The Compromise That Turned Into A Beautiful Walk-In Sitting Room
A couple who had lived in the same home for over 15 years needed a compromise. The biggest point of contention was whether to list the house on the market, or stay in the current home they love. The couple decided to reach out to us and presented us with the challenge of coming up with a way to make everybody happy by making practical use out of underutilized square footage. Our Designer, Jennifer Molinelli, met with the couple where she listened to them both and assessed their needs. They wanted a natural extension of their master bedroom that would elevate their seldom-used sitting room to include a storage solution for clothing, a vast jewelry collection, handbags and sentimental gifts from family members. Taking into account the specific items they needed to accommodate and the type of organization that would work best for them, Jennifer designed a stylish and functional room with a lighted vanity, display areas, window seat and a blend of open and concealed storage. Now, everything has a home and they both love their new space. And needless to say, they did not sell their house.
Unique and Innovative
In suburban homes, we often see master bedrooms with an unused sitting room and overflowing closets. Most don’t dream about converting the sitting room into an open closet. The larger space is more comfortable to move around in, select clothing and jewelry and sit down to put on makeup – instead of standing in front of the bathroom mirror. But with the right design, a dream closet won’t feel disjointed from the current décor or out of place. Here all of the features of a Hollywood closet were translated through a practical and thoughtful eye to give them the functionality the project called for.
Customized For Specific Needs
One of her goals was to keep sports attire together in one area. A dedicated cabinet was designed for all of her tennis gear, which has double hanging for shirts and skirts and also a shelf for hats.
The vanity has accent lighting to add to the natural light in the room. A tall mirror sits behind a counter with a storage drawer for cosmetics and other products. High glass shelves in front of the mirror beautifully display her perfume bottles and keep them at-hand. The right combination of glass, mirror and solid shaker fronts allows for the concealment of some items, and the showcasing of others.
A solution for an abundant jewelry collection required specialized storage. Individual drawers were outfitted with 2-tiered lucite inserts with a sliding top tray. These have small compartments for pins, rings and earrings. We also designed a tower of slide-out velvet jewelry trays below a lighted hanging section for necklaces, within a mirrored cabinet. Now every piece is organized. Secured behind doors and drawers with locks for safe keeping.
Turning Vision Into Reality
Organization projects, particularly closets, are not rocket science. The challenge isn’t designing shelving, drawers, hanging sections and adding a couple (albeit useful) accessories. The innovation is born out of bringing the physical considerations, goals for the space and the client’s vision into harmony. The clients’ dream closet is used by both of them every day and feels luxurious but practical. That balance is the essence of what we do. We take tremendous pride in this room-conversion project which earned leading placement in a featured article along-side our contemporaries in the April 2019 edition of Main Line Today magazine.
If you have an underutilized space in your home that you would like to turn into a functional space, reach out to us today for a free in-home design consultation. Our experienced Designers are sure to come up with a solution specifically designed for your needs.
