Today I get to introduce my BEST FRIEND of 27 years!! Well, sort of. I get to introduce you to my best friend of 27 years’ three biggest “problem areas” in her home, and give “no reno” suggestions that she will be seeing for the first time with all of you:) She and her husband bought this home about 4 years ago (with their sweet baby boy) and, since then, have made some upgrades. Nothing huge since the home was perfectly great and livable…and again they had a baby, which did and has taken up most of their time and concentration. They replaced the floors (after a very wild slab leak situation), painted their existing cabinets, removed the fish tank that was in the middle of their home (a project she wanted done asap!), and lastly, took care of some necessary maintenance for their pool so they could actually use it. This brings us to now. They still aren’t really in a place where they want to heavily invest in changing aesthetics; they do, however, have a few areas they’d love to make look a little better. Naturally, I asked if I could put my ideas for these areas on the blog for the world to see, and because she loves me, she said, “Go for it, Bunge”. So with her permission, let’s get to our first problem area…

The Load-Bearing Accent Partition Wall (Formally Known As “The Fish Tank Wall”

Is it actually a problem aesthetically? Absolutely not. Was it when there was a fish tank where that square hole is? I’ll leave that up to your own preferences, but they didn’t love it. Ideally, they would have taken the whole wall down, but it is, of course, load-bearing. So this was their solution, and it’s totally great. But since she/they aren’t in love with it, here are some ideas I have.

My main thought is to just give it a little more character with some wood accents, some different lighting, and art that isn’t their beautiful family because I’m a monster. I promise there are three other spots in this room with wonderful family photos, so I’m not suggesting that they never hang a family photo again:)

Blue Farm Valley Print | Botanical I Print | Anders Porcelain Sconce | Les Crêtes White Textured Vase

Here are my suggestions above expressed visually (as best as I could:)). Since their home style leans modern traditional, a simple wood frame within the hole, as well as making a matching shelf for the section below, would add instant warmth. I know mixing woods can be tricky, but as long as the undertones work with the flooring, it will work beautifully. I, of course, consulted Julie (EHD alum designer), and she suggested replacing the can lights with mini flush mounts! I loved that idea and thought something like these porcelain sconces with the brass base would look really pretty, but not be visually overwhelming. Now, my sweet nephew is 5.5 years old, so that large sculptural vase should probably be secured to the wood somehow. We’ve had many “Aunt Jessica, try to catch me” races around this partition. We’ve never broken anything, but you can never be sure! Also, since he’s young, he needs to have easy access to his toys and books, so those should stay on display as is. Lastly, let’s talk about the art. Of course, these aren’t the exact pieces she should buy per se, but I like the idea of really upping the scale and having them be super intentional. To be fair, I have a large art obsession. I chose that particular landscape because their sectional sofa that you can’t see is also a bright peacock color. And then to keep things still on the calmer side, that neutral botanical print could be a good option.

Botanical I Print | Detailed Branch Illustration

Here are two other art configuration options. The one on the left was just an idea if they still wanted to keep their art out of the “race zone” but still go larger. Basically, the higher the better. The one on the right is for if they preferred one long piece over two short ones. Plus, Julie made a good point that by only having one piece, you break up the “two pieces of art next to the two wall boxes” look. But again, I love seeing their family photos on the wall, so if that’s what they want, that’s what I want:)

Onto the problem area #2!

The Kinda Random Built-In

In an ideal world, we all agree that knocking this structure out would be best style-wise. But right now, that would be pretty disruptive, more money than they feel like spending, and would require more flooring ($$) and a new furniture store piece ($$), which they do appreciate having with the current setup.

Honestly, I was the most stumped with this one until I asked Emily. Immediately, she said, “They should add shelves and make it more like a bar.” DUH, Jess! For some reason, that hadn’t even occurred to me. Design is a team sport, people. Here are my (and Emily’s) suggestions:

I think they should install 2-3 floating shelves to display glassware, vases, small art, etc. Also, to connect to the fish tank hole, install the same mini flush mounts (or different, but I think they should be all brass if they want something different), and make a wood cover for over the stone countertop. I think using the same wood as the fish tank hole border would also connect the two areas seamlessly. If you are confused about what I mean when I say wood cover, my dad made me a wood cover countertop in my last apartment’s kitchen! I don’t think this one needs a backsplash though:)

Here’s the bar area of Emily’s kitchen and my inspiration :)

Anders Porcelain Sconce | Modern Ball Brass Gallery Shelf Rail

Tada! My photoshopping skills aren’t perfect, but you get the idea. I chose a more modern brass rail to fit their style and their home better, but I really like this! When I showed Julie, she made an important point that the shelves might be a little long to not need a center support. If that ended up being the case, they could either figure out a way to cut through and make a hole in the glass (not totally sure how that works) or potentially install the shelves with rods coming from the ceiling of the nook. That’s a future puzzle to figure out if they end up wanting to do this, ha. See how helpful I am??

Last but not least…

The Underutilized Front Porch

Here is their front “porch” with pieces left from the previous owner. Their son loooooves playing “construction” out here, so mom and dad would like to have a nicer-looking area to sit and hang while the chaos is happening. Plus, it’s a pretty large, underutilized area! Here are my thoughts…

Truth be told, I’m not sure how they feel about the iron wall art. My hunch is that it’s not their style, so I say take it down. After that, add a nice closed storage cabinet for all of the “construction tools” and other front outdoor items. Then top it off with some plants (real or faux, up to them) and some other decor.

Modica Sideboard | Faux Potted Tropical Tree | Boan Round Terracotta Planter | Decorative Outdoor Lanterns (Set of 2)

This is what I’m imagining. Now this piece isn’t technically an outdoor sideboard, but also, there aren’t very many good ones that aren’t over $2k. What a hole in the market! I feel like since they live in Southern California and this space is covered…maybe it would be ok? Then that larger potted plant is fake, but from the photos looks so pretty! Plus, I’d love not to add another living thing for my friends to have to keep alive if possible:) It also goes with the other, more tropical real plants they have in their front yard. The other one is actually just a pot, but I think a similar-looking plant would be perfect. I love the planter textures and patterns together, too. I also think that some metal lanterns would look so pretty. These don’t have glass, so no stress about a little construction worker knocking them over and hurting himself.

Now let’s talk about the seating area. As you can see, this loveseat is fine, but it has seen better days. Let’s envision a different future.

Outdoor Wicker And Acacia Wood Loveseat | Textured Indoor/Outdoor Throw Pillow | Dartford Geometric Sunbrella® Indoor/Outdoor Throw Pillow (Set of 2) | Concrete Outdoor Side Table | Solar Ranttan Outdoor Chandelier

The vision! While seat cushions are almost always going to be more comfortable, they just get worn-looking so fast (even in Southern California), which I know she hates. So this sweet and affordable woven loveseat could be a great alternative. It works with the style they/I have going for them (lol), and by adding some cute outdoor pillows, we are adding some comfort. Like Emily, my bestie is a blue lover, so blue pillows give her a little of that. And what’s a seating area without at least a side table for a coffee or a “coffee” to enjoy while your child digs holes in the dirt. This table might be a little modern for her, but would I be a best friend if I didn’t push her stylistically?? I think not. Then, for a little functional decor that brings your eye up, I found this great solar woven pendant to bring a little more dimension and light. It’s 12″ in diameter, so it’s a great size too!

Ok, we’re done! I hope this was fun for you to see real-life solutions for a real-life home. If you have any ideas, leave them in the comments! But remember this is my best friend whom I love more than life itself, so only constructive/kind comments will be allowed:) Also, thank you SO MUCH to my BFF for letting me put her home on the internet. You’re best<3

Love you, mean it.