THE HOUSEWIVES OF MANHATTAN

This housewife on the upper east side of Manhattan was desperate for my help in fluffing her sons bedroom. An eighteen year old who's flown the co-op and headed off to college, my challenge is to create a comfortable place for him to land when he returns while keeping it functional for the entire family while he's away. In classic Manhattan form, the space is about as tight as most of the faces walking on the sidewalk outside. Check back to see how I struggle to transform this room littered with acne-pad's into a hip, comfortable, hang-out pad.

I NEED A MANHATTAN!

Where do I start? With the basics: my client wants to incorporate office space, built-in bookshelves, a sofa, a bed and fun, cool, hip accessories. I'll start by designing a wall unit bookcase at Lowe's and search online sales for beds, sofas, etc. One of my new favorite finds for inexpensive bed linens is (dare I say) Wal*Mart and their Better Homes line at www.bhglivebetter.com.

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Deadline: December 19th

COST: Budget: $10,000.00 (I'll offer less-expensive alternatives to my choices)

STRESS LEVEL: TBA