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Intentional selection was the name of the game for Taylor Grup when she and her husband, Cody, made some interior design changes at their Berkley home. “Functional and decorative was what we were after,” Grup says. “We wanted to maximize small spaces and give them personality and functionality.”

She’s the lead designer and brand ambassador at , a Detroit-based interior design firm. The designer purchased the house a decade ago when she was attending the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. “My roommate lived in what is now our nursery” for their daughter, 10-month-old Blair, she says. In between, it was an office with a built-in closet.

Before they created the nursery, the couple updated other spaces — such as the primary bath, the living room, and the dining room — with new furnishings and window treatments. They also painted and installed new flooring throughout the 1,000-square-foot ranch-style home.

But achieving a stylish look required meticulous willpower and smarts, the designer says. “We had to be wildly intentional for things we purchased,” Grup says. “No HomeGoods runs. If it’s going to be in our house, it must be beautiful and functional.”

Here, she shares information on vintage finds, multitasking furnishings, creating a sense of space, and more.

Making a statement

Grup wanted to create drama upon entry to the home, so the dining nook, which is the first space you see, features a circular light fixture, artwork from (one of Concetti’s vendors), and a round table centered below. “It all perfectly aligns and is a grounding moment for when you walk in.”

Rockaby style

“A nursery is a good spot to go thematic, but there are ways to make it less overt and more contemporary,” Grup says. Blair’s space pops with a modern pink, orange, and green palette, inspired by sunrises in Tanzania, where the couple honeymooned. Here, a Noir Trading dresser multitasks as clothes storage, a changing station, and a bookshelf. “The dresser has gorgeous texture on the front, and it will work well for years to come.”

Goin’ on a safari!

Tanzanian vibes continue with a monkey-themed lamp (from ). It was the first item the couple bought for the nursery. “I customized it by finishing it in gilded gold, and that gold makes it pop from the walls and picks up on the dresser’s hardware.” More animalia appears in the way of artwork featuring baby elephants and lions. A tiger rug is from , and the elephant rocker was purchased from .

Cue the closet

The nursery closet was converted into a nook for the crib and additional shelving for linens and totes. The crib () seamlessly transitions from a minicrib to a traditional crib and ultimately transforms into a toddler bed, offering versatile functionality.

Sit right down

The living room, right off the entry, maximizes seating with an oversized sectional, a storage ottoman, and poufs. “Everything needed to be soft for the baby,” Grup says.

Deep thinker

“The living room drapery [from West Elm] is a fun hack: In an effort to make the space feel more elevated and designer, I had our workroom do a pinch pleat on them, and then we used ceiling tracks, so they go all the way to the ceiling. Anything I can do to make it look bigger is what I’m going to do.”

Made in the shade

The natural, woven living room shades pick up on the natural material used on the sideboard/credenza. “I love the warmth they provide, and I love the top-down, bottom-up style because I want to get enough light in the house.”

Go for it

The small primary bath provided an opportunity for Grup to express herself through bold graphic tiles and textiles as well as quirky art and accessories. She used the floral curtain (from ) and its oranges and pinks as her jumping-off point. “Bathrooms can be capsules of personality,” Grup says, adding that she chose orange bath linens and orange soap to echo the curtain. “We painted the ceiling black []. That darkness makes it feel vast.”

No tension

Grup prefers wall-mounted shower rods over tension-style. “They’re sturdier and safer for kids. Ours is curved, so it makes the space feel larger.”

Art with heart

A “Howdy” print in the bathroom was sourced online from , where artists post their graphic work. The foyer features a shiplap wall treatment that’s the perfect backdrop for the Grups’ framed wedding flowers (from in Clarkston). Six black-and-white photos from the couple’s travels to London, Paris, Iceland, Tanzania, and Amsterdam adorn a nearby gallery wall. “Our art is sentimental or means something to us,” Grup says.

Vintage vibes

“I’m obsessed with vintage home décor. It’s smart to find older pieces because of the quality; they’re comparable to luxury markets.” In the bathroom, an antiquated light fixture was refinished and powder-coated in a bubblegum color. In the nursery, vintage-inspired accordion wall hooks add appeal.

The dining area features a vintage, solid black marble dining table and rattan detail chairs. “The table is my favorite thrift find ever.” Found at an estate sale, the table shares space with two vintage-inspired chairs (“I love their caning detail”) and a high chair.

Easy come, easy go

As for items that wear quickly, Grup says she doesn’t mind going online to, say, Amazon to purchase things like bath mats. “You’re going to throw it out, so no need to be too thoughtful on things like that.”

This story originally appeared in the May 2024 issue of ������ Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of ������ Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our��digital edition will be available on May 6. Plus, click here��to see more metro Detroit interiors.��