Beautifully Designed Homes

for Life’s Next Chapter

Transforming Designs by Joan creates purposeful, stylish spaces for homeowners

who are right-sizing, relocating or moving into independent living.

Schedule a Conversation
Living room with white sofas, armchair, black coffee table, dining area with black table and chairs, large windows with white curtains, wood flooring, and decorative pillows. Second image shows fabric samples and interior design materials with blue and white patterns, and a table with samples, flowers, and magazines.

About Our Approach

Joan currently brings her experience as an Ethan Allen interior designer to projects requiring new furnishings, while Transforming Designs by Joan specializes in thoughtful space planning, right sizing and transition design.

Ethan Allen furnishing inquiries:

Transitions and space-planning inquiries:

Change is a process. Let’s work together and find the joy in the transition…..

Logo for Transforming Designs by Joan, featuring stylized black table and chair icons with the company name and tagline.

Three Right Sized completed projects, all resolved working with

Transforming Designs by Joan….

 This project tells the story of a devoted mother entering a new chapter of life. After years as a caregiver in Atlanta, she made the meaningful decision to downsize and relocate to an independent living community in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina—bringing her closer to family.

With the support of her daughter-in-law, the transition became a collaborative and caring process. Together, we honored the pieces that held deep personal meaning, while thoughtfully planning a home that would feel both familiar and refreshed.

Joan integrated carefully selected new Ethan Allen pieces while ensuring that the client’s baby grand piano remained a natural focal point in the living room.

Through intentional space planning and careful sourcing, we created a warm, welcoming home—one that reflects her history while supporting her next chapter with comfort and ease.

A thoughtful Transition

A mother and Daughter-in-Law Working Together…

Floor plan of a one-bedroom apartment with rooms labeled living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, closets, and entry, with dimensions provided for each room.
Interior design concept for South Bay at Mt Pleasant, featuring living, dining, open concept spaces.

A client relocating from a distance needed his new home completely planned before move-in.

Designer and client met virtually every step of the way. Sharing ideas and discussing the specific needs the client needed to feel comfortable and have a home that functions well.

The designer created the room layouts, selected furnishings, coordinated window treatments and accessories, and worked with trusted local specialists.

With Ethan Allen, the delivery was carefully organized to meet move in schedules and all for one flat $299 delivery charge.

The result: A comfortable, fully finished home from the moment he arrived.

Planning with Confidence

A Home Designed Before Arrival

Floor plan of a house showing rooms including a kitchen, living room, dining area, bedrooms, bathrooms, and a porch.
Set of four interior rooms including a fabric swatch display table, a living room with gray sofa and armchair, a home office with desk and bookshelves, and a bedroom with a white dresser and mirror.

Seafields at Kiawah Island - A life plan community

In this project, the family was navigating an important move under time constraints and from a distance. While in-person planning is always idea, we approached the process with flexibility, clarity and care.

Using the community’s floor plan as a guide, the family provided measurements and identified meaningful pieces to bring. From there, I developed a detailed space plan that prioritized both comfort and functionality.

We complemented existing furnishings with carefully selected new pieces, ensuring the home felt cohesive, easy to navigate and immediately livable.

Through thoughtful planning and consistent communication, we were able to fully prepare the home prior to move –in-bringing a sense of calm and confidence to what can often be an overwhelming transition.

The result is a space that feels settled, supportive, and truly like home from day one.

Creating Comfort from a Distance

A Family-Guided Transition

Floor plan and interior photos of Sunrise of Severna Park, Maryland senior living community. Includes layouts of two bedrooms, bathrooms, dining, living areas, and bedrooms.
Logo with stylized letter 'J' and word 'Joan', with the text 'Transforming designs by Joan' underneath.

From Our Workroom

Living room with beige walls, wooden floor, white and plaid upholstered furniture, navy blue and plaid cushions, a blue patterned rug, potted plant, wall art, a window with white plantation shutters, and a small wooden coffee table.
Living room with floral arrangement on a black round table, surrounded by beige upholstered chairs, a sideboard with lamps, a black sofa with pillows, a piano, and a wall-mounted television, with hardwood floors and windows with shutters.
Living room with light blue sofas, a round coffee table, matching rugs, and a chandelier. Photos of a lake landscape and a potted orchid are also shown, along with a folded fabric pattern sample and a top-down view of the room layout.
Living room with light gray sectional sofa, two brown armchairs, wooden coffee table with white orchid, patterned rug, tall floor lamp, decorative mirror, fabric samples, and textured wall art.
A bedroom with purple curtains, a gray headboard, and a bed with white sheets, three white pillows, and a floral decorative pillow.
Living room with a dining area, sofa, armchair, wall-mounted TV, and sliding glass door leading to a balcony.
Bright living room with large windows, beige sofa, two matching armchairs, tufted ottoman with flowers, TV, and dining area in background.
A tufted beige leather ottoman with a chevron-patterned tray holding a large glass vase filled with an arrangement of flowering branches, in a living room with large windows and seating including a navy armchair and a beige sofa with red and patterned pillows.

A Little About Joan

A woman wearing a blue dress, tan hat, and brown ankle boots standing on a wooden walkway amidst lush greenery and large trees, smiling at the camera.

Helping families right size is a personal passion for Joan. Her mother moved into independent living and then assisted living in Easton Maryland. During her visits with her mom, she would talk to other residents and noticed that these residents had vibrant lives and were now living in very minimalistic apartments. Joan wants to help residents hold on to their identities and help them live in personal, loving homes that reflect their true full lives.

With a lifelong passion for design and interiors, Joan brings artistic talent and a keen eye for detail to every project. She is especially passionate about helping seniors thoughtfully downsize and transition into resort-style independent living, creating spaces that feel comfortable, personal, and uplifting. From concept to completion, she curates environments that reflect each client’s unique style while blending creativity with functionality.

Holding degrees in both psychology and interior design, Joan understands how environments shape experiences. This insight allows her to support clients—particularly seniors navigating life transitions—in creating homes that are not only beautiful, but practical and deeply livable.

Originally from Maryland, she now loves calling Charleston home, drawing inspiration from its charm and coastal elegance.

Ethan Allen furnishing inquiries:

Joan.flynn@ethanallen.com

Transitions and space-planning inquiries:

tdbyjoan@gmail.com