When something is a part of your life for multiple decades, it can be difficult to see past what is. That was where Kristyn Iman’s clients were with their Prairie Village home when they reached out about renovations. The brick manse—the wife’s childhood home—had remnants of past design eras for Kristyn, owner of Design Spout, to work through.

“We studied the entire home and made recommendations to change most of it,” Kristyn says, who along with Nick Roberts of KM Construction, updated the main level, including the primary suite. 

It started with the delicate process of reducing objects and art—or at least not displaying the couple’s collection in its entirety.

“There is less clutter now; it’s a process,” Kristyn says. “Part of the process is learning how people live and what’s important to them. Once I’ve got that information, the priority is tailoring the function based on their lifestyle.”

The practice of letting go holds true particularly in the primary suite, where simplicity is key, Kristyn says.

“A bedroom needs to be a safe haven, a place to feel completely relaxed,” she notes.

Although she did incorporate a TV above a new built-in media cabinet, the sleeping quarter minimally contains a high-backed upholstered bed to bring softness, nightstands for convenience and a chair for reading.

A rug from The Rug Studio, a to-the-trade showroom, adds a warm landing spot when stepping out of bed on cold mornings.

“I’m not opposed to broadloom carpet in a bedroom because comfort is a priority,” Kristyn says.

She made room for a couple of key pieces of the owners’ art by stealing space from the living room on the other side of the bedroom wall, creating a walk-in closet and removing a row of shallow bi-folding closet doors.

The homeowner says that was a pivotal decision in how they view the room.

“Freeing up some wall space across from the bed really changed the feel of the room,” the wife says. “Now we can look at beautiful artwork instead of a closet door.”

The bathroom was an even larger focus of Kristyn’s rearranging talent.

When studying the space in the 3D model, it was obvious to Kristyn that they should demolish walls to experience the full vaulted ceiling from the bathroom and closet.

She kept the skylights for their incredible natural light, adding UV protection to the glass. She replaced a stained glass window with a frosted one and layered a framed mirror over the top so natural light peeks in from behind.

Notably, Kristyn did not include a tub in the redesign—a door to the back patio leads straight to an in-ground hot tub, the homeowner’s preferred spot for a soak.

By creating a new floor plan, Kristyn was able to incorporate everything the homeowners wanted—and more.

“The space went from being busy to being highly functional,” she says. “Simple forms create a more peaceful environment.”