Cottage Garden Living Room

Another wonderful "Before and After" for you today! A dark and somewhat dated living room was lightened up and made over to reflect the Clients love of gardening...

Here is the Before...

This living room has several things in its favor. It is large, clean and very well cared for. The biggest challenge was not just in updating the older items but in finding a way to brighten the dim room. The only window is wonderfully large, but northern facing. The blue-gray carpet, drab white walls and dark paneling weren't helping much to warm the room, either. To add to the problem, there is no overhead lighting and these two small brass lamps were vainly trying to light the whole space.

After helping the Client choose new carpet, three coordinating paint colors, new white baseboards, furniture and artwork, raising the lace valance to the ceiling, bringing in more antiques and plants and keeping the color family to creamy whites and soft greens-here is the After:

"Before"

I helped the Client in several stages, helping them to decide on new carpet, then suggesting paint colors to coordinate. The Clients husband worked really hard getting everything painted before the carpet was installed and did a great job. I was so glad they weren't afraid to paint the wall of wood paneling! So many hesitate to do this, or worry about filling in the grooves. Since we had decided to go with a cottage garden theme, those grooves were perfect in a soft shade of green (Maidenhair Fern by Benjamin Moore). This alone made a huge difference! On the other three walls a creamy white (Acadia White-BM) up the stairs and into the dining room a very light shade of warm tan (Niveous-BM) that blended with the other colors while still providing a subtle contrast.
After:

The furniture arrangement was a challenge because there are so many walkways through this room. From the front door. To the bedrooms. To the Kitchen. Up the stairs. All four must be kept free and unblocked, and so we tried several different arrangements. Design wise this was not ideal. (FYI: furniture always works better in a "U" shape than an "L" shape for conversational comfort)...but it was the best fit for the family. They often have large gatherings and fun Bunko parties and they just didn't want to have to re-arrange furniture every time. This way they can add dining room chairs to the two open sides when they have large groups and it works well for daily use when it's just the two of them. Sometimes what works best in a rule or formula just isn't practical with everyday needs and my theory is that real life always trumps design rules!

One of the problems with having a long room with all the furniture on one end? You always get what I call The Titanic Syndrome, where everything visually tilts to the heavy side. On the other wall there was this:

No one really ever sat in this recliner but the Client knew she needed something on this wall after a piano was moved out. You couldn't put much there however, because on either side are hallways and directly in front, the path to the Kitchen. I knew that in order to help the window side of the room, where all the furniture was, not sink visually...we needed something tall, dark and "heavy" looking that would still take up a small footprint into the rooms floor space. When I asked the Client what other furniture she had that we might be able to re-design for this area, she showed me this beautiful antique dresser hidden away upstairs in the guest bedroom. I almost squealed in joy over how perfect it was for this spot! Instead of an overstuffed recliner no one uses, the Client has a special spot to rock her adorable one year old granddaughter. I tucked her wooden rocker into this spot, adding a soft cushion and another lamp to bring some light over to this side of the room.

The Clients bookshelves before:

After suggesting they paint the back in the same soft green, I "borrowed" hardback books from the Clients office (removing dust jackets to find coordinating colors) added leafy plants, and several picture frames in green and white (Client is still getting photos for them). My favorite addition was the Clients husbands old family Bible, so cool. Then I added two battery operated puck lights that brighten the area nicely:

 

This corner isn't used much but I didn't want to leave it neglected! Placing a beautiful heirloom Hope Chest from the attic and hanging a large garden landscape print above it brought it into focus:

 

 

The fireplace wall before:

 

 

                                                                           and After:

As I said before, bringing light and warmth into this room was my main objective. The fireplace before had NO lighting. Adding a white urn lamp to the corner of the mantel, and then the puck lights in the bookcase, really helped! But my favorite touch of inspiration was in choosing to tuck small brown wired lights into a natural grapevine garland. This backdrop lays along the mantel, adding soft warm ambient lighting that is so cheerful and welcoming!

At the beginning of our collaboration, this Client wasn't sure which direction to go, what colors she liked or what to really change, and that's okay...it's my joy to help discover the answers to these types of questions. In order to do this, I pepper you with lots of questions! When I asked her "What is your favorite part of your home?" she responded instantly with "My garden." I felt a kinship and understanding, for I love my garden, too. Taking me to the back windows, she showed me a hidden backyard that had been transformed into a beautiful oasis. Even in November, the pond was gurgling, a little path winding, and dormant rosebushes hinted at the beauty Summer would bring. I said "If we could bring that garden feeling of green, of warmth and life and freshness that you so enjoy outdoors into HERE, would that be a direction you would like to go?" I think we achieved that and I feel so blessed that she trusted me to help that vision come into fruition!