West Seattle Townhome
I confess that I questioned for a minute whether the first email I received from this client was a scam… so polite and so full of relevent information, too good to be true. It turns out, this was a very real and very good client! I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with him. When he described his favorite things as Halloween, the ocean, and autumn, I knew we were a good fit.
I do not get lot of furnishing only projects. Typically people come to me with major renovations. He had a basement space with little bumps and notches in every direction and was looking to make this space into a cozy office and reading space. Everything about it should speak warmth and comfort, but being a basement space, light was an important aspect as well.
Before Photos:
We measured the space and drew up an ideal layout for the furnishings. It was a tight space and making sure that he had comfortable seating that he could lay down on was the biggest challenge. We had one door to make it through and it wasn’t going to be easy to fit something large enough to lounge on. So, we opted for small on size but big on comfort.
The Halloween-Autumn-Coastal combo spoke to me of pirate treasures, so I set out to create a space with unusual exotic treasures and vintage finds with a dark twist. Our client also loves science fiction and I share this passion with him, so a litlte modern edge on these finds was a fun twist to the already twisty turn design!
The first ideas were presented and the preferred layout was determined. We liked the seating to look at the fireplace, and preferred the desk in the corner by the shelves. He let me know what pieces really spoke to him, and we began refining the selections.
We looked at some new layouts based on these pieces and our conversations and some drawings were done to show how the space could look. Then came the time to select the fabric and finishes for each piece.
The real challenge we faced in this space was finding the perfect comfortable seating. I knew I wanted something he could relax in, but we were so limited by space. Every time I thought I found the perfect piece, I discovered that 1- it actually wouldn’t fit through the door 2- it was misrepresented by the manufacturer as having lags that could be custom, but maybe not. Finally, better than 1 & 2, our perfect #3 came along and JUST in time to arrive with the longest lead time item. Phew!
What important lesson did I learn from this project? Do not put deadlines on custom- it just isn’t a good idea!
When all wasy said and done, the fabrics selected, the samples approved, the products ordered, and tracking and complete inspection of each and every item as it arrived (as well as a few repairs on products damaged in shipping), we pulled together the perfect science-fiction pirate’s autumn trove. Exotic plants combined with some modern edge, a “spider chair” as we nicknamed it, and a one of a kind vintage desk and voila! Space pirate perfection. Malcolm Reynolds would approve, I think. Pardon the cell phone pics, we did not go for the professional shots for this little space, but even my quick shots were worth the share!!
