Microarchitecture with Major Approval

I’ve been asked to solve a lot of little design dilemmas in my career - awkward rooflines, squeaky stair treads, how to hang a canoe from a ceiling - but last month, a client hit me with something new:

“I’m worried about where the litter box will go.” Her beautiful face was shrouded with worry.

It wasn’t exactly a design emergency. The drywall hadn’t been hung yet. The flooring selection was still in limbo. But there she was, standing in the framed shell of her future home and maybe losing a little sleep over where Mochi is going to do her business.

I’ve learned over time that there’s usually one thing in every project that seems inconsequential on paper, but is secretly the hill a client is willing to die on. For some it’s the built-in wine fridge. For others, it’s the view from the soaking tub. For this client, it was feline accommodation.

So I did what any self-respecting designer does when faced with an unexpected challenge: I stared at the framing plan until my coffee went cold.

But then I saw it.

Tucked behind one of the bathroom walls, nestled into the utility room, was a void. Just a little awkward rectangle of unused space—too small for a closet, too big to waste. And in that moment, it became something else entirely.

I began to redesign the area, ironically using a mouse to create a space for a creature historically known for chasing them. Somewhere in the ether, the gods of poetic justice were purring. It wasn’t long until I’d created a 24” x 30” micro-room, hidden in plain sight with a petite 24” x 20” dogeared opening. Dogeared because, humor. The bathroom flooring will flow right into the little feline chamber. I added a ceiling to contain the curious critter along with drywall and base molding, naturally.

Mochi now has a private powder room that may rival some New York apartments.

With stars in her eyes, my client joked about adding drapes and a tiny chandelier. I let out a laugh that sounded more supportive than I felt, but also mentally sourced some dollhouse lighting just in case.

Sometimes good design isn’t about drama or grand gestures. It’s about the quiet corners. The tiny, deliberate ways a designer can make her client feel like her wildest, silliest dreams are worth exploring. Efforts that make a home feel not just livable, but loved - by humans and their feline roommates alike.

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Harmony is the in-house architectural designer and founder of Creative Concierge, the design department within Creative Building Concepts where she specializes in creating custom residential spaces with timeless character and thoughtful detail. When she’s not sketching floor plans or walking job sites, you’ll find her mentoring and teaching young, aspiring designers through class and application. She lives just outside of Carlisle within a private plot in the woods, among her beloved gardens with her husband, their three kids and two rambunctious border collies.