Comfortable and Stylish Home: Office & Living Room

Introductions

When I think about this project, I cannot help but marvel at how seamlessly it all came together. But I shouldn’t be surprised. This friend/client has a beautifully understated sophistication about her and this easily carried into her selections and our collaboration together. It is no wonder that the project possesses a quiet luxury factor with clean lines, timeless choices, and a neutral color palette (yes, I am counting the color drenching blue-gray as a neutral ;). The result is a stylish, inviting, and comfortable space.

Comfortable and Stylish Home: The Office/Sitting Room

The office/sitting room ended up being a favorite. We kept what the family had, borrowed from other rooms, incorporated some new pieces, and as always made a few references to travel.

We took the accent wall color, matched it (I think!) and brought it to the other walls and the ceiling to envelop the room. The piano moved to the living room and we brought in four comfortable chairs.

We threw around the idea of a desk but then rearranged some furniture to see how a sitting room would feel before purchasing new furniture. Would it be used? After our little experiment, we determined that it indeed would be! In true mom fashion, the idea of a desk was traded in for a place family and friends could gather. A laptop desk was utilized and we moved a cane console table into the space as well in order to store a printer, papers, and work supplies.

We were initially hesitant to purchase the chairs. Stylistically, they were exactly what we were looking for. But, would they be too big for the room? We taped it out, stared, taped it out again… rinsed and repeated. Finally, we decided to go for it. I think it turned out so well! The best compliment is when I hear that the family is hanging out in and enjoying the space.

The room also houses a desktop computer with an upholstered stool for homework use and additional work from home purposes. The rest of the shelves are filled with family photos, greenery, books, and interesting decorative objects.

The console holds a map of Chicago where the family lived previously. (This was stolen from another room and I love love love how it fits in perfectly with this room.) We also included a print by Michigan-based artist, Katherine Corden. The piece is called Olive Roads Lead to Rome. It is meant to remind the family of a recent European trip, complete with a stop in the Italian capital. The table lamp was also something that the family already owned and adds height, warmth, and interest. We kept the styling fairly simple on the console, finishing it off with a fabric box that one son found fits the printer paper perfectly.

One of my favorite pieces in the room is the large artwork. It is one of those subtle pieces (no flashy colors or bright splashes) that is incredibly interesting. It is modern, lovely, and fits the wall and overhead lighting just right.

Comfortable and Stylish Home: The Living Room

 

The living room is across from the office and also received some attention. We started with a new modern yet warm rug. The sectional went to the basement and the sofa from the office/sitting room moved in. We ordered an extra deep sofa to sit perpendicular to the other sofa. Keeping the pillows to a minimalist feel, we tied in some of the turquoise from the fireplace stone and the artwork in the room to the turquoise in the honeycomb pillows. Cozy throw blankets and some ottoman styling rounded out the seating area.

We placed a new side table between the two sofas to add some visual interest with styling and also to serve a practical purpose for placing drinks, books, etc.

The piano took several detours and was actually almost sold before landing on its current location. My husband (who was not involved in this project aside from fully enjoying playing the piano one night) completely supported this decision.

UP NEXT

I am excited to share two more blog posts from this comfortable and stylish beauty with you!