New Traditional Living Room
Consultation Notes Lia and Josh recently moved back to East Grand Rapids, Michigan from Pittsburgh. They met during college and have returned for Lia’s job at a local hospital (Josh is an audio engineer). They have slowly started to paint/decorate the house that they bought in June. They are really looking forward to investing in “adult” furniture and making a house that finally feels like “them” (versus their temporary, easy to move with furniture). Lia and Josh describe wanting a space that is traditional, sophisticated/cultured, clean, comfortable, and high quality. Lia in particular is inspired by Italian culture and white marble. They both like shades of blue, neutrals (no yellows, reds, and oranges). They are open to investing into some original art. They like abstracts that feel like landscapes, figures, etc. Their living room needs to be a place where they can entertain, spend time with family, and relax. They’d like to be able to entertain 2-3 couples. One design challenge of the space is room layout- tricky due to window placement and the long/narrowness of the space in relationship to the fireplace. Furniture scale and placement will be very important. Our goal is to put together a plan that is inspiring in design and maximizes the potential & flow of the space (floor plan). We want to add a bit of sophistication and drama (and push them) while keeping in mind their needs, personal style, and function of the space.
First, per your samples & our recommendation, you should paint the room Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore. Keeping it rich/dark will increase the sophistication (versus a lighter blue). Also keep the ceilings, French doors, and moldings white as they will create a nice contrast.
Tables should be a mix of brass and classic wood tones. We recommend the coffee table be round to offset the box shape of the room. The floor should be covered with a large scale area rug. This is a place you can add some pattern/visual interest. If you’d like to go a little more bold, we recommend a leopard or zebra (see mood boards for how this mixes well). If you’d like to stay even more traditional, a Persian style rug would work well, too.
The style of the couch you ordered is GREAT in the silver taupe. The size is a bit large for the space, so we need to balance the rest of the room to accommodate. This is why the Pottery Barn leather chair you liked would only be an option as a single piece(see floor plan option 1). If you’d like more seating, two smaller scale barrel or ornate velvet chairs could be added to that same side (see floor plan option 2). Regardless of floor plan, you should add a leather lounger to the right of the fireplace facing in(this will be confortable, worn, and can utilize some of the awkward space by the window without cutting of the flow of the room/visual line from the doorway). It will feel more organic on an angle.
Floor Plan- Option 1
Floor Plan- Option 2
We recommend bringing the drama with your curtains. Add cornice molding boxes above the windows for added architectural details with the curtains hung underneath (will work for corner window, too). The curtains can be any combination of white, navy, or gold (patterned or plain and Examples of cornice boxes (above) and curtains (below) in a thick cotton or silk).
We recommend making changes to the existing drywall above the fireplace (add a drywall box, essentially out from the wall)and having your television set back into it (screen even with the new wall). This will make it functional and more a part of the design (as opposed to an eye sore). We recommend changing the existing tile/brick to white marble slabs to add the sophistication you’re trying to achieve.
We recommend adding a gallery wall for art around your French doors. This will add a bit of style/drama. The narrowness of the frames will fill the door wall space without adding any bulk to that awkward side of the room. Bookcases/etc. aren’t necessary since the office will right behind.
Large plant can be added to the left and right of the French doors to fill some of the depth & add life without making that side of the room feel too heavy.
For more permanent lighting, we recommend adding either can lights to the ceiling OR a low, narrow chandelier centered with the fireplace and close to the ceiling (can’t be anything too long as the ceiling height can’t handle it). A stand up lamp can go by seating to the right of the fireplace, lamp on top of the side table, and on a classic antique dresser by the entry way. The dresser will also add a bit of hidden storage without adding too much bulk to the room.
A horizontal mirror should be added above the couch to reflect light and make the space feel larger.
So, what’s next?
Whew! That was a lot of information. Now that you have seen the inspiration/recommendations, soak it all in. Let us know if you have any questions. After processing the information, you have a couple of options. ü Call or e-mail to set up an appointment to discuss your likes/dislikes of the design and how we can move forward together with Hunt & Gather managing the project (we would discuss what items you would like to purchase yourself, what we should be hunting for, budget, and timeline). ü Start working on the room on your own (purchasing items, hunting for things, etc.) and only call us when you need clarification, recommendations, or final styling. Remember, the WHY is more important than the WHAT, so if you don’t like a pillow/lamp/etc. that we recommended, find something with similar lines or a similar purpose (or a cheaper price) and consider purchasing that instead! ü Nothing. This wasn’t what you were looking for, and you would like to discontinue working together. Additional pricing for services would be given at the follow-up meeting that fit your specific needs. Hope you love the design concept! Can’t wait to hear from you!
THANK YOU Kelley Howley & Fernando Ramirez Hunt & Gather 740 Curve St. SW design@huntandgatherGR.com