Your Design Kit (living room)
(USA clients)
Welcome to your Design Kit! I loved working on your home and I think I’ve come up with the perfect solution for your space, based on the photos and comments you’ve given me as we’ve gone through. This custom Design Kit has all the information you should need to finish off your space, including a floor plan, colour palette, moodboard, furniture choices and more! And remember, you don’t need to feel limited by the ideas here. If you love them, go ahead and use them all! Or, simply use these as suggestions to help guide and inform your own decisions. Now, let’s take a closer look at your existing space and your style!
You’ve asked to create two seating areas within your large living space; one as an area around the TV, and another more casual seating spot for conversation.
What we need to work on Layout. You have requested two seating areas for your large living room. The goal is to create two separate, yet connected, conversation areas that can be used for everyday living and entertaining. Furniture. Your partner loves the idea of an Eames lounge so our goal is to incorporate this statement piece into your living area, along with your other pieces to create an eclectic, collected vibe. Finishing Touches. You have a space with great bones, and all it really needs is those finishing touches. The addition of some amazing artwork, and a few well-chosen accessories and rugs will make all the difference to your living room.
The Colour Scheme A lot of your inspiration pictures were very neutral, so I have used this as a guide to create a room that layers tones to create an inviting space that doesn’t feel too “designed”. I’ve suggested furniture and accessories in a mix of browns, greys, black, navy, white and cream, and thrown in just of mustard yellow to give you a bit of contrast and liveliness to the look.
Style & Inspiration
Your style is ‘Vintage Eclectic’. You like spaces that feature of mix of furniture eras from quite traditional, to mid-century to the very contemporary. These pieces use multiple finishes from lucite to timber, and a mix of metallics. The end result is a room that feels stylish, but not designed; a collected, creative aesthetic.
Mixing furniture styles from contemporary to traditional creates a vintage look.
A mix of metals creates a glamorous yet casual vibe perfect your space.
A picture rail is the perfect way to display an eclectic collection of art that can be changed quickly and easily.
A mix of leather and fabric gives a masculine look with a mid-century influence.
Your Moodboard
The Large Pieces We are starting fresh in your room with all new furniture pieces. Here I’ve selected some stylish options to give you the feel of a room collected over time.
Why this sofa? It’s perfect. The clean lines and leggy design gives it a contemporary look with just an element of mid-century design. It will gel perfectly with the pieces here, and is still a great basic for when you want to change the look in the future. This simple light grey is practical enough for entertaining but will let any accessories take centre stage.
The Eames lounge and ottoman is the perfect statement piece. It’s stunning in it’s own right, and is comfortable as well. It will be a great talking point in your lounge, and provides a dose of leather and timber, perfect for your style.
You said you like lucite and I love the clean flowing lines of this coffee table! It’s long, narrow design gives it the perfect propotion for your sofa, and stops it taking up too much physical (and visual) space in your living room.
For your second seating area, I wanted a love seat; something that was comfortable enough for long conversations and had enough of a style to hold it’s own against some statement armchairs. This piece has clean lines, and the slight sheen to the brown fabric gives it a luxurious look.
I think any Emily Henderson or Jenny Komenda would swoon over the casual glam vibe of these armchairs with the chrome legs and grey tufted fabric. I love the contrast of these to the more traditional lines of the loveseat.
For an element of glam I wanted another metallic and glass coffee table and this piece is perfect. A round or hexagonal design is perfect for this casual seating area as it allows an easy flow of traffic around the space. The design is striking and unusual and provides the perfect contrast to the more rustic pieces in the room.
With such a great expanse of wall it would be a shame to lose the opportunity for display. This simple console features a clean lined design and gloss white finish, meaning it will work well with any design you choose in the future. The tall leg look means that it won’t feel too heavy in your space, but gives you an extra spot for a great vignette.
Rugs & Accessories Since the two seatings areas are so different I like the idea of using two of the same rug to create some cohesion in your living space. This design is contemporary, yet neutral, and the slightly rustic feel of a natural weave rug brings some of your glamorous pieces down to earth to create a casual vibe.
This bold, brassy end table is a great piece to have floating around your sofa. While a square piece would feel fixed to the room, a smaller round end table can be moved around comfortably to create a more casual atmosphere. The gold finish is instant glamour and a great contrast with the simplicity of your fireplace.
A tree stump end table brings a nice dose of nature into the glamorous elements of this area, and I love the solid feel of the piece; to contrast with the leggy, more delicate pieces around it.
Styling your coffee tables
*Please note these images are not to scale.
Anything too pale will disappear on a lucite coffee table against a white rug, so I’ve chosen a few simple coloured accessories to finish off this area. Shop around home for some accessories that might work, but I like the idea of a tray with a few books and some candle holders, and something free standing on the other side; a pair of boxes work well, or try an oversized bowl or sculptural piece.
I wanted to keep this quite simple so I have suggested a large modern vase. I would use something interesting here so a few leafy branches, a palm leaf or just two bold flowers would be perfect. Finish it off with a small sculptural piece, little bud vase or paperweight. This wooden ball works well to tie in some more wood pieces into the room.
Styling the console
I love these bold geometric designed lamps from the Target Nate Berkus collection. Keep this area simple with just two bold lamps against the large mirror. This is the perfect spot to add a print leaning against the wall or a couple of little accessories if you want to add something.
I would hang a relatively large black and white (black frame) above the bookshelves to fill the space next to the TV. Then, I would paint the back of these shelves in a deep bluey-gray to highlight your accessories and books. Use your sub-woofer as a side table for the Eames lounge and cover it with a simple, tailored cloth (such as this one pictured for a console table). This should hide it away, and a tailored cloth will keep the look simple and contemporary.
Some more notes for you I would have small roller blinds made for each of the two doors to match the main window. A rolling blind in white will be very simple and streamlined, will not detract from the doors or the view behind. With all the layered furniture and art I think you need to keep this area very simple and uncluttered.
Your wall sconces are unique and it’s great their original to the house so I would keep them, and just paint them the same colour as the wall to give them a slightly more contemporary feel.
I don’t like to suggest artwork for people, because it’s such a personal choice. However the key to using picture rails to achieve the look you want is to layer the artwork. Hanging just single pieces around the room will give a gallery feel. I would suggest choosing art you love and build your collection over time. Feel free to mix styles but I would love to see a predominantly black and white theme, with mostly black frames (with perhaps just a few gold thrown in).
Layering heights and sizes creates a more contemporary feel with picture rails.
Chains or string can be used to hang pieces above each other.
I love this gallery wall and the look would be perfect behind your sofa in the second sitting area.
now for the practical things... (shopping & layout)
(USA clients)
Furniture Layout With two sitting areas, I have used two 8x10’ rugs to create two defined spaces. The first seating space is more of a conversation zone with a small sofa, round coffee table and two armchairs. The second is designing for TV watching with a larger more comfortable sofa and your Eames lounge. If you wanted your Eames lounge in front of the TV, move the sofa against the wall, and place the Eames lounge where the round side table is now (top left of the rug). I have added a spot for a small chair next to the fireplace. I would like you to find some vintage for this spot; a French/Louis style armchair, or maybe a very quirky retro piece. Choose something you love, and for a practical size try to keep under 27x27�.
Gallery Wall Arrangement
Eames Lounge
Shopping List Murray 3 Seater Sofa $1,099 Room & Board
Eames Lounge Allow at least $4,500 Herman Miller (or any other midcentury store)
Peekaboo Coffee Table $348.75 cb2
Herringbone Rug (8x10’) $399 each West Elm
Margot Loveseat $1248 Crate & Barrel
Steel Armed Bend Chair $799 West Elm
Shopping List Brooke Hexagonal Coffee Table $599.00 ZGallerie
Aristo Gloss Console Table $224.99 Overstock
Natural Tree Stump End Table $199 West Elm
Martini Side Table (Bronze) $149 West Elm
Ogden Dark Mirror $199.99 Target
Shopping List Nate Berkus Table Lamp $34.98 each (base only) Target
White Linen Shade $24.99 each Target (or similar)
Metallic Brush Pillow $29 each West Elm
Brown Pillow $54.50 (including shipping) Etsy Seller Annsliee
Yellow Ikat Pillow $32 each (including shipping) Etsy Seller PillowPlush
Shopping List Gray Lumbar Ikat Pillow $31.99 (including shipping) Etsy Seller Ikatsuzanicom
Diamond Ikat Pillow $89.95 ZGallerie
Natural Tree Stump End Table $199 West Elm
Black Lacquer Tray From $19 West Elm (Various sizes and finishes)
Decorative Knot Sculpture $9.99 Target
Shopping List Metallic Jewelery Boxes $9.99 West Elm
Pinzell Vase $24.99 Target
Wood Sphere $19 West Elm