Inside My Novel House: The Living Room

My living room.

As presently every bit I walked into my house, I knew it was the one: The grand staircase, the crystal chandelier inward the foyer, in addition to the columns surrounding the living room are the type of elegant details I knew I wouldn’t discovery inward a newer build. Constructed inward the early on 1900s, the solid is a like shooting fish in a barrel instance of the Second Empire style, consummate amongst the characteristic mansard roof. Perhaps inward keeping amongst the architecture, the previous possessor had decorated the interior amongst heavy antique article of furniture in addition to thick, dark-colored drapes. I decided to forgo historical accuracy inward favor of brighter, lighter decor, built roughly my trademark blend of novel pieces in addition to time-worn antiques.

The living room, every bit the previous possessor had decorated it.

I knew I wanted mint-colored walls, but I didn’t desire my living room to await childlike or cartoonish. After buying far likewise many pigment samples, I settled on Breezeway, a Behr color that has all the coolness of mint, without whatever of the confectionary undertones. 

My start large purchase was the chairs. I’d seen spool chairs inward magazines, in addition to cruel inward honey amongst the intricate sort of the legs. I’m notorious for buying uncomfortable furniture, in addition to didn’t desire to attain that fault again. So I splurged on the deep-seated Behnaz Chair from Thomasville. Able to direct a custom textile in addition to woods finish, I selected a sumptuous velvet—a welcome dose of warmth inward a cool room—in virtually the exact same color every bit my walls.

Next, I began the hunt for a rug. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 classic Oriental carpet would live on the obvious alternative for an older home, but I wanted something a footling to a greater extent than modern. Thus the zebra print. It was meant to be: The carpet was sold out everywhere online, but I constitute the same rug, attain new, on my local Craigslist.

Although the carpet is advertised every bit having gray stripes, they’re genuinely closer to beige. At first, I was concerned—I tend to become matchy-matchy, making certain every popular of color is just the same shade. I decided to override this impulse, selecting the slate-gray curtains (made to await similar dupioni silk) I’d originally had inward mind. To proceed this from looking similar a mistake, I chose a blue-gray tufted velvet sofa—the color picks upwards the mint inward the chairs in addition to the gray inward the curtains, piece the velvet stuff mirrors the textile of the chairs.

I bought a bolt of geometric Schumacher textile on Ebay, in addition to made the throw pillows for the chairs. The fringed gray pillows on the sofa came from Pier One, piece the geometric-print pillows are Vera Wang (a Marshall’s find!). 

I already owned the concluding ii large pieces: a 1940s cabinet every bit my TV stand upwards (a Craigslist purchase from college), in addition to an off-white tufted ottoman I’d purchased at Marshall’s for our previous home.   I added the drinking glass in addition to argent side tabular array for a touching on of modernity, therefore flanked the sofa amongst ii tables inward a dark-wood complete similar to the chairs. The white ceramic lamps—a thrift-store find—mimic the curves of the tables, piece also bringing a sculptural chemical percentage to the space. 

For the longest time, the wall inward a higher identify the couch remained blank—I was uninspired, in addition to didn’t desire to purchase 1 of those generic “paintings” from HomeGoods. I wanted something amongst significance that also made a statement. When I constitute a booth selling vintage postcards at an surface area antique store, I knew I’d constitute my answer—I dug through box afterward box of postcards, searching for twelve that featured places important to our life (e.g. Lehigh University, where Frank got his M.B.A.; the common inward Allentown where I took marriage ceremony photos; a span from my hometown). 

One problem: Postcards are tiny, in addition to my wall is huge. I similar the simplicity of minor pictures amongst large matting, therefore I bought foursquare argent frames from Ikea—another modern element—and matted the postcards ii to a frame. The entire installation damage me nether $100. 

A few meaningful accessories rounded out the room: a coffee-table tray embroidered amongst the courthouse in addition to urban meat hall simply a duet blocks from our house; a argent tea laid from Frank’s aunt; a white ceramic Equus caballus I bought at a marketplace position inward Thailand; in addition to a wooden box Frank purchased inward Egypt. (I similar knick-knacks to direct hold a story, which is why I almost always purchase dwelling decor items when I travel.) 

The concluding effect was just what I wanted: a restful infinite where Asa tin play, Frank in addition to I tin relax in addition to taste a movie, or my friends tin get together for a Bible study. That is, a infinite both beautiful and functional.