Sometimes a room just needs a little updating. Either the homeowner is simply tired of it and craves change, or it was never quite finished in the first place and the time has come. Regardless, these jobs can be some of the most challenging because I am hired to work with what is already there, and need to find a way to freshen it up, on a limited budget.
This Benedict Canyon home was the perfect example. My client, Carrie, a wife and the mother of two very active boys, wanted to update the family's Great Room, but preferred not to replace most of the furniture or art.
This table is where all the magic happens in their house. They eat meals, play games, do homework, and socialize there. To me, changing out the chairs was of upmost importance, and would make a huge impact. The windows look out onto a beautiful backyard and pool, and the large, beige chairs were very heavy and dark, distracting from the nice view.
We chose a pale gray for the walls, which lightened up the whole room, and got us away from all the warm beigy/browns that were going on. We chose some lightly patterned, upholstered end chairs, and six ghost chairs, which added more seating, and really opened up the area. We kept the same table, light fixture and window treatments, but it still feels like a very different room.
I mean, right??? So much lighter and brighter! -photo by Heather Culp
At the same time, we were working on the adjoining family room.
It was pretty ho-hum, with all the browny-beige neutrals. The couch HAD to go, but the rest, we could work with. It just needed to be moved around, brightened up, and some personality needed to be added to the space.
-photo by heather culp
Again, just the cool, grey paint made a big difference. The sofa is from Crate and Barrel, and added a ton of seating to the room (Superbowl party!). I opted for a white Blu Dot console behind the sofa, to break it up and provide a place to display things. The arc floor lamp added another layer of lighting, as well as visual interest between the two art pieces (which didn't change).
-photo by heather culp
The rest of the furniture remained the same, making this a fairly low-cost makeover with big impact.
(We have since replaced the heavy, wood coffee table with the Allure Round Cocktail Table from Mitchell+Williams. It lightens the room even more, and makes it feel more spacious (but didn't warrant another photo shoot)). -photo by heather culp
You don't have to start from scratch to make major updates to your home. With a fresh coat of paint, and a few key changes, you can change the entire feeling of a room, without spending a fortune.
Have a great day!
XO, Anna