My newest clients are young and so fun. They just purchased their first house together and are eager to make it feel like home. They want it to feel put together but also be reflective of their styles and have plenty of personality. Music to my ears. The best part is that they are not afraid of color!
They have a relatively open floor plan on the main living floor given the age of the house. Adjacent to the kitchen and formal dining room is a decently sized eat-in kitchen area with a bar top counter eating area as well. The space also opens up to a great outdoor patio area that offers tons of natural light.
I designed this room based on their request for their space to "pop" and to feel uniquely their own.
Truthfully, I was a little worried that it might be too bold. But, thankfully they were into it . As I tell my clients, I want to understand and address their needs, design dilemmas and style but I also want to push people out of their comfort zone a little in order to set their spaces apart. Color is a great way to achieve this. And as I've said many times before, I am extremely passionate about incorporating texture into spaces.
Here was my thought process on the design:
1. I knew that they wanted to inject some color on the walls. I thought adding a colorful grasscloth would offer the great texture and would feel custom and also add that little somethin', somethin'.
2. I wanted to keep the furnishings very easy to clean and kid-friendly. They don't have children yet but it is one of the reasons they purchased the house and so I want to be intentional about thinking that through especially in spaces where kids will spend a lot of time in the house.
3. They enjoy traveling and have lots of great memories of their trips together. I thought incorporating a gallery wall would be a fun way for them to show off some of their favorite travel finds together and also to mix in some new or vintage art there too for great conversation starters when they have guests over.
4. A wood table is not only going to be sturdy and kid-friendly (see #2) but also adds warmth to the space.
5. They already have existing lighting fixtures that we are working with that have black in them. I think black and blue and red are a sharp color combo. I like the idea of the black too to ground some of the funkiness of the colors and to add a hint of masculinity.
My sources of inspiration for the space came from these images:
These are spaces that I have been drawn back to over and over again for their fun, eclectic vibes and bold use of pattern, texture and color. I'm not sure of the original sources but they are linked on my dining spaces Pinterest board.
Speaking of bold, we are still working on finalizing the wall choice but they loved these Serena and Lily black and white Riviera chairs so we've gone ahead and purchased.
We are looking for the right warm wood pedestal table to go with the chairs. But something in this general color tone although I'd prefer a chunkier, carved wood pedestal base to ground it and make it feel more substantial.
My client loves this speckled wallpaper for the foyer (as do I!) so I've recommended that we do a fun black and white print for the window coverings to coordinate with this and the dining chairs in the kitchen.
I'm still searching for the right fabric but this shade from Loom was my inspiration for the Mood Board:
I'm also on the hunt for a bright, fun (and hopefully vintage!) rug that will complete the look and soften up the space.
I'm excited to see how the space comes together!
xo, Cameron
