Family Room Interior ReDesign: Working with what you have

We gave you a glimpse of our client's beautiful home last month and now we're back for redesign round 2!

With a big party on the horizon, the homeowners wanted to maximize the seating space and have the furnishings invite people to sit, enjoy a beverage and visit awhile. 

Prior to the decorating divas arrival, the furniture was "in a lineup" with the focus solely on the TV.

Before:

After:

Do you totally love this or what? I'm digging all the little conversation areas. Here's the breakdown of what we did:

1. Styled the bookcases to highlight meaningful family photos and momentos. We played up the color palate by selecting books with red and gold spines. (before bookcase pic?)

2. The tomato red chair and ottoman moved out of "the line-up" so that the person seated there could see the TV AND have a conversation. 

3. The bench from under the right window, moved to the left window to open up the walkway from the kitchen. 

4. We moved the existing gold chair out of the line-up and we added a chair from another part of the house to cozy up the space and encourage conversation. 

5. The gorgeous antique gate-leg table (moved from the foyer) replaced the existing low side table. 

6. Taller, more stately lamps (from upstairs) replaced the red ceramic ones (we repurposed those in the breakfast nook).

These simple changes yielded maximum impact. And, unlike those 30 minute shows on TV, we'll answer everyone's burning question. 

WHAT ABOUT ALL THE EMPTY SPACES YOU HAVE AFTER YOU "BORROWED" FROM OTHER ROOMS?

Well, I'm happy to report that we only had one space that needed to be "refilled". It was upstairs (out of the main living area) and our homeowner promptly went shopping!

We moved existing furniture and accessories to different, more appropriate spaces and ended up with furnishings that complement each other and work toward our goal of inviting, conversational space.

Admittedly, this homeowner was flush on furniture AND accessories. If that is not the case at your home, I suggest focusing on the public areas first. Try to imagine your guest's experience when they visit. Are they walking in to an overcrowded space full of furniture, mismatched accessories and a lego maze? Maybe you need a different perspective! Start by clearing the room so you have a clean visual field and go from there. Sometimes it helps to call a friend over for a fresh set of eyes. If you're absolutely stuck and need a hand, call or email us today and we would love to help you with your space--either in person or virtually!

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