In our previous post, we talked about our client Marion and how we transformed her living room in the nick of time before she held a Life Celebration Party. However, even when faced with a terminal illness, that didn’t stop Marion from wanting to give another room in her home a whole new look too.
So, after we finished the living room redesign and she held a very joyous and uplifting party, Aspira’s team proceeded to work on Marion’s dining room. It was clear that in order for the dining room to complement the look of the newly designed living room, we had to explore a design that was a bit more contemporary and replace her existing Tuscan countryside look.
With this goal in mind, we ventured to Crate and Barrel, where we found an ideal glass top table with a more contemporary base as well as some leather side chairs.

Marion’s Fireplace – Before The Renovation
As part of this same project, Marion was also interested in doing a fireplace renovation, but she was a bit uncomfortable at first with the budget numbers presented for that aspect. When we adjusted the design so that we would do tiling only up to the mantle of the fireplace instead of the ceiling, it resulted in a significant cost saving between the labor and materials. Consequently, we were able to arrive at a design that Marion could be very happy with – a see-through fireplace in which one side faces the living room and the other side faces the kitchen.
The funny thing is, as we were installing the tile around the fireplace, the installer asked us why we weren’t tiling all the way up to the ceiling. We explained that we wanted to stay within Marion’s budget. But, the more she thought about it, she realized that, yes, she did want to go up to the ceiling with the tile! Just as we had made adjustments before to work within Marion’s financial needs, we were happy to adjust once again for the good of the overall design.

Marion’s Fireplace – After Renovation
Marion was a client we’ll never forget. When the entire renovation process of the living room, dining room and fireplace was completed, a realtor friend remarked to us that the very process itself and seeing it through may have motivated Marion to want to live in her new space that much longer. That she was able to like us and trust our work at Aspira that quickly was a sincere honor. Like so many clients, it’s our desire for collaboration, flexibility and understanding of the person’s goals that keeps every great interior design project moving right along and this one was certainly no different.
Today, Marion is happily in remission and enjoying her life!
If you’d like to finally move one of the rooms in your home from an area you just talk about transforming to one that actually is transformed, there’s no easier way to find your momentum than with an Aspirational Design Session with Aspira Interior Design. Within 90 minutes, this “brainstorming” session will help clarify design ideas, a rough budget for the room and address your biggest questions and concerns. Don’t put it off a moment longer.
Talk to Aspira about arranging an Aspiration Design Session today!
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