and I converted a catch-all room into a meditation and music space for her and her husband. All unwanted items were sorted and organized into other areas or were donated or recycled.



Accessible Bathroom
This budget-concious barrier-free bathroom and shower was designed for a person with disabilities.
It features energy and water saving fixtures:
Recessed LED lights, CFL lighting built in the mirror, recycled glass tiles, and floor tiles made of recycled materials.

The vanity height allows enough space for a wheelchair.
The opposite wall (not shown) has a hand-held shower and a vertical safety grab bar. A wall mounted towel bar to keep towels warm and ready as well as a hook for a robe.
The overall design makes for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Not everyone may desire a barrier-free shower, but one never knows when even a small accident can fracture a foot where getting in and out of a tub or stepping into a shower stall will be quite painful or even dangerous.




Kitchen Design


Accessible Home/ Universal Design


Accessible home floor/space plan was designed with holistic approach to design. It based on the principles of Age in Place and choosing products that are sustainable and recyclable.
The design allows ample room for maneuvering a wheelchair in every space. But the design is universally suitable for anyone.

The site is on a hillside with beautiful views of trees on the west side. Large windows allow plenty day light in and reduce the need for artificial light. There are no privacy issues. So clients preferred untreated windows.

Accessible bathroom has enough clearance under the countertops to allow for a wheelchair, but elegantly hide the plumbing pipes. It is equiped with a roll-in shower with a seat and an area for dressing.