One thing about making your home personal is that you have the “Power” to make it be whatever you want it to be…and not just go with what everyone one else has. This family made that decision to change things up and make their home work for THEM. In this case, having sit down dinners in their formal dining room was just not their style; they envisioned a living room and home bar area instead—a lounge-y relaxed space where they could have friends over for cocktails or just to watch the game. To be honest, a New-Year’s Eve party was what really got the ball rolling!
It was early in December and I was strolling through the grocery store when my cell phone rang; I picked up as it was a client I had worked with before calling me. She and her husband had found a bar for their dining room and wanted to host a New Year’s Eve party…so…could we get all new furniture in her living room and bar area before then?
(Deep breaths as I rapidly process that I have three weeks to furnish two rooms get this project looking GOOD!)
“…Yes!” I tentatively respond…and we decide to chat in the morning about all the details. I am not sure how much sleep I got that night as I considered all the options! We had talked briefly before about working on this space, so I was up for the challenge and promptly started working. In this week’s post, I am going to focus on the Dining room and finish off with the Living Room next week.
The room itself had good bones; I liked the paneling, the large window, and the ceiling medallion, but everything else needed some serious style! We talked about going with a subtle Art Deco vibe, but no crystal-girly-bling—but a space that worked whether they had a large crowd over or just wanted to sit and read. Extra seating was the first priority, but I wanted it to be something more than the basic club chairs one would expect. We decided on Evening Dove 2128-30, a deep, rich navy for the walls and Revere Pewter HC-172 for the paneling, French Doors and trim as we needed to get the painting completed before Christmas.
After checking out inventory online, I decided to head out to Cambridge to Cornerstone Home Furnishings; they carried an eclectic style of furnishings and I was really hoping they had the right pieces to furnish this room. I took tons of pictures and hoped we’d find exactly what we were looking for…and we did!
These distressed leather chairs were perfect for the space! They were very comfortable, not too big, and added that masculine touch we were after. We also found this spectacular mirror that would be just right for behind the bar-it would reflect the light from the window and the geometric lines flowed with our Deco theme as well. An existing piece of artwork was hung temporarily in the space, the light fixture was replaced and that was as far as we got in this room for the party.
After the holidays were over, there were still a few things that needed to be finished. Fabric was purchased at European Textiles on Ottawa Street for the custom-made drapery and the hardware was sourced from Ottawa Textiles across the street. We kept the design simple, but the textured chenille fabric added to the cozy feeling we wanted for this space. On a trip to Boston, the clients found new pieces of artwork that were filled with color and also referenced the husband’s love of specific sports—they were amazing! The television was hung as well and now this space was much more complete…but not 100% done.
You’ve heard me talk about how things have a process and sometimes there is a delay in seeing the “vision” through to the end…well that happened here as well. We just recently completed this space and now it is a perfect blend of Deco-inspired, comfy lounge-y-ness that the homeowners love and use all the time!
I heard Kimberly Seldon speak at a design seminar a few years back and she made a comment that really stuck with me. She said that many (many) of her clients would stop when the job was about 70% done and never really finish it completely. The space was usable and furnished, but the finishing touches that really make the room(s) personal, functional AND beautiful were lacking…and that is exactly what happens to many people! No room is left in the budget to actually complete the space with the accessories that make it truly FINISHED.
Some people really have a hard time with this end of things—they find it challenging to choose the right items and don’t feel confident in pulling it all together. If this describes you, the please don’t hesitate to give us a call! We at Bella Casa Interiors have years of styling experience and can help you put all those final details perfectly into place. Check out our Services and see all we have to offer!
