SOMA Living April 2026

HOME DESIGN

“I need an office,” my friend Keith blurted out. We were at Village Coffee, our usual spot for periodic meetups. “Right now, I’m working out of my daughter’s bedroom, which is fine while she’s away at school, but when she comes home, it’s tough.” “Any other spaces that might work?” I asked. “We have an office,” he said flatly, “but my wife claimed it.” I laughed. “Yeah… you ain’t getting that back.” He chuckled. “No. Not at all.” “What about the basement?” I asked. “It’s… semi‑finished,” he explained. “I can finish it. We’ve done two recently, one with a separate office, another with a full bath,” I offered. He sighed. “Still, it’s my son’s hangout. Even with a separate room, I’d still hear the F‑bombs flying while he and his friends play Smash Bros.”

I laughed. “I remember those days with my boys. How about the attic?” “Not finished,” he said. “I can convert it. Put in some skylights, even a full bath,” I said, pulling up photos on my phone. “Here’s the before and after of work I did for this cool Maplewood family.” “Wow,” he said. “That looks amazing. But what about temperature control?” “A ductless mini‑split handles heating and cooling, separately controlled from the rest of the house. Why don’t I stop by, look at the space, and give you some ideas and a quote?” I offered. “That would be amazing,” he said, then added, “It’s really hard to focus on a business call while staring at posters of Taylor Swift.”

,

APRIL 2026 | SOMA LIVING 19

@somalivingmagazine