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Living Room Redo

Leah Hallahan
Jul 8, 2016
3 min read

This living room in Stratford belongs to one of the sweetest women I have met along this journey in interior decorating. When I first met Dawn, her main complaint about her living room was that it was too small. She wanted a space that was comfortable where they could have people over and watch football. Clearly, this was not happening in this formal living room as is. It took some coaxing, but I convinced Dawn that with the right layout, and lightening up her color pallet, this room was certainly NOT too small and could definitely be the entertaining space she wanted it to be.

BEFORE

AFTER

Dawn and her husband did a lot of work on this living room when all was said and done, and to be honest, they're not even finished. The original walls in most of the house had a very rough texture added to it before the family moved in. They had a handyman come in and give them all new walls, trim, baseboard, and crown moulding. They also added recessed lighting which really helps to make this room feel even larger. It was a process that spanned a few months, and to finish things up, they will be adding beautiful hardwood floors later this fall.

A few cherished pieces stayed in the room, such as the large mirror behind the sofa, a grandfather clock, and a few decor items. Dawn was so great though, in freely getting rid of things we agreed would not fit the feel of the new room. I loved her "Let's do it!" attitude and her total trust in my ideas, even when it came to the very light paint color, "Swiss Coffee" by Benjamin Moore. This one kept Dawn up at night, which in turn kept me up at night, but she ended up falling in love with the color once it was up on the walls. It made a world of difference in making this room look clean, crisp, and most importantly, BIG.

We originally were planning on adding built-in shelving around the fireplace but they ended up opting for some simple floating shelves instead. I had a great time styling these with some fun and eclectic pieces. The fireplace, which was a must-have for Dawn, was the cozy centerpiece of her original living room, and because it is electric, we were able to move it to the far wall, which made more sense in the layout of this room.

The chairs on either side of the fireplace are from Wayfair, and they are a favorite of Dawn and everyone who stops by her house. Her buttery leather couch happens to be her husband's favorite, and was purchased at Raymour and Flanigan, along with the ottoman/coffee table that I just want to sit around while eating pizza and drinking wine.

This room is a testament to homeowners to not be afraid to push yourself when making some design decisions. If you know what you want out of a room, sometimes you might need to step outside your comfort zone to make it happen. It can also a good idea to hire an interior decorator or designer that can help you through those decisions. Picking out paint colors and furniture IS scary, but it's so fun when it all comes together in the end.

I want to thank Dawn and her husband, for letting me in your home and helping to make your dream room a reality. You were fantastic and gracious clients, and I hope you enjoy your new room for many years, and football games to come!