On Top of the World — A Mill Valley Family Finds a Way to Grow, with Fresh, Family Friendly Living Space and Acres of Garage Storage
When these little ones discovered that the new coffee table was magnetic — and therefore perfect for Magna-Tiles — they were understandably ecstatic
Elizabeth and Natalie loved their location at the very top of what may well be the highest street in Mill Valley. The views were unsurpassed, but they recognized that their kid-and dog-stained rugs, abused furniture and lack of well-designed storage weren’t ideal for the next phase of life.
The garage suffered from the classic “toss it in there and we’ll figure it out later because we’re too busy to breathe” syndrome. FFD’s partner company, Mikado Parenthood stepped in to handle emergency culling and organizing, with sensitivity and efficiency.
Logistics are key to every one of our jobs, but with this one, even more essential. The relevant rooms had to be completely empty. To make everything happen in a couple of weeks, while the family was on vacation, we knew we needed to rent an onsite storage pod, from Pods.com. Despite narrow roads and hairpin turns, it was delivered right on schedule. Our “Order of Operations” sheet showed us what needed to go in first – so that it might come out last. That pod was stuffed floor to ceiling, back to front.
Much of the furniture dated from the couple’s first apartment – and the kids and dog had been pretty tough on it. We discussed replacing their beloved giant sectional– but beneath its stained and faded upholstery, this was a first-class piece of furniture, solid wood interior frame, goose down cushions. A similar model, new, would have cost $20,000 – totally unaffordable, so we decided to refurbish this beloved behemoth, for a quarter the price.
It didn’t take long to settle on a color palette. The couple loved the shades and tones just outside their windows on Mt. Tam – soft and deep greens, tan grasses, blue skies. We found a Crypton fabric (the most bullet-proof) for the sectional –-cream --and ordered something like 52 yards. The plan was to create blanket covers for the cushions from the same fabric. On for family, off for guests.
The main floor space, comprised of two long, narrow rooms -- a family room/dining room and a living room/work area meant that no standard rug would fit. We chose a warm and tweedy tan FLOR, also indestructible. A wall unit from Ikea, with designer-chic wooden doors (nothing “budget) made a new home for the TV – and provided storage for toys and books. We selected a painting – a soft, abstract landscape that the clients fell for immediately – and then a dusky gray green color for a long wall. A two-part puzzle coffee table was an easy-to-move piece for morning coffee, a bigger surface for games. The existing dining table – a long oval Saarinen look-alike, on a pedestal – finally looked like it belonged. A new credenza, lamp and another bright art piece kicked that dining area into high entertaining mode. The work area got new “aren’t we cool to WFH” swivel chairs and new bar stools and suddenly, dowdy turned dynamic.
We planned all the storage – mostly from Ikea, assembled by our crack assembly team of Mark and Leigh (who was quite pregnant at the time), with carefully delineated requirements in mind. Mikado Parenthood advised on how to expedite toy storage and rotation, and every single item found a place – even the baby gear that just might get used one more time. Hefty overhead shelves in the garage took care of items that were rarely used, like holiday decorations. No more scrabbling through broken cabinets, looking for the Easter baskets that are in there, somewhere.
The family came back from Thanksgiving vacation to find an updated, freshly painted home, a snazzy sectional back from its makeover, and the storage they’d craved. The best news came a few weeks later –, they’d been entertaining friends and relatives, and everyone just loved their new look. In fact, the house was so great that our clients had abandoned their plans to move in a couple of years. Instead, an architect was drawing up plans to make use of a bonus space. And of course, Family Friendly Designs and Mikado Parenthood would be to back to design and manage the interiors of the project with max style and minimal disruption.
“I found Cathryn through NextDoor after searching for an interior designer and coming across her listing for Family Friendly Designs. It immediately sounded like a perfect fit for what I was looking for.
My wife and I moved into our home five years ago during Covid, and since then we’ve added two kids but hadn’t changed much about our living room or family room. I was tired of seeing stuffed animals piled in the corners, toys without a permanent home, and drab, empty walls. I’m so glad I found Cathryn to help us tackle all of that.
She made me feel comfortable from our very first meeting and suggested ideas I never would have considered, like reupholstering our couch and re-tiling the fireplace. She was thoughtful about our budget and preferences, and most importantly, everything she recommended was kid-friendly, which gave me peace of mind about making the investment.
I also really appreciated her process. She started with a mood board, aligned with us on the furniture and overall design approach, and then handled ordering and setup over the following weeks. Her management of external vendors (like painters, handymen, Lugg, and more) was incredibly helpful. I would never have been able to coordinate all of those details on my own. Instead, I just showed up, gave feedback, made decisions, and watched our space transform with very little heavy lifting on my end.
We’ve received so many compliments on the refresh. I especially love the accent wall color Cathryn suggested and the beautiful painting in our family room. I’m already counting down the days until we can work with her again on the addition we’re planning!”
