FYI: Tania and John approve of this message. :D
Amid my confessions of design and contracting obsession, my dear friend Tania has opted to have me help her revamp her living room. This gives me no little excitement and, in truth, has occupied much of my dreaming and scheming for the last couple of weeks.
We started with, "Gee, um, maybe you can help me rearrange my furniture or suggest a paint color or something, maybe?"
I came back with, "Let's do paint, linen wallpaper, chandelier, sconces, lamps, built-in bookcases, moldings galore, mid-height wainscoting, refurbished furniture, hand-made throw pillows, draperies..."
Tania and her lovely husband, John, while spectacular in countless ways, are like most people: They know what they like and don't like when they see it, but struggle to manifest it in their own home. Everyone deals with the constraints of scheduling, kids, budget, how laborsome these projects can be, etc. These concerns can keep the average Joe or Jane from making their home work for them, instead of the other way around.
Their home, a stunning tudor style red brick home, has great bones, decorated with all the most comfortable beiges and sages you could find.
Comfortably uncomfortable.
John deserves many accolades for what interest in design he has. Impressive, actually. But, like so many men I know, his highest priority is just keeping things light and tidy.
Tania, who also values the above, simultaneously craves a little more style.
Fellas? Meet me.
In following blogs, you will see step by step, phase by phase, how their dream living room comes together. For now? Here are the BEFORE pictures Tania sent me weeks ago.
I'd love to hear what YOU would do with the space!
AFTER photos to come!
I think this room needs more texture. A rug, some drapes, a reupholstered chair could add both color and texture. An end table with a table lamp could solve that too. The room appears flatter than it needs to because every color and texture is so similar. The walls look like the couches, the floors look like the cabinets. The room also doesn't look very big. But, it has beautiful floors, a lovely mantle and fireplace, and plenty of light from abundant windows.
ReplyDeleteI would devote some money to replacing the fan/lighting fixture. The combination of brass and white looks dated. If a full replacement isn't affordable, would it be possible to change out the glass fixtures with something else? There are some good examples of different lights here http://www.revivallighting.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=RL&Category_Code=Glass+French. The brick on the fireplace could use some updating or at least some serious cleaning. It could also be painted or tiled. I'm obsessed with the tiles from this company but I'm aware that it is cost prohibitive. http://www.heathceramics.com/go/heath/tile/collections/
I think that having cabinets on the sides of the fireplace could make it more of a focal point and also give the appearance of a more vertical room. This is a very modern floor plan, but it gets the idea across.I also like the mirror. http://www.sunset.com/home/decorating/great-ideas-for-home-shelves-00400000039111/page32.html. Cabinets could also give space and presence to the artwork that is getting drowned by white walls--like the adorable Chinese horse brush painting.
I might also suggest that there be spaces within the cabinetry that are accessible for little hands but can also hide toys in a way that the plastic bin sandwiched under the table doesn't. They also look like they have a lot of books and music but they aren't really being displayed. The bindings and covers of books can create color and texture in a room if they are meaningfully selected and paired. I personally like the look of books turned on their sides.(like this for example http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/living-room/unexpected-decorating-ideas-00000000016267/page4.html)
I'm not wild about the coffee table...that might be a good place to invest money in a new one. I have the impulse to hide TV's because I a. don't really watch TV and b. think they are unsightly...but I realize that they are used everyday by most people. I'm also not sure how much space can be devoted to hiding it.
I'm looking forward to pictures.
I love Stephani's ideas for a new look. She was spared the Before previous to this before. It was already improved by leaps and bounds, so I'm excited to see the new 'after'. What a good idea to turn to a professional. It is a wonderful house and deserves a face lift.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on this huge undertaking,
Tania's mom