Remember the homes with the formal living room no one was ever allowed to enter? The pieces in those spaces were prized possessions, rarely used in case of wear or staining. Luxury was meant to look at but not touch. Thankfully a whole lot has changed.
When we are designing living rooms, we have several priorities that all need to work together. These spaces need to:
1. represent our clients' goals, style and lifestyle
2. include highly durable and well-made furniture pieces
3. have an elevated look for entertaining and comfortability for lounging
We love designing living rooms, whether that's part of a whole house project or a single room design for a client. It has become even easier now that lead-times from our favorite, trusted furniture brands have gotten much better! We want to design places that guests can enjoy, family members can relax and no one is worried about the upholstery being damaged.
Let's walk through some of our favorite living room projects to showcase how we achieved this for every client and taste.
Nothing looks fresher than a white or light colored sofa. This living room has a large footprint and fills with natural light. To anchor the space, we started with dark flooring, layered a colorful rug in a traditional pattern and set furniture with performance fabric in a conversational arrangement that really highlight the view from the windows.
This is a sophisticated space without being stuffy. Guests won't want to leave the custom couches because they're so comfortable while looking so tailored and clean. Velvet chairs in a reddish hue also feel like an elevated addition but are really supportive and easy to maintain. We love finding (and custom creating!) the pieces that look and feel good.
The details make an every day living room into a stunning environment to entertain in. Nail head trim, custom drapery, the gorgeous bevel on the coffee table surface and the details down to the accessories, patterns and textures make this space a standout. The best part? It all feels incredible to the touch and will be the perfect setting for cocktails after a formal dinner or a movie night with the family.
This room has high-fashion all over it. Light leather, sculptural accent tables and surprising details. The most surprising? That high-fashion and every day usability can go hand-in-hand. The incredible picture frame windows make the trees and surrounding landscape feel like part of the palette and design. Every seat in the room has a beautiful vantage point as the background for conversations with house guests. The TV is also easily view from the main seats of the room, perfect for evening unwinding and weekend watching. Custom pillows make this space feel inviting to sit and stay.
This classic-meets-artful client needed a transitional living room makeover that reflected their unique style, sensibility and lifestyle. We filled this space with interesting furniture, art and objects that make everywhere you turn a focal point. While several pieces in this room feel "museum-worthy," it's a space that gets used daily from watching the game, hosting friends and lounging around. Refined furniture pieces are a great investment and should be used!
We love this more traditional sitting room with a skirted sofa and classic styling. The blue grasscloth wallpaper and ceiling treatment give the room a serene statement to build off of. The comfortable and classy furniture and design elements make this a beautiful place to receive friends and family but also feel like the perfect spot for an afternoon nap on the weekends. If our clients feel like they can't use their rooms and furniture, we haven't done our job.
A more modern motif with sleek furniture and a monochromatic palette can seem harder to keep pristine but it's all about the fabric choices that really keep each element looking new. Comfortability is the ultimate luxury so while these items look so refined, they are pieces you won't want to get up from. That's one of the (many) benefits of having MBI design spaces, we don't just want a room to look good, we want it to feel good and function well for daily use. You just can't get that at a big box store.
Ready to reimagine your living room? Meghan Blum Interiors would love to help. Our design team has so much experience in designing for the full picture of your project goals- we want to bring something to your home that changes the way you live!