Rituals of Renewal

Part One in a Series on Small Design Jobs with Enormous Impact

It’s easy to get bogged down at home. The to-do lists are detailed, the work days are long, and the time available for organizing seems short. That’s why the time-honored ritual of spring cleaning is welcomed as a chance to break through chaos and find serenity in our homes again.

The first step in moving from clutter to clarity is re-envisioning the rooms you live in. A busy professional couple I worked with recently had a love of reading and study in their fields that had them almost buried in books, reference materials and paper. After extended hours at their medical practices, they found themselves placing papers in stacks and books in bookshelves that were way over capacity. Their office, hallway and study weren’t functioning well; it was the perfect time to call in an interior designer.

I focused on three main elements to restore peace and order to their home: paint, lighting, and new shelving, created in part from wooden standards that had been in use in another room.

• Paint: Fresh paint goes a long way toward brightening a space, and making it feel more expansive. More here…plus photo
• Lighting: Custom lighting installed in hallways and alcoves made all the difference in illuminating their materials and their lives. More here…plus photo

• New shelving: In addition to making use of shelving that they already owned, they commissioned a carpenter to install all new built-in bookshelves designed by Oliver Interiors to help them organize the office. More here…plus photo

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