Does Your Home Feel Unfinished? A Real-Life Interior Design Transformation

As someone who always has a stack of books on my fireside coffee table, I think a lot about how stories unfold—how the details, the characters, and the settings play a role in making the whole thing come alive. Designing a space is no different. Every piece you bring in should add to the story of your home, making it feel layered, lived-in, and uniquely you.

But sometimes, that story feels… incomplete.

Maybe you’re staring at a totally empty room, wondering where to even start. That can be super intimidating. It’s a bit like staring at a blank white canvas with a palette of colors in front of you that someone else mixed up for you. Do I even like these colors? How on earth do I even hold this paint brush!

Or maybe you’ve got the big pieces in place—the sofa, the bed, the dining table—but something still feels off. The walls are bare, the lighting isn’t quite right, and you KNOW it needs something… you’re just not sure what.

Or maybe you love what you have but need a fresh set of eyes to help with layout and flow—because right now, your space just isn’t working the way you want it to.

Wherever you’re at, that’s where I come in. My design process is built around meeting clients right where they are—whether that’s creating a room from scratch, layering in the finishing details, or rethinking how everything fits together.

Because great design isn’t just about filling a space—it’s about making it feel right. Balanced. Intentional. Like it truly belongs, both to you and to the architecture of your home. It’s about blending old with new, mixing styles with purpose, and creating that effortless, lived-in feel.

A Real-Life Transformation

One of my favorite recent projects was for a client who had already done some of the heavy lifting. She had the big foundational pieces—a beautiful sofa, bed frames, and some family heirloom case goods she loved—but the space still felt unfinished. Not only was it missing warmth, texture, and personality, she needed help with the layout and flow, especially in the living area.

We started by creating a floor plan using the two large sofas she had purchased when she and her family moved in a few months earlier. We arranged them to create a cozy, intentional seating area that also visually separated the living room from the kitchen.

To ground the space, we brought in an oversized black leather ottoman—because adding a splash of black always elevates a design. And in this case, it also helped tie in the black granite surrounding the fireplace, making it feel more intentional rather than an isolated element.

Plus, with the TV mounted above the fireplace—a non-negotiable for my client’s sports-loving family—carrying that black element through the rest of the design was key. Not only did the ottoman anchor the room, but it also upped the comfort factor, perfect for propping up and getting cozy while rooting for their favorite teams.

I sourced a large art piece from Minted to anchor the big wall behind one of the sofas. And it just so happened she had a vintage 30” round dining table that we repurposed as a corner end table between the sofas. I love using small dining tables in this way—they fill negative space beautifully and provide the perfect height for a lamp. We topped it with a weighty black lamp that added a modern edge, keeping the vintage table from feeling too traditional. Balancing out the opposite end of the sofa, we placed a sleek gold floor lamp with a contemporary design.

Then, we focused on styling—carefully selected accessories, books, and decorative objects that made the space feel collected rather than decorated. Finally, we layered in soft goods: pillows and throws that pulled in hues from the gorgeous Etsy-sourced oriental rug and the Minted art piece. With those final touches, the room transformed from nice to just right.

Sometimes, it’s not about starting from scratch—it’s about pulling everything together in a way that feels effortless and intentional.

Let’s Make Your Space Work for You

If you’ve been feeling stuck in your home, unsure of what’s missing, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you need a full design plan, a few finishing touches, or a fresh perspective on how to make your space work better for you, I’d love to help.

Your home should tell a story—one that feels layered, lived-in, and uniquely yours. Every detail, every decision, every well-loved piece should add to that narrative. Let’s make sure it’s a story you love coming home to.

Take a look at the gallery below for more from this project, including the dining room, bedrooms, and the finishing touches that truly brought the home to life!