ArSheen.B

Sophisticated. Comfortable. Beautiful. Unique. That’s the magic that Arsheen brought to my living room and I am incredibly grateful for her hard work and vision for making it happen. I was looking at my living room last spring and wondering, for what seemed liked the 1000th time whether it would ever look like a cohesive space. My husband and I had purchased our home at the end of 2013, and I’d always intended to get new furniture and make over the space. But between a wedding, pregnancy, new baby and our hectic work schedules (and life), the only thing I’d managed to do is get the downstairs painted. I finally accepted that I needed some help, and put out a call for designers on Thumbtack. I had several replies, but Arsheen’s pitch was the one that appealed to me due to her unique background (architect originally from India), portfolio with some updated midcentury modern touches and professional demeanor. When Arsheen and I got started, I filled out a questionnaire and she asked me at what I wanted. I told her something like: “I love midcentury modern..but not all of it..just Swedish midcentury modern. I need sleek lines. Plus Africa, India and Mexico to reflect my travels. And lots of colors—orange, blue, purple—but not too much color. And pictures of my family. And I hate sectionals but you can show me some anyway as long as they’re not made of leather. And I would like to have a space for our little one’s toys without said toys dominating the entire room.” (Note: I’m probably forgetting some of my many requests here. I have to be honest, had I heard that seemingly contradictory laundry list of requests from a client, I would have run for the hills! But that’s why I’m not an interior designer.) To her credit, Arsheen didn’t flinch. She delivered a couple of different floor plans that made great use the space, brought in (modern) midcentury flair and gave me the rich colors I was asking for without it being over the top. To my surprise, I quickly realized that the sectional she had proposed was a much better fit for the space and my current lifestyle. (Most importantly, it wasn’t leather!) After a number of iterations, we settled on a design that had neutral, solid colored accent chairs (dark blue) but brought in more colors (orange, more blues) without going over the top. The lines of sectional were midcentury-inspired, and she also brought those touches in with the legs of sectional, the chairs, and my unique coffee table. The rug and Roman shades also have Indian-inspired designs on them. It’s also worth mentioning the fixtures and related elements. While I was a little doubtful at first, she swapped out the original fan for a sleek and modern one. Honestly, it’s easily the fixture with the greatest benefit/cost ratio—it has completely opened up the room. She also recommended a new fireplace mantle and creating a new fireplace frame. I really couldn’t figure out what it was going to look like, even with the drawing, but I just went with it, and it looks amazing. It’s so much more modern than the original. Even my handyman was surprised at the difference those two additions made. (Note: Arsheen works with a wide variety of vendors, but is more than willing to work with your preferred vendors. If we had an issue with any vendor, Arsheen worked overtime to make sure it was corrected as soon as possible.) When the time came to put everything together, I was nervous. How would all of the great elements come together? Well, I need not have worried. Arsheen managed to pull together all of the things that I mentioned above (the new), plus photos and momentoes from my travels to Mexico, Ghana, India and other countries, and a gallery wall of family portraits. And it’s everything I could have wanted. It’s gorgeous and sophisticated, yet, I still feel comfortable flopping down in front of my newly wall-mounted television and doing my hair. My husband was impressed by the great ‘blend of form and function’ and my notoriously picky family and friends have raved about the design. Our little one has a toy trunk (courtesy of Target!) that keeps all of the toys organized and out of the way. And now I’m happy and proud to have people come to visit. Arsheen doesn’t just create rooms, she creates experiences for you to enjoy if you place your trust in her. I did, and I’m so glad I took the leap. Hire her—you won’t regret it.

Bukhari helped us with our living room design. She was professional and very accommodating of our schedule challenges. She took the time to really understand my style and preferences. The layout plans and furniture recommendations she has provided look awesome and I am excited to start putting it all together. I have yet to buy the furniture and reset the room as per the plan Bukhari has put together... I will post pictures when complete.