Living room Remodel
This is my home, my respite. Comfort and functionality ruled design choices.
Brightening the space with the right light was key. The apartment faces east, meaning light is lost a little after midday. To begin to remedy this, I had the floors sanded and stained to be lighter and more reflective. On the red oak floors, a lighter stain blend of with a satin finish made a bright and warm, yet cool finish.
I wanted bolder designs and louder colors in the adjacent rooms. So the living room needed a neutral and soft palette to start the experience. To achieve this and compliment the flooring, I painted the walls Crème.
Privacy is also a priority. I solved this issue by installing top-down bottom-up shades. This allows me to retain the light from the picture window while maintaining privacy. I went with a hand woven wood material. The wood is tightly woven to maintain maximum privacy without an outside lining, which would make the space darker when the shades are partially closed.
The sectional couch, becomes a gorgeous and textured canvas for other furnishings. A recurring joke among friends is that I’ve become like the wife from American Beauty when it comes to the couch, quiet protective. What’s amusing is that before I had a condo to make my own, with nice stuff in it, I very much related to the husband in that scene. With my old hand-me-down sofa, I typically told myself and others after cats shredded the arms and party-goers stained the cushions with wine, “it’s just couch”. Not so much anymore…
The dimensions I needed for the couch are not standard. So finding a manufacturer to customize it how I wanted was a task. The living room is split by a circulation path between the bed/bath and kitchen. This creates two smaller living areas within the room, and I didn’t want furniture to clash with these paths. So the major pieces, couch, coffee table, rug, TV and console had to fit in a smaller area than the overall living room footprint. The colors and finishes chosen for these furnishings add contrast and depth to the neutral palette.
At the entryway, the southwest rug compliments the cowhide. And the arched floor mirror reflects light to the dim side of the living room and makes for an elegant way to check yourself out before heading out. Brass, wall mounted coat hooks and a brown bench with shoe rack complete the utility of the entrance and speak to the brass legs and pillows of the couch.
Before
After
Before
After