A good friend and architect I used to work for once gave me some amazing advice: “An idea can be great, but how do you realize it? If it can’t be built it isn’t a great idea.” I find myself thinking about his advice when designing rooms, custom furniture, lighting, and more for my clients. I’ve also found over the years that his advice is only part of the process. Even if it can be built, site conditions in construction are changing all of the time! Take this example from my Key West Project for instance:

1st Design:

Based on the architect’s drawings for this project, I put together our first iteration of this fun, kid-friendly bunk bed room. At the time we had 10′-3″ ceilings so it was a no brainer to make the top bunks just a little higher so adults using the king bed at the bottom could have plenty of head room while getting in and out of bed. I also loved the idea of creating a barrier between the top bunks (hidden by the drapes) to prevent kids from crawling back and forth between the two sides. Plus how much fun would it be to be a kid and have curtains you could open and close for privacy? The barrier between the two beds would also tie into the ceiling joists to add stability. Safety? Check. Comfort? Check. Check out our first pass for the design below. Cool, coastal, and chic:

Our first pass for the bunk bed room

The only problem? We needed storage. As far as I knew (at the time) our ceiling heights were still 10′-3″, so we decided to add fun little storage cubbies on either side of the upholstered bed we designed.

2nd Design:

Our second pass: A colorful, coastal bunk bed room for a client in Key West.

Well, we solved the issue with storage, and we solved the client’s need for something colorful and upholstered. The only issue? Our ceiling heights were not built to plan. The architect had an idea for air conditioning that was not viable for the project, so our ceiling dropped a foot in order to accomodate the A/C unit? Another issue: The only area our A/C unit could squeeze in was just above the bunk beds (literally in the exact spot where our divider was supposed to be). Heartbroken, I redesigned the space sans drapery only to realize I’d fallen in love even more with our final design.

3rd & Final Design:

The third and final iteration of our bunk bed room

I found that in the final design we ticked several boxes that brought this design to a new level. The adjoining bathroom had a shiplap wall painted the same navy color. I decided to bring that same vibe into the bedroom, and voila. Sexy, chic, colorful, and playful this bunk bed room is sure to be a star in this contemporary oceanfront property!

Final thoughts:

My friend and architect I mentioned previously was correct in his advice; however, I’ve found that even if a design is realized and can indeed be built, there are a variety of other factors at play. Sometimes you have to roll with the punches – and field conditions/changes – to realize a good design sometimes needs a little evolution to be great!