Designing a Functional Living Space

Suzanne Kasler on ‘Back of the House’ Enhancements


Mudrooms, closets, and garages–discover Suzanne Kasler's outlook on designing functional spaces.

Read What Suzanne Kessler has to Say:


From her design studio in Atlanta, Georgia, celebrated interior designer Suzanne Kasler talks about the burgeoning design focus on functional living spaces, like mudrooms, entryways and other often-overlooked areas.

Before decorating starts, Kasler looks at her clients’ busy, functional spaces and aims to make them both smarter and more stylish.

“One of the big trends that we started seeing, even before COVID, was this whole focus on ‘back of house,'” shares Kasler. As people build or renovate, these areas are taking areas of focus in the well-designed holistic home.

Kasler has been tasked with creating more and more thoughtful, well-designed mudrooms. Considerations for her projects include:

  • How should the space function for her clients’ family?
  • Are there little kids who need built-in lockers with easy access?
  • What about storage? How much or how little?

Assessing the specific needs of homeowners and their families, she says, is at the center of a successful ‘back-of-the-house’ plan that informs effective functional home design.

Like mudrooms, entryways are also hard-working, multi-functional spaces. Kasler shares several recent client examples of winning design applied to these spaces:

  • Big lockers and tons of hooks for a ski lodge-style home
  • Large baskets for flip-flops and towels at a beach home
  • A dedicated doggie area for cleaning off paws in a city dwelling
  • The common kitchen transformed into a de facto family room


Kasler applies a sunny design ethos to every functional space, seeing each as an opportunity to create something fabulous.


Upgrading Closets and Garages


Closets are another space that may benefit from a fresh design eye. Given how much time you spend going in and out of them, Kasler and many fellow designers see possibilities beyond just storage.

A thoughtful, well-designed closet, she adds, prompts the “whole house flow,” providing a better living experience overall.

Additionally, Kasler cites the garage as another place to upgrade; they are no longer just a spot to house cars, with beautiful designs now being breathed in.

“Garages are now being used as an entertainment hub; we actually hosted our daughter's wedding out of our garage,” Kasler shares fondly.

“Today, garages have such great square footage and are designed to open onto our lawns and our yards,” she muses.

Summarizing her approach to functional living space, Kasler concludes that “design is not just about decorating, it really is about how we're living.”



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