I'm working with a couple who recently bought the COOLEST old house in a great neighborhood. Like seriously, I kind of want to move there. And not only is the couple cool and their house super cool, they have such a great collection of furniture. Some hand-me-down, some pieces thrifted and some estate sale finds. I walked around when I first toured the house just coveting some of their furniture!
So here's the tricky part: their living room has a beautiful fireplace flanked by two low-set windows and a huge case opening off of the entryway. It is a show-stopper space BUT really difficult to design around for modern day. Because there aren't other options for the main family living area, they need to be able to house a television and function in the room. My suggestion is a little unorthodox but I actually think swapping their living and dining rooms might solve some of their design and layout issues. The dining room is slightly smaller and doesn't have the fireplace but it does have more wall space that will offer a more natural spot to put a television. The room is still plenty big enough for a living area and I like the idea of having a lovely fireplace in the dining room.
To give them an idea of what I think their family room could feel like, I put together this mood board:
They already have a leather couch for the space so I started with that. They have some killer tables and chests and I think we can shop other rooms in their house to pull together side tables and a piece to house the television. Shopping your own home is one of my favorite ways to refresh your design and keep things very much on budget. You'd be amazed at how just rethinking some of your existing pieces can totally change the look of your space.
What they don't already have that I suggest they think about are 1) two comfortable chairs to accompany the sofa, 2) a beautiful rug for the space, 3) an ottoman or coffee table that is scaled appropriately for the space, 4) lamps, and 5) art.
1. Club chairs that swivel are something that we talked about. But I also love the idea of comfortable upholstered chairs with a wooden frame that are a little bit less visually heavy on the eye to keep a small space open.
2. They need an 8x10 rug for the space. Given their collected approach to decor, I think a vintage rug would look killer in the space but if budget doesn't allow for it, we can certainly find something that has a vintage feel with a more budget-friendly price tag.
3. They have the coolest marble-top coffee table that may work. But I also think an ottoman would soften the space up, potentially offer some extra storage and gives a comfortable spot to put your feet up. Plus, the future plan is kids so ottomans offer a softer landing spot for little ones.
4. Really cool lamps are a must for their space. If only a ceiling fan is overhead, we will need to incorporate at least two lamps on either side of the sofa as well as one or two others in the space to make sure they have enough light in the evenings.
5. They have some killer pieces of art that we can likely incorporate. For this mood board I used some vintage trays that I used as art and I love the look.
I'm excited to see how this space and several others in their home develops!
xo, Cameron
