The document summarizes several interior design projects completed by Leah Connolly. It includes converting an old bank building into a living and work space for two graphic designers, remodeling a master bedroom suite, designing a modern kitchen, imagining a beach house living room, redesigning a coffee shop, designing an office for a museum, remodeling a hospital wing, programming a public library, designing an office for a coffee company CEO, creating a library lounge, converting a warehouse into a union office building, and showcasing hand drawings.

1. SA MP LE W ORKS
LE AH CO N N OLLY

2. CONV ERT ED BANK BUILDING
In this project, I was asked to convert an
old bank building in downtown Davis into a
combination living space and working studio
for two graphic designers and their daughter. I
wanted to utilize the 17’ ceilings to make the
space feel large and open, and I also chose
to keep the existing brick wall for additional
texture. I chose mid century modern furniture,
and added a mezzanine in order to create the
contemporary loft style the clients desired.
SECTION
P ERSP ECTIV E VIE W

3. 1. Storage & Laundry Room 7. Broom Closet 13. Guest Bathroom
2. Linen Closet 8. Pantry 14. Studio Entry
3. Mechanical Closet 9. Kitchen 15. Enclosed Porch
4. Residence Entry 10. Dining Area 16. Master Suite
5. Daughter’s Bathroom 11. Conference Room 17. Living Space
6. Daugher’s Bedroom 12. Studio
MAI N F LO OR P L AN MAT E RIALS
MEZZ ANI NE P L AN
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4. MAST ER BEDRO OM RE MODEL
F LO OR P L AN
SIT E P L AN
PARTIAL
F LO OR P L AN
For this project, I was given the floor plan of a mid-
century home in Davis.The owners had invited the
mother-in-law to move into their old bedroom, and
they wanted to add onto a smaller bedroom in the
house to create a new master suite. I chose to layout
the suite in a way that allowed for as much privacy
as possible. I also decided on a complementary color
to make the room feel inviting and up-to-date.

5. P ERSP ECTIV E F ROM SIT TI NG ARE A
P ERSP ECTIV ES
F RO M E NT RY
P ERSP ECTIV E F ROM BED
For reference, I have also included a portion of the
original floor plan before the renovation. I relocated
the mechanical closet and hall closet, and removed the
bay window in the living room, but otherwise left the
existing structure in tact.

6. MOD E RN KITC HE N
P ERSP ECTIV E
F LO OR P L AN
MAT E RIALS
SECTION
In this design, I created a modern
kitchen with an open plan and a
breakfast nook. I chose neutral
wood floors and beadboard for
the walls, with pops of orange
and green for the cabinets,
furniture, and window trim.

7. BE ACH HOUSE LIVI NG RO OM
P ERSP ECTIV E
MAT E RIALS
SECTION
F LO OR P L AN
For this project, I
designed a room from my
imagination. I was inspired
by a beach in Northern
California that I used to
visit growing up. I created
a beach house living room
with an exposed brick
wall, and chose colors and
textures that made me
think of the sea and sand.

8. A FAIR BRE AK COF F EE CO.
F LO OR P L AN
DISP L AY
C ASES
FAÇ AD E ELE VATI O N
SECTION
For this design, I worked with a partner to redesign a coffee shop.We were
given the floor plan of an existing Starbuck’s location in San Francisco, and
then we created a new layout and logo for a fair trade coffee shop called A
Fair Break.The new store was also owned by Starbuck’s, but was designed to
look like a local, independent store, in order to draw in customers who avoid
chain coffee shops.We focused on sustainability and repurposed materials.
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1. Front Patio/Entry
2.Trash/Compost
3. Seating Areas
4. Display Cases
5. Barista Counter
6. Register/Pastry Display
7. Store Room
8. Restrooms
9. Back Entry
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9. P ERSP ECTIV E VIE W S
MAT E RIALS AND LOGO

10. SHRE M MUSE UM OF FICE
SC ALE MOD EL P ERSP ECTIV E
F LO OR P L AN
In this project, my partner and I designed a custom piece of
furniture and corresponding floor plan for an open office in
the Shrem Art Museum, which will soon be built on the UC
Davis campus.The office has a large picture window that
looks out on the lobby, so we created an eye-catching design
for viewers and workers to enjoy. Our scale model shows the
comfortable, bleacher-like cushions, and
modularity of the removable seats.

11. H OSPITAL WI N G RE MOD EL
SC ALE MOD EL
in San Francisco. Since this wing of the hospital
houses patients who are recovering from heart
surgery, we tried to make the patient rooms calm
and inviting, while keeping them as accessible as
possible for nurses to rush in when necessary.
For this project,
I worked with
two partners
to redesign the
Telemetry Care
wing of a poorly
designed hospital
F LO OR P L AN
1. Patient Restrooms
2. Patient Restrooms
3. Guest Lounge
4. Medicine Room
5. Nurse’s Station
6. Nurse’s Restroom
7. Nurse’s Lounge
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12. SU NSET BRANCH LIBRARY
BASE ME NT P L AN
MAI N F LO OR P L AN
MEZ Z ANI NE P L AN
1.Volunteer Office
2. Librarian Work Area & Storage
3. Staff Break Room
4. Chief Librarian’s Closet
5. Janitor’s Closet
6. Children’s Program
7. Restrooms
8. StoryTime
9. Lobby & Display
10. Circulation Desk
11. Information Desk
12. Book Return Chute
13.Adult Stacks (Fiction)
14.Adult Stacks (Non-Fiction)
15. Magazines & Newspapers
16.Adult Computers
17. Express Check-Out
18. Communication Room
19. Utility Room
20.Teen Program
21. Circulation Desk
22. Information Desk
23. Display & New Books
24.Adult Reading Room
25. Kitchenette & Coffee Bar
26. Community Meeting Room
For this project, I programmed
and designed a new layout for the
basement and main floor of the
Sunset Branch Public Library in
San Francisco. I added a mezzanine
level for extra space, but I wanted
to maintain the character of the
existing building, which was built in
the early 1900s.
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13. P ERSP ECTIV EMAT E RIALS
PARTI
DIAGRAM
SE C TI ON
I selected furniture
and finishes that were
vaguely reminiscent
of theVictorian Era
from the late 1800s.

14. BLUE BOT T LE CE O OF FICE
F LO OR P L AN P ERSP ECTIV E
DISP L AY
U NIT
For this design, I was told to pick any small business of my choice and
create an office for the CEO of the company. I chose Blue Bottle Coffee, a
company based in the bay area that is dedicated to roasting and brewing
quality coffee.The CEO, James Freeman, is also an active supporter of the
free trade movement. I wanted to create an open, minimalistic style office
that reflects the feel of the company’s retail locations.

15. SHIELD S LIBRARY LOU N GE
P ERSP ECTIV E VIE W S
PARTIAL
F LO OR P L AN
F LO OR P L AN
MAT E RIALS
For this project, I was asked to
design a modern coffee bar and
student study lounge for the
lobby of Shields Library, on the
UC Davis campus.

16. SEIU OF FICE BUILDI N G
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MAI N F LO OR P L AN MEZ Z ANI NE P L AN
1. Strategy Room
2. Office Manager
3. Reception and Guest Lounge
4.Training Room
5. Kitchen
6. Storage
7. Small Conference Room
8. Executive Suite
9. Executive Conference Room
10. Restrooms
11. Janitor and Mechanical Closets
12. Storage Rooms
13. Government Affairs Manager
14. Copy Room
15. StaffTrainer
16. Communications Department
17. LRRs and SLRRs
18. Secretarial Pool
19. Legal Library
20. Legal Department
21. Info and Research Department
22. Finance Department
For this project, I converted an old warehouse into a
useable office space for the SEIU labor union in Sacramento.
I wanted to create a moder, organic design that contrasts
witht the old existing structure. I used the company’s logo
as inspiration for the curved walls, and worked to fit in all
of the necessary rooms while keeping the executive suite
hidden from visiting union members.

17. PARTI DIAGRAM
HAND SKE TCH
P ERSP ECTIV E VIE W S
MAT E RIALS

18. HAND D RAWI NGS
GR AP HIT E
GR AP HIT E
W HIT E COLORED P ENCIL
CHARCOAL
CHARCOAL
I’ve chosen a sampling
of my hand-drawn
artwork from my
AP studio art class in
high school and my
sketches in college. I
love to create realistic
images of people,
objects, and landscapes. I
have put this skill to use in
the brainstorming stage of
many of my design projects.

19. ACRY LIC PAI NT
COLORED P ENCI L
COLORED P ENCI L
COLORED P ENCI L
PAP E R CO LL AGE
My favorite media is graphite, but I also
love to work with colored pencil and
occasionally paint. In some of my classes,
I also did a few projects involving collage
art with cut pieces of paper. I studied
color theory and the interaction of color
for many years.