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This article originally appeared on Houzz.com.

When a couple with great taste start a family, the resulting state of their home can easily leave them feeling design-deficient. Sleek lines and gorgeous fabrics are quickly replaced by soft corners and surfaces that are easy to wipe down. But for a young professional couple with two little ones in Fremont, the idea of giving up on great design simply wasn’t going to fly. Enter interior designer Heidi Caillier, who was hired to help the couple pull together the spaces on the ground floor of their home. “Initially they just wanted to brighten up those rooms and make them more polished,” Caillier says. “Later we added additional phases to the project and tackled the master bedroom upstairs.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Fremont neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 2,800 square feet (260.1 square meters); four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: Heidi Caillier Design

The 1908 home is endowed with features that give it a competitive advantage when it comes to aesthetics — things like original casings, moldings and banisters and stunning wood flooring. “Thankfully, the homeowners wanted to keep all of that intact,” Caillier says.

In the entry, a custom console, designed by Caillier, sets a precedent for what one will see throughout the home. Many of the pieces were custom-designed. 

A long gray sofa — one of the few items the owners had in place before bringing Caillier onboard — anchors a living room designed for entertaining. While the children don’t spend a ton of time in this room, they were a consideration in all phases of the design process.

“We used tight prints to hide stains. We put zipper covers on the cushions so they could be taken off and cleaned,” Caillier says. “We just tried to think ahead about what would make life easier.”

The layout of the kitchen didn’t change, but all the elements got a major face-lift. Caillier extended the cabinetry to provide extra storage and visually elongate the space. She replaced wood countertops with stone, repainted cabinets and installed new plumbing fixtures and lighting. 

Above the kitchen island, a pair of pendant lights provides a subtle transition from the kitchen to the dining area.

Related: Brighten Up a Kitchen With New Pendant Lights 

The couple’s art collection, consisting of various vintage pieces, family heirlooms and Etsy finds, creates a dynamic backdrop for a simple, sophisticated dining area.

Related: Repair or Reupholster Old Furniture With Help From a Seattle Professional 

“The clients had some great art, and it was a lot of fun to piece it together to create a gallery wall,” Caillier says.

A large mirror and an art piece from the homeowners’ collection hang above a custom sectional in the kid-friendly family room.

“This is a room where they hang out and play, so we really made sure that surfaces were durable, and we chose a rug that would hide just about any stain,” Caillier says. “I really love working with families who have kids. It’s a fun challenge to figure out how to make that look great. I like using prints, but keeping it minimal at the same time, so that it feels young and fresh.”