Intentional selection was the name of the game for Taylor Grup when she and her husband, Cody, made some interior design changes at their Berkley home. βFunctional and decorative was what we were after,β Grup says. βWe wanted to maximize small spaces and give them personality and functionality.β
Sheβs the lead designer and brand ambassador at , a Detroit-based interior design firm. The designer purchased the house a decade ago when she was attending the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. βMy roommate lived in what is now our nurseryβ for their daughter, 10-month-old Blair, she says. In between, it was an office with a built-in closet.
Before they created the nursery, the couple updated other spaces β such as the primary bath, the living room, and the dining room β with new furnishings and window treatments. They also painted and installed new flooring throughout the 1,000-square-foot ranch-style home.
But achieving a stylish look required meticulous willpower and smarts, the designer says. βWe had to be wildly intentional for things we purchased,β Grup says. βNo HomeGoods runs. If itβs going to be in our house, it must be beautiful and functional.β
Here, she shares information on vintage finds, multitasking furnishings, creating a sense of space, and more.
Making a statement
Grup wanted to create drama upon entry to the home, so the dining nook, which is the first space you see, features a circular light fixture, artwork from (one of Concettiβs vendors), and a round table centered below. βIt all perfectly aligns and is a grounding moment for when you walk in.β
Rockaby style
βA nursery is a good spot to go thematic, but there are ways to make it less overt and more contemporary,β Grup says. Blairβs space pops with a modern pink, orange, and green palette, inspired by sunrises in Tanzania, where the couple honeymooned. Here, a Noir Trading dresser multitasks as clothes storage, a changing station, and a bookshelf. βThe dresser has gorgeous texture on the front, and it will work well for years to come.β
Goinβ on a safari!
Tanzanian vibes continue with a monkey-themed lamp (from ). It was the first item the couple bought for the nursery. βI customized it by finishing it in gilded gold, and that gold makes it pop from the walls and picks up on the dresserβs hardware.β More animalia appears in the way of artwork featuring baby elephants and lions. A tiger rug is from , and the elephant rocker was purchased from .
Cue the closet
The nursery closet was converted into a nook for the crib and additional shelving for linens and totes. The crib () seamlessly transitions from a minicrib to a traditional crib and ultimately transforms into a toddler bed, offering versatile functionality.
Sit right down
The living room, right off the entry, maximizes seating with an oversized sectional, a storage ottoman, and poufs. βEverything needed to be soft for the baby,β Grup says.
Deep thinker
βThe living room drapery [from West Elm] is a fun hack: In an effort to make the space feel more elevated and designer, I had our workroom do a pinch pleat on them, and then we used ceiling tracks, so they go all the way to the ceiling. Anything I can do to make it look bigger is what Iβm going to do.β
Made in the shade
The natural, woven living room shades pick up on the natural material used on the sideboard/credenza. βI love the warmth they provide, and I love the top-down, bottom-up style because I want to get enough light in the house.β
Go for it
The small primary bath provided an opportunity for Grup to express herself through bold graphic tiles and textiles as well as quirky art and accessories. She used the floral curtain (from ) and its oranges and pinks as her jumping-off point. βBathrooms can be capsules of personality,β Grup says, adding that she chose orange bath linens and orange soap to echo the curtain. βWe painted the ceiling black []. That darkness makes it feel vast.β
No tension
Grup prefers wall-mounted shower rods over tension-style. βTheyβre sturdier and safer for kids. Ours is curved, so it makes the space feel larger.β
Art with heart
A βHowdyβ print in the bathroom was sourced online from , where artists post their graphic work. The foyer features a shiplap wall treatment thatβs the perfect backdrop for the Grupsβ framed wedding flowers (from in Clarkston). Six black-and-white photos from the coupleβs travels to London, Paris, Iceland, Tanzania, and Amsterdam adorn a nearby gallery wall. βOur art is sentimental or means something to us,β Grup says.
Vintage vibes
βIβm obsessed with vintage home dΓ©cor. Itβs smart to find older pieces because of the quality; theyβre comparable to luxury markets.β In the bathroom, an antiquated light fixture was refinished and powder-coated in a bubblegum color. In the nursery, vintage-inspired accordion wall hooks add appeal.
The dining area features a vintage, solid black marble dining table and rattan detail chairs. βThe table is my favorite thrift find ever.β Found at an estate sale, the table shares space with two vintage-inspired chairs (βI love their caning detailβ) and a high chair.
Easy come, easy go
As for items that wear quickly, Grup says she doesnβt mind going online to, say, Amazon to purchase things like bath mats. βYouβre going to throw it out, so no need to be too thoughtful on things like that.β
This story originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of ΒιΆΉ·¬ΊΕ Detroit at a local retail outlet. OurΜύdigital edition will be available on May 6. Plus, click hereΜύto see more metro Detroit interiors.Μύ
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