April 2026 Blog

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Hello Friends!
I am sure with the days getting longer and warmer, you are like me--dreaming of the summer ahead. :)

This past year, I was honored to work with a long-time client to create a special space for their summer home in Maine...

One of the most meaningful parts of what I do is designing spaces where families come together — where memories are made, traditions are kept, and creating a place where everyone feels genuinely at home. This issue's project is one that I am especially proud of, and I'm so glad to share it with you.

Project Spotlight: A Coastal Guest Retreat in Maine

Every summer, a Philadelphia-area family makes their way up the coast to a small historic seaside village in Maine — three generations gathering for the long summer days, right along the water. It's the kind of tradition that deserves a beautiful setting.

When they decided to add a guest house to their property, the goal was clear: create a space where family and friends could feel truly welcomed — comfortable and connected, never crowded or tucked away.

Where we came in

The initial blueprints my client had were a starting point, but they didn't yet offer the flow or comfort needed for the way the space would actually be used — lingering mornings over coffee, quiet afternoons with a book, relaxed evenings after a day by the water--or tie meaningfully in with the architectural details of the existing house. We collaborated closely with both the builder and our clients to rework the plans and take the building's design from concept to completion...

We aimed to work all the style, function and comfort our clients wanted into the footprint the new carriage house would inhabit...

The design

The natural beauty of the Maine coast guided all our design decisions with the color palette drawn from the landscape just outside the windows — the soft grays, sandy neutrals, and muted blues to came together to create soothing and comfy rooms.  Fabrics were chosen to invite you to settle in and stay a while. Furnishings balance contemporary lines with warmth and texture, creating rooms that feel both fresh and deeply comfortable.

The result is a guest retreat that doesn't feel like an afterthought — it feels like an extension of the love and intention this family brings to their summers together.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL GALLERY OF IMAGES

3 Things During a Cold Winter

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With the world outside being cold and challenging in so many ways right now, the way we feel when we are at home means a bit more. Our house being a place of comfort and nurturing can have far-reaching effects, since it gives us a place to rest & restore, and becomes the launching pad for all the good work we are here to do in the world. 

Here are three things to focus on around your house right now to create a haven for yourself and those you love:

1. Make it about TOGETHERNESS--

  • So much of modern life centers around screens--and the rooms in our houses are falling into this rut as well. Rock the boat a little bit and try pulling your furniture into conversation areas, rather than lining it up for the best TV viewing. Close placement between sofas and chairs encourages good conversation-- and feels more cozy. 

  • Invite friends over for a casual evening of simple snacks and maybe a fun game. Forget about making it perfect--just do it, and you'll wonder why you hadn't done it sooner. 


2. Make it about COMFORT--

  • Candles & soft lighting make for such a warm environment in a world where we feel so overstimulated so much of the time. Light candles at the dinner table or burn a candle on the coffee table as you unwind in the evening. Turn off harsh overhead lights, and use table lamps or floor lamps only for a warmer feel. 

  • Add texture, such as a fluffy, warm throw blanket or soft pillows to your living space to make it more comfortable and inviting. 

  • Items from nature such as fresh flowers or a live plant bring a sense of peace and beauty to our environments. Treat yourself to a vase of your favorite blossoms on your nightstand or kitchen table to bring some warmth to your house.  


3. Make it about SUPPORT

  • What do you most like to do with your time? Make it easy to do those things by setting your house up so it supports you: A dedicated crafting area so it is simple to sit down and get creative whenever you want to-- or a journal, pen and a good book sitting right next to your favorite chair so it is a breeze to sit down and enjoy. 

  • If you are working towards a goal right now, your house can help if you let it!-- Putting healthy food front and center in the kitchen makes it easier to eat well. OR creating a place that your items for the next day (including your gym bag) are stored all together and ready to go by the door makes it hard not to do what you had planned the night before. 

We Were The Main Story!!

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Hello, Friends!

Many of you know that I started my business in back 2006 --after first cutting my teeth on the renovation of our family's historic farmhouse....

Because of those preservation efforts, as well as my work on the Wawa barn which I have also shared here in the past, I was so honored in June to be featured in our local magazine, Garnet Valley Living! It was so much fun to share the story of our old house and its "glow up" with my neighbors, as well as the story of the work I do with Revealing Redesign. It has been a journey for sure--both for our old farmhouse and for Revealing Redesign --which next year will be 20 years old.  WOW! 

Here is the article below that tells the whole story, and I wanted to share it here as well. :)

Many thanks to Garnet Valley Living for this amazing opportunity to talk about the work I love, and share my passion for historic preservation--and also and many, many thanks to all of you who have been with me all these years as I have built Revealing Redesign into the wonderful business it is now, helping you all create houses that finally feel like home. 

The Summer of Befores and Afters (Scroll Below for Gallery!)

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Hello Friends! 

Life has been complicated and busy (as I am sure it has been for you too...) this summer, and it has been a long time since I have checked in! 

How are you? I hope all is well and that your summer was glorious. 
Time just goes by too fast, doesn’t it?
Especially when it is warm and sunny and summery as it has been these past three months…

This summer so much went on in our family life, and Revealing Redesign completed many wonderful projects right here at home, as well as two up in Maine….so much to celebrate!

In terms of time going by too quickly, I don’t know if you are as surprised as I was to learn that the early 2000’s are a QUARTER OF A CENTURY ago by now! SHEESH. 

If your house was built around that time—or last renovated then—things can be feeling a little dingy or like it is time for a change… (certain parts of my own house fall into this category as well). 

We recently finished up a bathroom renovation for some lovely clients whose bathrooms were feeling a bit dated to them, and they wanted to freshen things up and fall in love with their house again. Here is what their primary bath looked like when we started: 

On the day of their Soulful Home Day, we were so pleased to style and organize the new space for them…now filled with so much style and so much more storage space...

Here is the full gallery of after photos, so you can see all the angles of this beautiful new space…

See you again soon! - Erin