Creating Order in a Craftsman Bungalow

The project gained traction after they were fixed up with Clements and her husband and design partner, Joe Schneider, at a school fund-raiser. The two couples realized they not only had similar taste but also had boys in the same grades: "a matched set," as Clements puts it. "I knew where the pressures were," she adds. "The kids play sports, they're academic, they're all going in different directions, and you're trying to manage all that in a lovely but limited footprint"—a polite way of saying, "in a cramped and cluttered shared space with a layout that makes no sense for a family today."

Shown: The living room's built-in desk and command center are steps from the kitchen.

Cabinets and built-ins: Bellmont Cabinet Co.
Cabinet and drawer pulls, and window hardware: Ives