
Small library. Big opinions.
Project 01: the kit has arrived, the finish is still to choose, and the real work is still to document.


House edition / San Francisco
I'm Melissa. I have an old San Francisco house, very specific taste, and a growing list of things I've never done before.

The house, in chapters
First, the little library. Then the staircase, the blue room, and the details worth keeping. Start with the ambitions and the questions, before the after photographs.
Explore all project briefs
Project 01: the kit has arrived, the finish is still to choose, and the real work is still to document.

A finish with ambition. A process that needs a little more information.

The difference between immersive and rather a lot.
The whole point
Not expert instruction with the difficult parts edited out. The first attempt, the better attempt, and the part where I call someone who knows.
Meet Melissa
The sourcebook
Paint, hardware, lighting, and the choices that deserve a closer look. A considered starting point for finding the beautiful version.
Explore the sourcebookCurrent links go directly to retailers. Affiliate connections are not active yet.
Field notes
Field note / The point of view
Start with the result you want. The shopping list can wait five minutes.
Read the noteField note / The point of view
The beautiful photograph is only part of the useful information.
Read the noteFor your own very big idea
Put the result, the unknowns, and the actual budget in one place. It does not make the project less ambitious.
Make your project briefBeautiful, eventually.
The decisions, the things worth keeping, and what the beautiful version actually takes.