This main level received a major overhaul, bringing old world French charm to life with classic, timeless details.
Even after 30 years with lots of green, our clients still love the color. We incorporated lots of green into the new design, but in a completely different way than before.
Below is the before and after. Before, the client’s dark green carpet and dark brocade sofas sucked the energy out of the room. These clients are avid gardeners with a gorgeous back yard. The new furniture and decor compliments the natural outdoor elements beautifully. It also allows more light into the space, creating an upbeat yet calming atmosphere.
We used green in a fresher, lighter way than in the original design. The hunter green carpets were replaced with a light neutral color. We instead livened up the walls with a light green shade that compliments the oak trim nicely. In a room where most window treatments weren’t going to work, given the placement of the fireplace, we opted to bring color to the walls instead. Yes, this much green could feel ovewhelming to some clients; however, these clients love green!
The old mismatched recliners were replaced with two English roll arm leather reclinders. These chairs are both stylish and comfortable – it’s hard to tell they even recline! These are the kinds of recliners Lindsey tries to use in every design where recliners are a must-have. There are plenty of stylish recliners out there!
Here’s another look at the before and after. We added some large-scale artwork to the back wall to fill in the empty space. We also added a large-scale chandelier to the space for both visual interest and practical illumination – the room was really dark at night before.
The ottoman (below left) is a custom creation dreamed up by Lindsey. The fabric is a rich, lush velvet that adds another shade of green to the room, as well as some small-scale pattern. With the sofas and recliners appearing solid, it’s good to add some pattern to avoid having the room be too plain.
The original sofas were high quality, eight-way-hand-tied construction. There’s absolutely no reason to trash a classic roll arm sofa – that design has been around since the 1950’s for a reason! If the sofa has good bones, we strongly encourage you to have it reupholstered. Lindsey selected a neutral performance fabric with a subtle tone on tone pattern for a much more demure look than the original loud paisley. To add some visual interest, she added a dark green banding around the base and in the pleats (see the photo below).
We also brought in a new, lighter side table with beautiful gold details (below left). They key to having a well-proportioned side table is to take into account the chair or sofa’s arm height. Make sure the table is within a 2″ range of the arm height or the table is going to look very odd!
We added some more green tones in the lamp and pillows. When decorating with one main color, it’s important to vary the shade of the color to avoid having everything look too matchy-matchy!
The kitchen was quite pattern-liscious before. Not only was there bright floral wallpaper; a matching floral border topped it all off! We got rid of the wallpaper and opted instead to carry in the green from the adjacent great room.
We again eliminated some of the darker hunter green from the space by swapping the oval rug for a rectangular piece with lighter tones of greige, blue, green, and russet. The semi-flush mount light was also replaced with a chandelier that’s now in the correct spot for the table! (It’s hung higher than Lindsey usually recommends, but that was the clients’ preference. We generally hang chandeliers so the bottom is 30′-33″ above the table.)
Lindsey also designed the custom window treatments to highlight the larger sliding doors and frame the beautiful view out back. The valance is trimmed with a russet tape for even more visual interest.
The table and chairs were in great condition and are a classic French country design. When items you have are in good condition and work with the overall design, we encourage you to keep them. We’re not all for dumping pieces in a landfill that could be reused, repurposed, and/or rejuvinated!
The dining room also received a mini makeover with new paint, custom window treatments, chandelier, artwork, rug and buffet lamps. The dining set and vuffet are heirloom pieces passed down for several generations and fit well into the old world look the client was looking to achieve.
The new dining rug is from the same collection as the kitchen rug, but it has a different pattern on it. Using rugs from the same collection can add cohesion to a home. The new rug is also larger and better accommodates the dining set.
Here’s a closer look at the custom panels! We reused the original sheers but replaced the dated ruched valace and panels with new ikat ones in a varigated green. A solid green block at the bottom adds even more life to these panels.
Here are the new buffet lamps and a photo of our fearless leader, matching the decor as always!
Lastly, we spruced up the entryway with a new rug, mirror, and semi-flush mount light.
Sometimes small changes can make a big impact!
Do you need help transforming your dated space into something timeless and classic? Book a Discovery Call to chat about your project!
