Hello, hello. Monday, I shared the rather dramatic (if I do say so myself) transformation of Mark and Brandy's family room. But wait, there's more! Brandy and Mark are my favorite kind of "clients" - they completely trust my judgment and really welcomed a refresh of as many rooms, closets and drawers as I could get to. the most fun was the living room, dining room and kitchen. They all flow into one another, so I wanted some cohesion between them, which I went for by using navy in all three. Here's the dining room before.

Here's the view from the family room. The first thing I wanted to do was change the orientation of the dining table. I wasn't sure why the table was placed like that, and it turns out a designer advised it. She was aiming to make the room seem less long, but I thought it was working against the room. So we switched the direction, cleaned up the mantle and added a lovely table runner.

I love table runners. I don't always need anything on a table, and I don't like full table cloths for every day - they cover up too much wood for me. Place mats take way too much work and look too staged for my taste. But a runner dresses the table a bit and is easy enough to clear away when you need to eat or craft.

The bowl in the middle is handmade by a friend of theirs - isn't it gorgeous?

Finally, to bring a little light in, we hung that beautiful mirror on the wall. It reflects a little light from the windows in the family room, which is nice because this room doesn't have any natural light of its own. Plus that mirror is just so pretty. I wish I could have gotten to touch up the paint below it, but we ran out of time. And I obviously can't use Photoshop, but hey, this dining room woke up like this. No but really, it almost did: We bought the table runner ($12, HomeGoods), the gold filigree container on the mantle ($12, Ross) and the mirror ($65, HomeGoods Clearance) for in here, and that's it. Totally different, right? I love seeing what tiny changes can add up to. Same with the kitchen, which was sporting a valance circa 1990 and not too much else in the way of decor when I got there.

It's just your average kitchen (albeit with gorgeous cabinetry and great bones), a minute or two before or after smoothie prep. (Brandy's family is as into smoothies as me and mine, so that Vitamix really proved its worth while we were there). Anyway, I wanted to add functionality and cuteness to this space, and to integrate it with the dining room and family room. Here's what we came up with.

This was also a super simple makeover. I'm realizing that I had already moved the appliances and cutting boards before I took this picture, as they were a bit more scattered. I find having a long stretch of unencumbered counter space is not just so much more functional, but also looks better. I am surprised at how often my friends/clients break up counter space expanses with the odd can opener or toaster. Group that stuff together and give yourself room to cook!

We ditched the scattered throw rugs for a lovely and cushy floor mat ($20, HomeGoods), and I made a new valance from a shower curtain ($10, Ross). I hit up a few Goodwills for blue glassware to add to the couple of pieces they already had, and shopped the house for a couple other functional accessories. I'm pretty open to knickknacks and the like, except for in the kitchen, where I feel like only things with a purpose should stay. But it's fine if those things are pretty, like that bowl, made by the same person who made the bowl in the dining room, and the soap dispenser, which I found for $3 at Ross and which I filled with dish soap. I also used my standby trick of corralling items to make them seem less chaotic; that white square ceramic dish holds the scrubbies and sponges that otherwise look messy.

Not pictured is a spot for phone chargers, pens and tablets that I set up across the room, which cleared the drop zone the family had inadvertently established right on the counter - you can spot a purse sitting there, right where people are cooking, which we all agreed was a yuck (purses are gross, y'all), but had become habit. By setting up another area, everyone could plop their stuff down somewhere other than a food prep zone. I shot these photos right as people were showing up for the rehearsal dinner and we just ran out of time!

Finally, for today, one more space that we managed to transform with some really small purchases and a new way of thinking about the stuff that existed. The second floor landing was a dark and dreary place, populated by family photos that were scattered across the wall and felt like an afterthought.

Some dogs also populate the space. And yes, Brandy loves her some valances. But that's the best, because all it takes to revamp a space is some window treatment changes! Check it out:

I mean, that's pretty dramatic right? But no, it's not just the light and airy curtain panels ($20, Ross). It's also regrouping those photos to make them into one cohesive whole. I'm not saying this is the very best gallery wall I've ever seen, but it makes so much more of a statement (yeah, I hate that word, but I can't come up with an alternative right now) when they're all there together. It makes you want to stop and look and see the family, rather than just hurry by.

As I was saying, I love me some trays to corral Things That Need Corralling, and these beauts were $3 each from Goodwill. FTW. One framed piece of art takes the place of those tiny 4" x 6" photos that used to hang there, and now the whole place feels more zen. I also organized all the cabinets up here (no before and after photos there - it's not Pinterest worthy, but it makes a big difference in daily life). Overall, the space now is actually calming instead of the sort of frenzied feeling it used to impart. Down the road, they may change out the hardware on the cabinetry - what a difference some chunkier ORB handles would make!

I hope you're into Brandy and Mark's makeover - and I'd love to hear your favorite parts. There are still two rooms to cover, there's more to be seen on the California makeover front, plus just a ton of stuff is happening over here. Can't wait to share!