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Teresa’s Design Dilemma

Posted by
May 19, 2009

Teresa’s living room is primed for a major makeover. Here’s her letter:

Hi Youngsters! I need help with my living room that opens to the kitchen. I’d like both spaces to feel cohesive. I like casual, modern and airy style- basically your living room and den!!! Everything in my living room can go, but I’d like to keep the ceiling fan (they don’t call it Hotlanta for nothing). In the kitchen, we’re keeping the white tile backsplash but the cabinets can be painted (and the current countertops and floor will also be going during the course of our kitchen update so, please disregard them when choosing a color scheme). The tan wall paint in the living room can stay or go. Personally, I like neutrals, blues and greens, but I’m really open to whatever will make the space look light and airy. The room also needs to be multifunctional (we need a dining area, seating area and if humanly possible, an office area with a bit of storage for a few books and files). Please excuse the condition of our home (we’re currently adding more cabinets to the kitchen and have had to move our small office set up and other random furniture into my no longer recognizable living room). Oh and we are trying to avoid the major sticker shock of totally redoing the living room from the rooter to the tooter. I know this one must be quite the challenge… thanks for your creative genius and we look forward to what you come up with! -Teresa

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This space is chock full of potential. Here’s the plan:

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And now for the mood board breakdown.

1. The big challenge in this small space (which has to serve as a living room, a dining room, and a mini office) is definitely making it feel light and expansive. And one way to instantly make it feel a lot larger is to carry the tan tone on the living room walls into the kitchen for a seamless and spacious effect. We’ll also be bringing in a lot of white to keep things light (which is the color that we’d suggest for Teresa’s kitchen cabinets as well). And we’ll add dimension and layered elegance with some dark wood furnishings, a plush small-scale sectional in tan, and some pops of the soft blue-green tone that Teresa adores.

2. We must admit that squeezing three functions into such a modest room was quite a challenge. But we do love a challenge! We actually thought that the current placement of Teresa’s desk made the most sense in the space, and bringing in this white desk (on clearance!) with a leggy feel will instantly make that mini office area feel visually lighter.

3. Above the desk we’d love to see this great graphic round mirror which is sure to add interest and reflect light to make the space feel even more airy. When hanging the mirror between the door and the curtains, Teresa will first want to hang the new curtains (which will be cheated a bit wider) and then place the mirror at eye level so it appears completely centered (hanging the mirror before the new the curtains will result in an off-centered look).

4. Replacing the bulkier TV stand with this sleek glass fronted model (with free shipping) will keep that entire wall feeling less busy and more polished. And saving up for a flatscreen (you can get ‘em for $250 these days) will really complete the media center transformation.

5. Although our den and our living room (Teresa’s inspiration rooms) look light and bright, we always bring in dark furnishings and even some leather pieces to add dimension and that rich lived in feeling- and this round leather ottoman will work perfectly with our new plan for the seating area ($108 for a coffee table/place to rest your weary feet isn’t bad at all!).

6. We could not get over the price of this amazing arc lamp. We’ll give you a hint… it’s $30. Ok, so we gave you more than a hint but we just can’t believe that for thirty beans, Teresa can place this lamp to the left of her mini sectional and it can arc over and light the entire seating area with style to spare. And the paper lantern is airy and oh so perfect for this space.

7. We thought long and hard about how to squeeze in a dining area, and placing a table right up against the half wall that the living room shares with the kitchen seems like the best way to go. By putting this great (and totally affordable) deep toned table up against the wall  (and centered under the opening to the kitch), we’ll maximize the floor plan and make setting the table no sweat (it’ll be so nice to reach through the opening from the kitchen like a pass-through). And adding chic white x-backed chairs will keep it from feeling heavy (can’t beat their $99 price tag!). We also thought Teresa could pick up an extra chair and use it over in her office area to make things feel even more cohesive and balanced in a flash.

8. And speaking of the office area, we’d love to see this clean glass lamp on the desk to provide more lighting and ambiance for under $40 (that’s the best price we’ve ever seen for a glass based lamp!).

9. Hanging two sets of these sleek grommeted white curtains in the living room (one panel on each side of each window) and mounting them high and super wide (at least 18″ wide on each side) will make both windows feel twice as big, let in maximum light, and visually expand the entire space. It’ll look like a totally new room once she gets those babies hung up- and that’s a promise.

10. We love this print’s serene blue and green tones that will really complement our soft neutral palette. We’d love to see this geometric print hung on the wall (in a thin wood frame with a big white mat) behind our mini sectional for instant atmosphere.

11. Here’s the gorgeous rug that will instantly ground the mini sectional and define the seating area. It’s a soft blue-green shag 3 x 5′ rug which will add inviting and cozy texture and really keep things light and lovely.

12. We searched high and low for something to sit on in the living area that would still leave room for an office and a dining room while accommodating more than one person. This amazing small scale sectional (it’s just 53″ x 37″) should slip right into the corner and comfortably seat two or three people while maximizing the rest of the room and allowing for a table to be placed near the kitchen. We love that it’s on clearance ($700 off!) and of course that Teresa can pick her own upholstery (we’d recommend twill in khaki, chenille in tan, microfiber in camel, or velvet in honey). Slipping the plush shag rug under the front legs of the sectional and placing the round leather ottoman on top of the rug to the right of the chase will finish off the entire room in high style. And adding soft blue-green accents like pillows, a table runner and even a round tray on the ottoman will definitely be the icing on the cake.

So there you have it. A light and airy living room full of fresh and inviting style. We can’t wait to see what you guys think- especially you Teresa!

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!

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