Townhouse Living Room Redo

Today I'm sharing a project that I completed last fall- a townhouse living room.  The client requested a space that was light, airy and clean with coastal inspired colors to provide a calm and serene retreat.  She also asked that I incorporate a "happy pop" of color- either orange or pink. The room was fairly small - approximately 16 x 13, and had to include a seating area, media center, a piano and because the front door opened directly into the living room, a console table to drop keys and mail.  This was our starting color palette:

And here are some inspiration photos for the mood we were trying to create:

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My client loved the blue planking on the back of this bookcase and wanted to incorporate it in her bookcases. If you remember, I did blue planking on my dining room hutch, only placing the planks horizontally instead of vertically.

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Take a look at these "Before" photos...lots of issues to be addressed for sure!!!  Pink walls with smoke damage up by the ceiling, 80's country wood furniture, bland tile in front of the fireplace, too much clutter...

Lots of brown...with shutters that only went two-thirds of the way up the windows.

A piano and chunky chair-and-a-half squished up against one wall, and more brown wood trim and stair railings.

And here it is now!

The room does not get a lot of natural sunlight, so we kept the walls light with Benjamin Moore's Gray Owl at 50% and crisp white trim.  The room had a challenging layout...there was only one wall to place the tv on, and the opposite wall (where the couch would go) had a window right above it. Due to the awkward placement of the windows, we chose wide white plantation shutters.

The piano fit nicely in the nook...

We had the stair railing painted white to blend in rather than stand out, and added a parsons console table.  This is located across from the front door, so she can drop her keys and mail here as she walks in.  The greek key ottoman cubes can be pulled out for extra seating...and I like how they break up all the vertical lines of the spindles.

The fireplace got a new "marble" hearth...real marble tiles were going to be too thick to match up with the wood flooring, so we chose a porcelain tile that looks just like the real thing.

A wool dhurrie rug from West Elm grounds the space.  We gave one of her end tables a coat of blue paint and a unique drawer pull from Anthropologie.

As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.

Need help creating a home you love? Contact me about our design services.

A Teenage Girl's Bedroom

Today I wanted to show you a project I'm working on...a design for a teenage girl's bedroom.  This sixteen year old loves hanging out in her bedroom, but is over the bright colors, disorganized mess and lack of a cohesive look that her bedroom is currently sporting.

Here's her bedroom now...

That sad dressers needs some new knobs...Stat!!

She has a great sense of style when it comes to fashion...preppy + bohemian. 

Think J. Crew meets Anthropologie. 

She wants a space that is:

 serene...but with pops of color

grown up...but girly

tailored...but with some flirty accents

preppy + bohemian

Here's the design board I created for her:

We chose the Watercolor Peony wallpaper from Anthropologie to go on the wall behind her bed, and the other three walls will be painted a very pale, muted blue-gray.

I recommended painting her current bed using Annie Sloan's chalk paint in French Linen. Her bedside table will be painted a shade of blue (coordinating with the wallpaper). 

After reconfiguring the floor plan, we added a pair of bookcases to provide plenty of storage. Shuttered doors will corral clutter.

A monogrammed pillow in bright pink and matching tufted ottoman add some punch to the white bedding, while a beaded chandelier, carved wooden mirror and natural baskets add organic texture.

Art is from Michelle Armas. We'll give her dresser a fresh coat of white paint and find some pretty knobs.  White curtains with pink tassels and a neutral armchair with flirty pleats provide those feminine, fun details. A mercury glass table lamp brings sparkle. Knowing she is a HUGE dog lover, I couldn't resist the dachshund bookends from Jonathan Adler...aren't they cute?

Looking forward to seeing it all come together!

As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.

Need help creating a home you love? Contact me about our design services.

A Client's Room...Making Progress

Hello friends!  Hope everyone made it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday in one piece!  I refused to join the maddening crowds on Friday...instead I spent the day pulling out my Christmas decorations and putting up the tree.  My plan was to get everything in place on Friday and Saturday, and then cut all my fresh greens on Sunday.  However, Sunday was rainy and cold (as was Monday), so I'm still waiting for some sunshine...or at least a dry day...for a hike in the woods to collect my greens. As soon as that is done, I'll post some Christmas/holiday decorating ideas.

In the meantime, I'll give you a peek at a project I've been working on.  Here are the before photos of my client's t.v. room.  

This busy family of five needed a space where they could all be together to watch t.v., play games, or just hang out.  In discussing her room, my client (and friend) Terry expressed her frustration with the lack of seating, worn out sofa, jumbled mess of t.v./cable wires and dvd's, empty space under the gallery wall, huge square heating vent cover on the wall (total eye sore!) and wall color.  She likes her hardwood bamboo flooring, but wanted a soft, comfy area rug for when her young boys are sitting on the floor.

Terry wanted a palette of soft grays and blues to create a calm and relaxing space.  Here are some inspiration photos...

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And this is what we've accomplished so far...

We painted the walls a light gray and picked out a large sectional that easily seats five...it's super comfy!  The silvery blue is so soothing and looks great with the gray walls.  Terry wanted to stick with a simple palette, but while we were at the furniture store I showed her how she could easily incorporate other colors into the room (red or greens or black & white) in the future, simply by switching out the throw pillows.  The sofa came with your choice of five throw pillows...we'll add some others too.

I liked this rustic/industrial table for three reasons:  its shape provides a contrast to all the straight lines (& doesn't take up as much space as a rectangular one), the dark wood adds warmth, and the shelf underneath provides display space. The cream rug is so plush, making for a comfy spot on the floor.  You can get a peek at the built in corner that now houses the t.v.

What a difference this built in makes!  Terry found the cabinets on Craig's List and her husband installed them, added the shelves and trimmed it out for a finished look.  It was all painted the same color as the walls. Two lidded baskets hide the dvd's and Terry is going to start a collection of ironstone to fill the middle shelf (I had brought over a few accessories for taking pics, just so the shelves and table wouldn't look so bare). The heating vent cover got replaced with an circular one, and once painted blends in with the wall.  We're on the hunt for a small chair (wicker perhaps?) to put below the mirror for additional seating.  For now, its the perfect spot for their Christmas tree.

The black sofa table that once held the t.v. is now against the gallery wall.  The photos need to be reframed and rehung, but two of these fun camel lamps now sit on the table. The shades have a shimmery sparkle to them.

So that's what we have so far...the curtains and lighting are on their way, and we still need to do a little shopping for accessories.  She has a wicker basket under the black table to corral extra pillows, but I'd love to see two square ottomans tucked in there to provide extra seating.  Terry loves how it looks so far.  Even though the sectional is large, having the one piece makes the room seem bigger and the built in definately got rid of the clutter and provides a streamlined look.  

As always, feel free to leave a comment or ask questions in the comments section below.

Need help creating a home you love? Contact me about our design services.