Moving on Up — A Big Transition to a Bigger House for a Growing Family
As soon as we finished the renovation of this client’s residence — call that House #1, with built-ins and custom-size furnishing, a great opportunity presented itself. Call that House #2, much bigger and in a better school district. House #1 was instantly sold to another FFD client, whose current home — call that House #3 (we’d also just finished it) — was set up as a rental, and snapped up in a second. It was flattering — we’ll admit that — but our heads were spinning as we tried to get eight people and three animals resettled, in a matter of weeks.
The family dining room got a whole new look, just right for entertaining a crowd of friends. And yes, those bright chairs are upholstered in faux leather, spill-proof and so much fun.
How to turn a very over the top chandelier into drop dead cool eye candy! (Add color.)
“Cathryn Ramin and her team at Family Friendly Designs (FFD) were exactly the steady, creative, “make-it-work” partners we needed during a big transition. Shortly after completing a major remodel last year with FFD, we moved again—this time into my parents’ more traditional home.
We re-engaged FFD for a more limited-scope project: no construction, a lower budget, and a very practical goal—help us adapt our existing furniture and décor to a new floor plan and a very different style of house, while still making it feel like our home.
From the start, Cathryn approached the project with smart planning and a family-first lens. She helped us make the spaces functional and beautiful: setting up a garage playroom that actually works for real life, creating a mudroom system with hooks so the kids’ jackets, shoes, and backpacks have a home, and designing my office so it feels intentional instead of improvised. One of my favorite details is the unique sound-muffling wall design she created behind my computer monitors—it’s both practical and visually interesting—and her team handled installation so it was truly turnkey.
Cathryn also has a gift for solving style “mismatches” in a way that feels personal. For example, the dining room came with a gorgeous but very traditional chandelier, and she had the brilliant idea to add colorful crystals to bring it to life and make it work with our color scheme and style. That kind of thoughtful creativity showed up again and again. We updated our two-story entry with a new chandelier, and she redesigned our primary bedroom so it finally felt like our room—not like we were sleeping in my parents’ bedroom. The textured wallpaper, new sconces, and new bed completely changed the feel of the space.
What I appreciated most was how dependable FFD was through the inevitable bumps. When a custom bed vendor ran into serious financial issues and effectively disappeared with funds we had advanced, Cathryn stayed on it—relentlessly—until we were repaid, and she immediately sourced a replacement so the project could keep moving. She protected our time, our budget, and our momentum.
FFD’s support went well beyond selections and layouts. They were actively involved on moving day—directing movers, helping place pieces correctly the first time, and even assisting with unpacking—so the plan translated into a home that functions in real life. And when I got stuck on finishing touches, Cathryn made it easy: she brought back unique pieces from her travels, ordered a range of coffee-table and interesting books, and returned what didn’t fit—no pressure, just good options and great taste.
We also carried forward smart ideas from our remodel, like adding low drawers and hanging space in closets—improvements I honestly would have put off for years if I were doing it alone. Thanks to Cathryn and FFD, we created a stylish, comfortable home that fits our family and our day-to-day life. I’m genuinely grateful for her vision, organization, persistence, and warmth—and I would recommend Family Friendly Designs without hesitation.”
The built-in cabinetry was an asset, but my client was not a collector -- until I got her started.
Would the furniture we'd recently bought for house #1 actually fit in the smaller living room of house #2? (We were worried.) But our measuring tape said we'd make it work and measuring tapes don't lie.
The piano got its own room -- and the art piece we'd acquired for house #1 found a perfect spot in house #2.
The dingy and boring chandelier in house #2 wasn't doing the front hall any favors. This very modern replacement (hung by our brilliant electrician) makes it clear that this house has personality to spare.
All those family pics we printed and framed for house #1 look even better in house #2.
Our client wanted something really fun for her office wall -- so we worked with FeltRight, a company with no end of bright ideas.
We'd built out a great custom-fitted Ikea playroom in the garage of house #1. We moved it to house #2, with a garage as large as a nursery school. Now dozens of friends and cousins all have room to play.
Turning an oddly shaped bedroom into a child-friendly sanctuary took some doing. We banished the big iron bed, created a bed frame covered with creamy faux leather (bulletproof, as requested) and covered the walls in a not-child-friendly grasscloth (as requested.) No crayons allowed, please.
