Chapter33
Keith and Dewey were stunned.
A small shoe cabinet had been placed by the entrance. At first glance, it looked way too narrow to be practical.
But when they opened it, they realized the shoes were stored at an angle- slanted just right so that when the door closed, they stacked even more compactly. It was surprisingly clever.
The cabinet wasn’t huge, but it held enough for the whole family. Finally, no more piles of shoes crammed under the bed.
The peeling, patchy walls were now covered with warm beige wallpaper. The old, worn–out fabric sofa had been replaced by a sleek, water- and stain–resistant tech fabric couch. A new glass coffee table sat in front- simple and elegant.
The little table in the corner had been kept, now holding a fresh vase of
carnations.
The living room window, which used to have aging roller blinds, now had crisp white Venetian blinds that made the space feel cleaner and brighter.
Under the soft, warm lighting, the entire room gave off a cozy, welcoming
vibe.
“You’re back?” Erin emerged from the guest bedroom, lighting up when he saw Dora. Ile grabbed her by the wrist, practically glowing with pride. “Come check out the guest room–you’re gonna love what I did with it!”
Keith and Dewey followed eagerly, curious to see what their rooms had been transformed into.
When the boys saw the finished room, their jaws practically hit the floor
The color scheme was a fresh, soothing sea blue Just inside the door, a small space was left open, less than a square meter, while the rest of the floor was raised with wooden panels to create a built–in tatami–style platform with hidden storage underneath. Without a bulky wardrobe taking up space, the whole room felt significantly more open.
The bunk bed was still there, but the layout had changed. The top bunk. was now horizontal, while the bottom was vertical–essentially a mattress: placed directly on the wooden platform. Instead of a ladder, there was at built–in staircase leading up, making it much safer.
Each step of the staircase doubled as a drawer–perfect for storing books and other small items.
On the other side of the room, an L–shaped desk wrapped around the corner, giving each brother his own space to study without getting in each other’s way
To take such a tiny room and turn it into something this functional and stylish–without losing a single key feature–was exactly the kind of magic you’d expect from a world–class interior designer.
“This drawer comes out–see? You can use the space underneath as a bookshelf,” Erin explained, pulling one of the drawers from the staircase to reveal vertical slots that could hold books.
He tapped the raised platform and turned to Dewey. “Dora told me your like drawing. This material’s oil–paint resistant–just wipe it clean, no stains to worry about.”
Dewey’s eyes sparkled like stars. He bounced with excitement. “Thank you, Erin! Thank you, Dora! I finally have my own desk–I can draw as much as I want!”
Seeing his beaming face, Erin had never felt prouder. He ruled Dewey’s
”
hair, utterly content
The second bedroom, which was larger than the guest room, had even more flexibility. It had been redone with soft lavender wallpaper.
The bed design was clever–a staircase led to a raised platform where two beds sat side by side, separated by a divider. Pull the curtain and each bed became a cozy little nook of privacy.
There were also curtains at the head of the bed that opened directly to the window, letting sunlight pour in when pulled back.
Beneath the beds, the space was generous enough to fit two desks, which could be used for studying or as vanity tables.
Now, sleep happened up top, studying down below, and there was still room for a wardrobe–an upgraded one, no less, with a pull–out full–length mirror built into one panel.
The master bedroom was more straightforward–decorated in warm beige tones, neat and elegant. Since it had more space and fewer furnishings to begin with, only the layout was adjusted slightly. The wardrobe was moved to the foot of the bed, and a vanity was added beside it.
“Well, Miss Perfectionist–happy?” Erin tilted his head toward Dora, clearly fishing for praise. “Listen, not counting my design fee, just the materials alone were worth over 17 thousand dollars. If I hadn’t pulled. every string I had and talked my mouth dry, there’s no way you could’ve done it for under 7 thousand dollars.”
Dora chuckled and gave his shoulder a pat. “You really are something. Master Erin. Impeccable taste, an enviable network–nobody else could’ve done it this well.”
“You know it.” Erin’s chin lifted proudly at the compliment. He added, “If” your budget had been even a bit higher, I’d have ripped up those floor tiles and redone the walls with paneling.”
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