In the new era of Social Distancing, a living room refresh is probably the best thing that you can do....after organizing your toilet roll storage cabinet of course!
THE DESIGN DILEMMA:
This was a fun one because my client on this project is my mom and this is the house that I grew up in! My Decorating Lab when I was youngster and I'm so happy that it still is! My mom enlisted my help update her living room. For as long as I remember, she has hated her asymmetrical fireplace. In fact, she hated it so much that she placed a large piece of furniture in front of it to try to disguise it. She finally decided that she missed using that old fireplace and envisioned relaxing in front of a roaring fire.
THE SOLUTION:
After much discussion, we talked through a solution that would be transformative but not require lot of construction (or too much construction dust). I created a Design Concept for her and then we went full steam ahead! I chose to demo the old brick hearth and replace it with new Spanish tile, repaint the brick white, add a full width floating mantel and also mount the television. With this solution she gained access to about 21 extra square feet. It doesn't sound like a lot but it really makes a huge difference in a space.
When you make a change to one thing in a room, it affects everything. I updated the rest of the living room in a Modern Traditional style, which is warm and comfortable and blends the old with the new and celebrates the best of each.
RESTYLE OLD AND NEW
In the design industry, restyling a space means that you use the clients existing pieces like a sofa/sectional, accent tables and chairs and refresh the space with new accessories.
For this project, I had the walls repainted white so that the existing brown sectional would stand out. Then I purchased a variety of toss pillows in a range of colors from a light teal to carmel.
For modern functionality, I added c-tables to each end so that my client (aka mom) or her house guests can work on their laptops or have a cup of tea.
An Ikat area rug modernizes this traditional space.
For the final touch, I rearranged the furniture and created a gallery wall using her existing wall art as well as a portrait of her beloved Boston Terrier, Roxie.
The final result is this Modern Traditional living room project is both timeless AND timely! The upside is that she gets to enjoy the current Coronavirus Quarantine in the luxury of her newly revamped space!
If you have a space in your home that could use a revamp, my Designer For A Day Service is perfect for you. If you prefer to practice safe Social Distancing with me, ask about my Online Interior Design Service!
Happy Decorating! - Rachel