Project Recap: Treasure Trove Living
You know the type, right? Funny, super nice and keeps amazing treasures buried in the bottom of her closet. Basically the dream client! I met this awesome family through a past client so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to discuss their family room update which included the adjoining entry, dining room, sitting room and playroom. Their goals were to create a living space that could be used everyday for the family of 5 so it needed to be bullet proof but they also wanted it to be beautiful for entertaining friends. My heart leapt for joy when the next request was “but we don’t want it took like anyone else’s living room.” YES and DONE!
The space is expansive with incredible vaulted ceilings. To create the cozy vibe they craved the scale of all the furniture has to be just right. Nothing elevated on legs but instead it needed to be visually grounding to bring the room down to size without a lot of visual clutter. Once we had the space laid out and furniture selections nailed down it was time to layer in the art which will forever be memorialized as the best meeting ever.
The space has three main walls to consider for art but the fireplace created the biggest challenge as a focal point because the trim detail and height. The sizing of the art needed to be very specific. I also felt like it needed a lot of color and texture so that it could stand out against the fireplace’s strong architectural presence. I came to the art meeting with the idea to source a beautiful rug or tapestry to install in that spot… and she looked at me so nonchalantly and said “Oh I have two Tibetain prayer rugs in my closet.” Like…everyone has incredible treasures just tucked away! Trying to match her calm tone I said, “ok..well let’s see them,” but inside I was screaming “RUN, HURRY I WANT TO SEE!!!” Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fit for this space than this incredible rug. 1) it’s sentimental so it will bring them good memories while making the space more special 2) hello gorgeous color and pattern 3) it fits the space between the moulding PERFECTLY! It was ordained.
Next up for art consideration was the area above the sofa. I wanted to create a special vignette here with the table and decorative accessories so we needed something that could nestle in nicely. It’s also eye level so I wanted it to be expressive of their lives and to act as a conversation starter. My thought was to source an interesting topographic map of the place they met or got engaged…and again she pulled the rabbit out of the hat. Hidden in her husband’s notebook was this beautifully colored antique topographic map. It’s like we were on some magic wavelength and shared a brain! The map had been folded for years, so I sent it to a restoration company and they made it look like new. Its contrasting orange and green colors create a special discovery point against all of the cool blue colors in the space.
With the main details figured out for the family room it was time to turn attention to its adjoining spaces. Wouldn’t it be so boring if I told you the whole story now? I always like a good cliff hanger, so look out for installment Duex to see how the rest turned out!
All photos courtesy of Andrew Slaton.