Our clients had lived in this home in a mature neighborhood in Heidelberg for over a decade, while they saved for the renovation that they knew would eventually come. When both of their young children were elementary school age, they felt they had enough experience with the home to understand how it was and was not working for them. Beyond just being dated, this home was dark and very compartmentalized so our clients, who entertain quite a bit, always felt relegated to the kitchen/or closed off from their guests, as they prepared meals. They also felt like they only used half of the home – the back half, which overlooks a beautifully landscaped property that backs onto protected greenspace.  The front of the house was dark and so overtime they only came to use these spaces for holiday entertaining.  And like most, Covid meant one of the partners could now permanently work from home. Our clients really relied on us to think through a new flow for their home that would address the existing lack of organization, the need for a private home office and the needs of growing children, both in the mudroom and as related to homework and extracurricular activities. Neither partner has strong leanings from an aesthetic perspective, the only asks were for durability and to incorporate a piece of her mother’s beloved art.