We were thrilled when our friends asked us to help them rethink their residence. The gentlest people on the planet, half the couple is the owner of one of our favorite stores anywhere, and the other half designs books and runs a world-class gallery dedicated to graphic design. They have highly refined visual instincts and what every architectural designer and decorator craves in their clients: great taste. While we helped lay out the space and the lighting, and we detailed the cabinetry and the millwork (and helped determine where to leave good enough alone), they did the heavy lifting for choosing things like plumbing fittings, materials, light fixtures, and color. Not that they were averse to suggestions—we had plenty of them, and they took each one seriously.

Lots of firms think of their projects as collaborations with their clients. But after forty years of doing this, we can say with great authority that this was truly a collaborative effort, like no other we’ve done so far. We learned a lot, and we’re hoping that there are more collaborations like this to come. Any takers for painted yellow floors out there?