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New looks don’t require new furnishings
One of my favorite decorating assignments is arranging
the clients’ existing furnishings in new and interesting
ways. It is called Interior Redesign. In one day or
less, my partner and I transform the look and feel of
our clients’ rooms by rearranging furniture, re-hanging
art, and re-positioning accessories. It’s amazing
what an objective eye and flair for design can do.
We recently completed an interior redesign for a client’s
living room. When we arrived, all of her furniture was
lined up against the walls, and she didn’t like
her fireplace at all. The fireplace had a mantel-to-ceiling
mirror that she didn’t like, and because it was
in the corner of the room, she had found it challenging
to arrange the furniture around it. She had a lifetime
of collectibles and family photos in the living room,
all of which were special to her. Our challenge was
to improve the look of the fireplace, display her treasures
more effectively, and give her a new furniture arrangement
that would be comfortable for her family and friends.
We began by clearing the room. Then we evaluated the
shape and architecture of the room to determine the
furniture arrangement. Often it works to place the sofa
opposite the architectural focal point, which was the
fireplace in this case. We tried angling the sofa facing
the fireplace, but this time it didn’t work. The
large sofa blocked the flow through the room. After
trying a few more places for the sofa, it became clear
that the fireplace and sofa were not going to work together.
Because the room was large and rectangular, we decided
to create two separate sitting areas—one in front
of the fireplace, and one incorporating the sofa several
feet away. Then the room really began to come together.
We placed two matching wing back chairs facing each
other in front of the fireplace. Between them we placed
a small round table, set with the client’s beautiful
antique tea service. On the hearth, we placed a large
floral arrangement borrowed from the dining room, which
repeated the colors in the tea set and throw pillows.
To camouflage the large mirror above the mantel, we
used a gorgeous floral painting found in the bedroom.
Propped on the mantel, it downplayed the mirror, and
also supported our color scheme. A pair of candlesticks
completed the look. What a delightful place for a cup
of tea.
The sofa became the anchor for another seating area.
We angled it to mimic the angle of fireplace, and placed
an antique chair alongside it. From the sofa, there
was now a clear view of the piano and the fireplace.
Then we arranged all of her lovely accessories. We created
vignettes on the tabletops and piano using her precious
family photos and collectibles. We grouped her figurines
together in a curio cabinet to give them importance.
The best part of the day is seeing our clients’
reactions. She was thrilled with her new room.
This article first appeared in Alameda Newspaper
Group papers on April 2, 2005.
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back to the list of decorating columns.
All articles copyright 2003-2008 Anna
Jacoby.
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