Crystal’s Design Dilemma
Crystal’s living room is bursting with posh potential. Here’s her letter:
I’m really excited to get started. I love working on our house but I have one particular area that has been so tricky. Right next to my TV is a giant open space and it’s one of the first things guests see. I really need help turning up the wow factor. It has come a long way but I need help. The tall ceilings make everything feel mushed down below. My style is modern beachy with a hint of glam, husband likes casual and functional. I’m looking for subtle glamour like an upscale luxury resort by the beach. Must stay: TV, the console it’s on, and preferably the ceiling fan. Can go: we’re on the hunt for couches. New items coming in – I purchased a mirrored side table and mirror from Target and curtains from Pottery Barn. They can be used or repurposed somewhere else. Curtains shown are new but can go in another room. Ideally the wall color would stay because the floor plan is so open it would require a lot of repainting and my husband might kill me. The kitchen is a blue gray and the living room is tan. I love Moroccan / Mediterranean inspired stuff and interesting patterns, just without too many punchy colors. Thanks! -Crystal
This space is primed for a major makeover. Here’s the plan:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color palette is inspired by the wall colors in the adjoining rooms (blue-gray and tan) since Crystal will be keeping ‘em (and they’ll certainly come in handy for achieving the glamorous beachy-luxe look that she’s going for). We’ll also bring in a chocolate sectional and a dash of fresh green to keep things interesting and dimensional- with lots of textures and patterns that work together to infuse a subtle Moroccan influence without too many chaotic colors.
When it comes to the furniture arrangement, we’d love to see the sectional placed where the two sofas currently sit and the round coffee table plopped in front of the sectional (which should sit on the fabulous 8 x 10 rug that we dug up to work flawlessly with Crystal’s already purchased Pottery Barn curtains- love them!). In the first picture, you can see that the wall with the TV is extremely long and bare, so leaning one of these glammy and gleaming floor mirrors on either side of the media cabinet will fill out that wall and reflect that gorgeous blue-gray kitchen for even more cohesion between both spaces (while adding some much needed height).
2. Although the existing wall colors dictated the tan and soft blue tones in our schemes, we’d love to see a few fresh pops of green in the space, and this lovely vase adds movement, pattern, color and interest all at once. Placed on the left side of the TV cabinet (across from those fabulous white vases) it will balance the height on that side while bringing more color and a bit of texture to the TV cabinet.
3. Here’s the fabulous mirror that Crystal has already ordered for her space, and we think hanging it centered above the TV with the matching CB2 leaning mirrors on either side of the media cabinet will create a nice feature wall that’s visible all the way from the kitchen.
4. We love these dreamy capiz curtains that would look dramatic and beachy-glam hung from the ceiling between each of the center pillars between the kitchen and the living room. They won’t block the view or the light between the two spaces, but they’ll add that luxe, glamorous feeling and act as sculptural interest in both spaces. We must admit we’re crazy about this little idea and can’t wait to see how it turns out!
5. Here are the gorgeous Pottery Barn curtains that Crystal already ordered (swoon). They’ll look gorgeously glam and beachy-chic framing that amazing picture window behind the couch, and we have a few little accessories for the thin strip of wall on either side of them to add even more wow-factor.
6. We love these luxe and beachy pillows that remind us of similar versions from William’s Sonoma Home for a bit less moolah. They’ll break up the elegant and practical chocolate sectional and add to the plush and welcoming ambiance.
7. Here are our glammy silver horn wall vases that we’d love to see hung on the small strip of wall on either side of those gorgeous blue patterned curtains. For height we’d like to see two on each side (one on top of the other) with some green leafy branches or blooms in them for more of that fresh accent color in the room.
8. This simple round glass topped coffee table will complete the seating area and ground our super fabulous rug (while tying into the dark wood in the existing media cabinet).
9. Here’s the often referenced 8 x 10 wool rug that we just can’t get enough of. It’s super luxe and hotel-chic while working perfectly with our palette and adding effortless elegance and glamour to the seating area in a snap.
10. This lovely (and cost effective) sectional in chcocolate brown is both practical and comfortable while making the most of the spacious layout (sometimes a larger piece like this can feel more streamlined than a cluster of smaller furnishings- and it’s cheaper than most sofas out there!). Speaking of smaller furnishings, we’d love to see this mirrored side table that Crystal has already ordered to the left of the sectional in front of the window to add a dash of shimmer, like jewelry for the room.
11. For a bit more of that luxurious & glammy flair that Crystal so desires, this mirrored tray will look lovely on the round coffee table while working with everything from the silver horn vases to the leaning mirrors on either side of the media cabinet.
And two of these fluffy floor pillows will add more of that plush luxurious feeling on the corner of the rug opposite the sectional to the left of the media cabinet to add a bit more of that casual and comfortable Moroccan vibe.
So there you have it. A beachy-glam and luxurious living room full of soft and inviting style. We can’t wait to see what you guys think- especially you Crystal!
Update: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!
Leave a comment
If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
That area would look fantastic with some dark hardwood floors, especially with the lighter rug, pillows and curtains.
Can’t wait to see what it looks like! I love everything except the horn vases but that’s just me. :)
Gorgeous…………..you guys are amazing. Crystal is going to love love love it!!
I agree with Tom…….dark hw floors would be the icing on the cake.
I just got the Nest magazine with your cover. It is so cute. I then opened it up and saw your kitchen first thing. I love your kitchen makeover and it is the inspiration for the colors I want to use!
Hey Andi,
A few people have been commenting about our feature in The Nest magazine (can you believe we made the cover?!)… but we have yet to see it! They said we’re on the mailing list but for some reason every day when we jog out to the mailbox it’s not there! We’re glad you think it looks good though. Here’s hoping we get to check it out sooner rather than later!
xoxo,
Sherry (& John)
That rug looks made for that room. How do you guys always pick out such wonderful rugs? I can never visualize in my mind which rugs will go well with the existing furniture.
Love love love it and will definitely be looking for yall in The Nest. Also, you reference CB2 matching mirrors- I’m not seeing those in the space or the breakdown and was curious about those.
Hey Ellis,
Sometimes we can’t work everything into the mood board so we just link to it in the numbered room breakdown. That’s the case for those mirrors, but you can check them out by clicking the link, and try to visualize them on either side of the entertainment center (so that big long wall is more filled out). The great thing about them is that they’ll reflect the soft blue wall color in the kitchen so both spaces feel even more cohesive! Hope it helps!
xoxo,
Sherry
OMG, you are good! Thanks you guys!! I’m so in love with my mood board you did!
The capiz curtains… sigh!
Wow – once again I love it! Can’t wait to see the finished room.
You guys sure have been busy lately! I love this one, I even bookmarked some stuff to add to my place! I am also in love with the blue-gray in the kitchen. What paint color is that? Can’t wait to see the after!
By the way the blue gray in the kitchen is Behr, Rhino.
Ahhh, now I see- I missed that link the first time- thanks for explaining, Sherry! Love this moodboard and can’t wait to see the finished room.
I think a chair rail (similar rail style to what is currently on the columns) on that long wall and on the window wall would help break up the wall space. I’d paint above the chair rail the blue from the dining area. Maybe that would help balance the tall ceiling issue.
Looking forward to after pics!
I love that capiz curtain. . . too bad it wouldn’t work in my house :(
love the pillows!!
For an alternative to the mirrors, check out Overstock’s Merlot Etagere/ Side Pier for only $169.99 each.
(Item#: 11774566) Less glam, but one on each side of the tv unit just might work!
I thought you were kidding about posting the mood boards 2 days after the client gets it so they can order before sell outs. Then, the first two items I clicked on (mirror and vase) are sold out, lol! Do you add items to the mood board that are sold out, or do you make sure they have them in stock. Wow, quite a testament to your popularity!
Hey Carol,
We make sure that everything that we include in each mood board for our clients is readily available because of course we’re dying to see the actual transformation (we’re all about a great before and after, and we work hard to find things that are affordable and accessible so anyone can makeover their room on a dime and in a snap).
Of course once we post links for all to see a few days after we send ‘em directly to our clients, a lot of the items we choose (many of which are super on sale) fly right off the shelves. Especially these days… everyone loves a good deal and a house that feels like home!
xoxo,
Sherry
I love how you made Crystal’s new Pottery Barn curtains work in the mood board. I’m not a fan of patterned curtains, but those ones are fabulous. I’m sitting at the desk in the office of my beachfront condo, looking out at the lake, and those colours would look fantastic here.
Viv