a A Few Other Little Things......... a
New Construction Here! How can you make your elegant stairway stand out from the rest?  Client chose high contrast treads, posts, and banisters against white paneling, topped off with dark red print runner.  Very cool!	"I've always wanted..." Sometimes a client has some ideas, but just needs a little encouragment to follow through!  In this case it was the purchase of a tiger-print chair!  Still working on accessorizing, but doesn't it "make" the room?
A small design project But a big decision for a client who has pondered the choice of matt and frame for a favorite piece of art.  Wherever she moves, there will always be a place for this treasure.	To paint or not to paint... That is the question!  One of the most FAQ - should I paint out this dark woodwork?  Once you do, there's no turning back!  You can't just do some of it!  This might help you make up your mind!  Stair rail, loft rail, ceiling beams, and mantel were all painted a white and the walls were painted a soft taupe which gave the room life and allowed the furnishing to enhance the room rather than get lost among the dark accents of the old wood.
The story of two fireplaces It was quite a coincidence that within a few weeks of each other, two separate clients were asking for help to customize their fireplaces to achieve some very specific requests.  Both lived in multi-storied vintage Northwest Contemporary houses on hillsides with gorgeous views, not five miles apart from each other (how strange is that?). The first client, who envisioned her aquarium looking like it was built into the fireplace, was concerned about how to move the tank in and out of the wood box recess for cleaning and feeding the fish.  We devised a plan, with a reluctant contractor (who wants fish in their bedroom, anyway?) to put the tank on a platform, put the platform on glides (do you know how heavy a full fish tank is?), and tile the front of the platform to blend into the new slate tile finish.  We then had a metal face plate made to echo and balance the faceplate of the firebox, assuming we'd figure out a way to attach it so that it could be removed to get access to the tank.  The contractor researched hardware and imagined various mousetrap ideas. We laughed, because at the beginning of the project, the client quipped that she would put velcro on it if she had to.... At the same time, we were completing the media room where we had rebuilt and refaced the fireplace and converted the wood box to house the television.  Again, the client had had a frame fabricated to coordinate with the firebox plate.  Since the client was himself a decisive problem solver, he ascertained that the quickest, most efficient, and least expensive solution to removing the frame to service the television was...VELCRO!!  Voila! Client number one was vindicated and we all felt mission accomplished!  For real, though.  Really, it was!