This time I know it's for real...

Amy and her fiancé Akhil are old friends of mine. I knew them both separately from different circles of friends and then one spring they met at the wedding of mutual friends and—long story short—they’re now engaged to be married this summer. I began designing their home in the Glen Park neighborhood of San Francisco back in 2008 just before I started my interior design program. It was an experiment in how to deal with clients and eventually helped me create the rate structures I’m currently using. (As renters, they couldn’t perform any structural changes to their small house, but as professionals they wanted a sophisticated home to entertain friends and family.)

I had organized and designed Amy’s old single-gal studio apartment years ago, so she and I had worked together before. And I had been to many dinner parties and events at Akhil’s old apartments so I knew his style as well. As a couple, they compromised well and we spent a several weeks deciding and executing purchases, paint colors, etc.

But then I had to start classes and my studies ramped up. Running out of hours, I had to leave them with a checklist of things to purchase (mostly art and accessories). A year and a half later after graduation, I realized they hadn’t had the time or energy to follow through (they are busy professionals after all) so I offered to bump them up to the next level of service and procure the aforementioned art and accessories as well as do a follow-up staging of their home. With assistance from my former classmate Lily Hanna, I spent an afternoon installing the new pieces.

(Click on photo for full-sized image.)

Here's the "before":

The bedroom was the biggest challenge because Amy and Akhil tend to gravitate toward the dark side (dark furniture, frames, square angles, and even dark bedding). By injecting white pieces and varied color, I tried to showcase their original furniture selections.

 
The living room had been well-maintained since my initial consultation in 2008. But Lily and I created more varied vignettes out of their collection of things (along with additional pieces taken from my warehouse). Dream clients, Amy and Akhil are incredibly well-traveled and about 90% of the art and accessories in this room were taken from their own collection, which had been languishing in the basement.
 
(Click on photo for full-sized image.)
 

The family room received a coat of yellow paint back in 2008 which really brightened up the space. They both loved bright Indian-inspired accent colors, but didn't want anything that seemed like a themed room. I chose art and a rug with bright pops of orange and purple that could easily be switched out if their tastes ever changed. Their old leather sofa is a classic piece that they decided to keep.

Here's the "before," when they tried but couldn't find any art on their own:

As I've stated before, art plays such an important role in our homes. I love being able to introduce clients to pieces that resonate with them and make their homes feel so much more complete.

Thoughts? Opinions?