At some point, we’ve all been told to ”go with the flow.” And when it comes to great design, it’s definitely sage advice. This hit home for me during a recent redesign for my clients, Lisa and Randy. The couple recently renovated their kitchen into a sleek, contemporary gem, full of clean lines and beautiful finishes. But they had an adjacent family room that was a total disconnect. With its parquet flooring and clunky furniture — not to mention a giant giraffe statue — the family room looked like it belonged to another house.

The couple wanted harmony between the two rooms, but didn’t know where to start. So, putting into play the principle of design flow, I set out to make the uninspiring family room visually relate to the gorgeous kitchen.