I'll be honest, sometimes I walk into a client's home and think to myself, "Gosh, this is already so cute—why am I here??" But of course, once the client starts sharing what is and isn't working for them, I relax and realize, okay, YES. I DO know how to help these folks.
This particular day session was one such project. The photo below is how the space looked when I walked in—pretty darn cute, right? They'd worked with a designer friend to source the main pieces of furniture, but something just wasn't right about the room.
Their main design woes included:
Never enough seating when they hosted gatherings of friends and family
No storage for toys or doggie items
The balance of the room just seemed off
Too much grey
One half of the couple wasn't sure about the swivel chairs
Once I understood what they were looking for, I had a few ideas for helping them achieve the look and functionality they were hoping to gain.
Reworking The Living Room Layout
First up, I noted that the scale of many of the items was not quite right. The TV console was far to small, as well as the clock above the fireplace. Additionally, when paired to the swivel chairs, the two small ottomans did not equally balance the room.
I tweaked the floor plan so that we'd balance out the swivels with a pair of two larger but contrasting accent chairs, and moved the ottomans to in front of the fireplace. This increased their number of seats in the space, and brought that much needed balance.
I also moved the swivels to the opposite side of the coffee because behind them is a large set of windows, and this way, folks sitting in the swivels can spin around and take advantage of their beautiful view.
I added a larger stand alone TV console with lots of storage, and also added a very long narrow console below their artwork for serving snacks and drinks and such.
Living Room Selections
To balance out all the grey, I selected a linen-look sofa with a bit of a softer look. I also chose some additional wood elements to bring in some warmth, and chose pillows that would add some slight color as well.
Above the fireplace, I selected a much larger mirror that would be more to-scale, and also added in some side tables, a table lamp for the console, and some suggestions on larger plants that would be more to-scale for the large room.
Below you can see the suggested TV console, which brought in an architectural element with it's geometric doors, and also added in a new wood tone (it's always good to have multiple wood-tones in a space so that it feels more dynamic and interesting vs. flat and matchy-matchy)
USE CODE "SHOPSMALL23" FOR ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT
My clients were kind enough to send over an update photo of how their space is coming together, which you can see below. Again, when I first arrived and saw the space, it was pretty darn cute already, but after our session, the space feels more balanced, complete, and a bit more elevated, as well as finally meets the functionality needs of my clients.
Here's a quick reminder of the BEFORE:
And here's the AFTER:
Quick Bedroom Refresh | Layout & Selections
In addition to their living room, I provided some ideas for a quick bedroom refresh. Again, their bedroom was already pretty darn cute (below), but I felt like there were a few things we could do to step it up a notch.
In the floorplan below, you can see that I suggested larger nightstands that would feel more to-scale and also allow for larger table lamps to sit on top. I suggested a bench at the end of the bed, and a larger, upholstered chair for the built-in vanity all the way to the left.
I didn't love the way their current headboard only filled a small portion of the wall behind it. With the way the windows framed the bed, I felt like the headboard should fill that entire space. I chose something that would overlap the trim just slightly, allowing the focus to be the view, rather than the low headboard.
For the nightstands, I selected a warm wood with gold accents, and chose dark lamps with a wave pattern to bring in a splash of black and ground the space (using a bit of black in design is always SO great for bringing in contrast!).
I suggested a dusty pink/red linen duvet cover with a quilted coverlet to bring in some of the original color tones she liked, and suggested a funky upholstered dining chair for her vanity area for a little bit of surprise. Finally, the bench at the end of the bed would bring in more texture and warmth, and provide a place to sit for popping on sox or shoes.
USE CODE "SHOPSMALL23" FOR ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT
The Wrap Up
For this particular project, my clients left our session with a style board showcasing the exact pieces I recommended, a link to their custom collection of furniture which they could order using a one-click checkout, and a to-scale floor plan of their living room so they knew how to set it up when everything arrived at their home.
My Designed in a Day service is definitely my most popular option with clients, 1) because it's incredibly cost/time effective, and 2), because it is an incredibly versatile service as far as the kinds of projects we are able to tackle. We cover anything from furniture and decor, to space planning, to window treatments, to making selections for a renovation project, or even just working our way through a list of design woes.
SO, if you find yourself wondering whether your own project might be a good fit for a day session, click here to view more details about the service. There's some great info there, or simply complete our project intake form here and I'll reach out to schedule a discovery call to discuss your project.
PLUS, did you know that it is good for your mental and physical health to live in a space that meets your needs? You and your family deserve it, and I can't wait to help you create a space that works for you!
Thanks for visiting my little corner of the internet!
- Lauren, XOXO
