This room is special for about one bajillion reasons. One reason is because it was for the most precious client/friends and another that I want to physically pick it up and transport it to my house. I seriously had dreams about these chairs. So while I can’t move it all to my house, we can all learn some lessons from this space. Let's take a look at some before and afters then talk about what we can learn here...
And how here is what we can all learn from this space (because I still have not found a way to "borrow" those chairs and not return them 😉)
Trust your instincts and don’t look back….
If we’re being totally honest, I was worried she would hate the dark walls. A lot of times people say they want to go dark, but they may not be prepared for such a dramatic change. The homeowner did not look back. She sampled one color then immediately called the painter. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. It was 1000% the right choice. You can’t see from the pictures, but this room opens up to the rest of the house where they have the most amazing brick accents that pulls this color beautifully.
In the grand scheme, it’s just paint and can be redone easily, but trust what you’re feeling with your home. No one knows it better than you do.
Don’t be afraid to shift your style
They built their house at the height of the “Everything Farmhouse” movement. While she still likes the best parts of that style (there is still good stuff there) they wanted their house to shift a little too. It’s ok to change and transition. While I would not call this space “farmhouse” by any means, it’s neutral enough to blend in as they transition the rest of their house to their new style.
Every space needs a purpose…
Because of the position in the house, this room could have been anything… a dining room, an office, a playroom. All of those could have worked perfectly but because my clients love to have friends over and host their Bible study group, she saw this as a “sitting room” and it's perfect. A place to sit and enjoy a book or the company of a friend. I love the fact that I got a message from her the night after our install showing me her book sitting on the coffee table. She knew how she wanted the space to function and immediately put it to use.
Just a little side note. One of their friends told them it would make a great bourbon room. While that wouldn’t work for them, adding a bar cart would make it a great place for happy hour. The bottom-line is, a space needs a purpose or it will never serve you properly.
Make it personal
One of my favorite moments of this whole project was when they brought their one year old daughter in and she immediately saw herself on the wall. The family that lives in a home is what makes it special and the fact that this sweet girl noticed that first makes the job complete and totally worth it.
There you have it. Another happy client (and jealous designer. I need this room!) and a room that truly works for the people who live there. This one was a joy on so many levels and I can't wait to enjoy some coffee and a great conversation with my client/friends in this space again!