My client asked me to redecorate her living room so she can relax, read and recharge. She prefers a traditional interior style. Upon the first glance at her home, I immediately identified the problems.
Her house is beautiful with wood trims and exposed brick walls. But the entry is bland and missing a ‘moment’. The living area lacks a focal point and the dark grey coffee table/ottoman doesn’t match the warm tone of the house. Additionally, the table is too low to reach drinks comfortably. While her armchair, side table and sofa are traditional, the pendent light is modern.
To address all these issues and meet her brief, I sat down with her, went through a questionnaire to better understand her preferences, drew a floor plan, provided her with a 3D model, and then we went shopping.
To echo the modern look of the pendant, we chose a Freedom console table with a black metal element, which worked perfectly. Also from Freedom, we found a black round mirror to be placed above the console table, creating a focal point in the room. Mirrors are excellent for giving the illusion of a larger space.
We knew we wanted a round coffee table to suit the room’s layout. Since there aren’t many traditional round coffee tables available, when we found this one from Early Settler, we both went ‘yeah’.
Our big-ticket items are now sorted. Next, we need to define our colour palette. Traditionally, designers or decorators would use fabric for colour inspiration, but nowadays, we tend to use artwork.
We found this birch tree print from Crazy Roy Prints & Framing that we both fell in love with. It has all the colors we wanted: black, white, burgundy red, and mustard yellow.
Once the colour palette is set, the accessories just fell into place.
The two vases on console table are from Savers, and the yellow lamp is from Kmart.
Now, we need to add some textures to the room. I love glass. It’s like a jewel for a house. It reflects light, ,providing a bit of sparkle, and glass accessories add scales without adding visual weight. So, we bought a glass knot, a glass candle holder and a glass vase to hold a Monstera plant.
Now the room feels light and airy. We have kept the room mostly natural with a dash of colours here and there to inspire. My client loves the new look of the room, and I love it too.
Takeaway from this project:
- Entry wall wow moment: impress your guests the minute they wall in.
- Focal point: a great conversation starter and somewhere you can rest your eyes.
- Add plants to bring nature inside.
- Create highs and lows, mixing vertical and horizontal elements on any large surfaces.
- If you have artworks or mirrors hung above a console table or a sideboard, don’t forget to make connections between the surface and the wall.
If you would like to know how to decorate a coffee table, please click here.