BEHIND THE SCENES | The Learning Continues

Every project teaches you new things. This one taught me more about how I design, not just what I design.

Beach Grove Social is the renovation that came out of It Takes a Village. The daughter and son-in-law from 210 Monterra called us again, this time to help them carve out a space of their own.

The homeowners are two busy professional pilots with two beautiful young daughters. Because of our previous experience working together on their parents’ home, we entered this project with a strong relationship built on friendship and trust.

Making decisions

From early on, we spent time consulting with our clients about their options. Should they sell and buy. Sell and build. Or try to make their smaller, dated home work for a family of four. There were many things they loved about their three bedroom, two and a half bathroom home, and after much deliberation, they decided to move forward with a renovation but with guardrails.

They were concerned about over-investing in the property and wanted to keep the renovation restrained, working within a conservative budget.

Must haves

The city dictated another major constraint. Due to lot coverage and setback rules, there was no option for an addition on their small Beach Grove lot. One of the first must haves was a new covered patio off the back of the house. The existing version was small, exposed to the elements, and rarely used. The homeowners had a grand vision for what this outdoor space could be, including the addition of large sliders opening onto the patio.

As with every renovation, challenges inevitably came up. The covered patio was one of the first. We were adding a new roof structure that tied into the existing home and initially did not anticipate issues. Then we discovered that setback rules had changed since the house was originally built. The roofline we planned to align with was no longer inside the legal setback.

Fortunately, the city has a variance request process, and our proposal passed easily.

The design process

Let’s rewind a bit to the design process.

At the start, we were firmly operating within the restrained plan. Our clients opted to begin with our Concept Design Plus service, which made sense given the budget driven approach. This service allows us to create a clear roadmap for the project early on. As with every client, we asked them to complete intake forms and share images that spoke to them both aesthetically and functionally. From there, we developed a comprehensive concept, including photorealistic 3D renders to illustrate the proposed direction.

They were underwhelmed.

These were not stick to a conservative budget kind of people. They both have fantastic taste. After a few more attempts at refining the restrained design, the guardrails came off. The mindset shifted to let’s design something amazing.

That sounds fun, right?

It was not just that the budget opened up. There was also a shift in aesthetic direction. It was a lot to process and recalibrate, and we were already on a schedule. There wasn’t time to pause and take a breath.

It is a blur now, but somehow we painstakingly moved through each space, finding what resonated. One of the biggest challenges during this phase was our clients’ confidence in their own decision making. In hindsight, the sheer number of options we presented worked against us. There was a subtle question around design leadership. Subconsciously, they did not fully trust us, and we did not fully trust ourselves.

The result

Every renovation has its own story. This one was long and messy, but I still remember the feeling of accomplishment on the day of the photoshoot. The final sprint. Styling the home and capturing it on camera. Exhausted, I sat in the new living room and felt incredibly proud of the end result. The space had so much personality and warmth, all achieved with restraint in design.

What I learned

This project reminded me of something fundamental about my own approach. I have always been careful to respect what clients believe they want, because design should be collaborative and responsive. But this experience showed me that I sometimes overcompensate, allowing too much room for indecision instead of guiding with confidence.

Some of the strongest design moments emerged when I trusted my recommendations and delivered them with quiet confidence, not loud certainty, just calm, unwavering direction. Clients hire us for our expertise. Leadership in design doesn’t mean being pushy; it means being clear, intentional, and steady when things get messy.

Beach Grove Social taught me that clarity around scope is everything, and that trusting my instincts and holding a line when it matters makes the work better in the long run.

Some projects teach you how to solve problems. This one taught me how to lead through them.

A few before pictures

View the full project HERE