The Chartreuse Ottoman

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I recently completed a family room that I had SO much fun designing.  Of course, I can honestly say that I love ALL of my projects, but very now and then, I get the opportunity to work with someone who is not affraid to be bold…and I get a chance to step outside the box.  

That was the case with Mrs. A, who did not disappoint me when she agreed to this amazing chartreuse ottoman that I found at the Dallas World Trade Center.  I just knew she would love it.   Isn’t it fun!   It’s a beautiful chartreuse leather, tufted to perfection. It serves as the coffee table and it’s definitely the room’s “wow” factor.  

Before, the room felt dark and didn’t look cohesive.  That needed to be remedied, in addition to a handful of requirements necessary for better function.  One such requirement was adequate seating to accommodate frequent entertaining.

The 2 upholstered chairs are recliners (facing the tv for comfortable veiwing), but also perfect for reading and relaxing.

This family loves to travel, and they have special connections to Dallas, San Francisco, New York and London.  A clock for each city/time zone was hung over the bar.  The 5th clock is labeled “Somewhere” with the hands permanently at 5:00 pm.

Pictures of family travels were enlarged and hung behind the bar, providing for great memories.

 

 

Between the 3 dogs, the large family and frequent entertaining, it was important to find an area rug that could be easily cleaned when soiled.  The perfect product was FLOR carpet tiles.  I used 2 different tiles to create an interesting pattern, one solid and one with a loose stripe.

So here’s the bottom line…Mrs A’s favorite part of the entire room?…the chartreuse ottoman!  Yaaaeee!!!

Till Next Time,

Alba

A Family Room: Traditional to Transitional

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Recently, I completed this family room for a dear family of four whom I have known for a few years now.  Their family room had not changed in the last seven years and, although it was functional and comfortable,  it was certainly not cohesive.  Plus, they were totaly ready for a change…

The new design had specific requirements:

  • Substitute the existing “Traditional” style to a more “Transitional” look.
  • The design had to be casual and most of all, comfortable for daily living.
  • The design also needed to accommodate both reading and watching TV.
  • It needed to be practical with more storage.

The results:

Two paint colors were used; a dark gray and a light gray. Gray is a perfect backdrop for the semi-monochromatic color scheme.

SW7024 Functional Gray
SW7025 Backdrop

The sofa and two chairs are upholstered in microfiber, making them very practical for hearty living. We kept with a neutral color scheme, which helps make the room feel calm, then added a splash of terracotta that was picked up from the floor.

 

 

Since storage was a requirement, all tables and cabinets were chosen for maximum storage options.  A custom, built-in TV cabinet provides even more storage.

Natural woven Roman shades were outside-mounted and placed all the way to the ceiling making the windows appear taller.  They provide texture, necessary when color is limited. 

 ..and the new look…definitely Transitional.

Till next time,

Alba