Our first task when we started the SW Modern Home project was to help furnish the living room and dining room area. The family was getting ready for a big event: their son's Bar Mitzvah and they wanted help with furnishing and styling the room for the party.
The family had already worked with Fieldwork Design on some of the furnishings & finishes in the space, and the clients liked these pieces, however they still needed some finishing touches; artwork for both the living and dining rooms, a new dining table, neutral rugs and pillows (to keep the space from looking too busy) and some styling accessories. We were happy to help this lovely family with their special home!
Take a look at the "after" photos of the space, recently featured in Dwell Magazine!
We love the clean yet warm and collected feel that this space now has! We could spend all day, cozying up by the fire or looking out the gorgeous windows!
However, when the clients first approached us to help them furnish and style this space, it needed some help. The space felt cluttered and busy, with too many patterns and textures in the space. They also needed art on the walls to create a cohesive design direction. We started by gathering photos and measurements for the space. As well as taking inventory of what was already in the space and what was staying/going. Here are some "before" photos.
Before Photos of the SW Modern Living Room
Before Photo of the SW Modern Living Room
Before Photo of the SW Modern Living Room
Before Photo of the SW Modern Dining Room
We liked many elements that Fieldwork had introduced into the space, such as the lovely DellaRobbia sectional sofa, the patterned dining rug and light fixture and the casually cool Blu Dot Toro Lounge chairs. There was a lot going for the space already! Our task was to seamlessly tie up the loose ends, and create a cohesive design for the remaining furnishing and styling items.
With a tight timeline in mind (just over a month before family was coming into town for the party), our design plan was to minimize the patterns and textures in the living room and allow the warm wood & black accents and the gorgeous Mid-Century windows to become the focus. There were so many strong elements in this room, but we wanted these elements to take center stage! We kept all this in mind while sourcing items, but we also had to choose items that were in stock and could ship quickly.
We wanted to incorporate some beautiful artwork & accessories on the walls to give the room a cohesive design direction. We found some beautiful artwork from various sources. The artwork above was a find from Etsy, but the seller was located in Romania. Could it arrive in time?
We chose warm colors to mesh with the Mid-Century vibe of the home and incorporated the palette throughout the space via artwork, pillows and accessories. We chose a cozy neutral rug for the living room, which didn't compete with the other strong elements in the room.
Our client wasn't sure if she wanted to keep the piano in the living room or move it elsewhere, despite the fact that the family loves playing instruments. However, she couldn't decide if the piano belonged in the room. We came up with a plan to make it work in the space. By creating a design plan that incorporated art and accessories, we gave the piano a purpose. It became an asset to the room, not a distraction.
We were lucky in our crunch for time, that our client already owned the beautiful Vitra wall shelves from Design Within Reach that were hung above the piano. They were sitting in boxes, unused - but were the perfect solution for this area! We also found some fun accessory pieces, such as the fun cacti sculptures from the Dwell Shop!
This area near the fireplace, was already a great space to hangout! We just wanted to keep the focus on the fireplace! We did so by placing this beautiful feather headdress wall hanging above it. Also, we replaced the brightly patterned rug (see above "before" photo), with a more neutral woven rug from SMG Collective. Overall, it makes this area much more cozy and relaxing!
In the dining room, the client wanted to again add some artwork and tie all the elements together. She also wanted to replace her dining table. We found some beautiful artwork from Etsy and Schoolhouse Electric for above the existing buffet that helped to create cohesion within the design. We searched and searched for a dining table that would work, AND that was also in stock (RE. tight timeline). However, like the Vitra shelves, the solution was there all along. The client had a beautiful table she had purchased years before in L.A. from Bo Tree Source. It was perfect for the space! We added some beautiful potted plants and the space was ready to party!
The party was a hit! And all the pieces arrived before family came to town, even the living room artwork from Romania (phew!). So fortunately, despite the short timeline and unique scope of this furnishing/styling project, both our clients and their guests were thrilled with the results! We know we love the way this space turned out. What do you think?!
Stay tuned as we reveal the next space in this home...the sleek modern kitchen!
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