A Made-Over Living Room Preens Like a Peacock
Spirited accessories and his-and-her furnishings feather a family’s nest splendidly
When interior decorator Nicole White first met Athalia and Sam, parents of two girls, Emerson and Noa, they were in the middle of moving. All she really had to go on was a vibrant peacock painting and their description of a blue sofa that was buried deep in storage. White loved the painting. “I knew I was going to design the room around it,” she says.
AFTER: White took her clients’ word for it that the sofa was about the same shade of blue as the peacock’s body in the painting. Knowing she was going to go very bright with the accents, she painted the walls Super White by Sherwin-Williams for a crisp backdrop.
The room has the feel of an eclectic menagerie. “This is the world’s funnest couple, and the room wound up being a bit of a circus in a good way,” she says.
In addition to the peacock, this handsome zebra adorns a glass-topped coffee table that has a big gold crocodile on the shelf underneath. Around the room an elephant or two turn up as well. White came across the zebra in a florist’s display case when she was picking up orchids for the photo shoot; Athalia snagged the croc at Z Gallerie.
In addition to the peacock, this handsome zebra adorns a glass-topped coffee table that has a big gold crocodile on the shelf underneath. Around the room an elephant or two turn up as well. White came across the zebra in a florist’s display case when she was picking up orchids for the photo shoot; Athalia snagged the croc at Z Gallerie.
The leather chairs are also a great contrast to the more feminine touches and provide very comfortable man-size seating. “Athalia fell in love with these at first sight; they are stunning and comfy, and they were worth waiting months for,” White says.
Adding strong contrast to the bright white walls are the dark hardwood floors. Having to splurge on new floors was a budgetary surprise; while in the process of sanding and staining the original floors dark, the floor contractors realized there was too much water damage to salvage the original hardwood. Luckily, White knows how to sniff out a great bargain and found these espresso floors at a Lumber Liquidators sale, saving the budget.
DwellStudio Hans Leather Chairs: Dania Design Center; coffee table: Crate & Barrel; sofa: Macy’s (discontinued); Mongolian lamb pillows: West Elm; paint: Extra White SW7006, Sherwin-Williams; peacock painting: Alex Beard
Adding strong contrast to the bright white walls are the dark hardwood floors. Having to splurge on new floors was a budgetary surprise; while in the process of sanding and staining the original floors dark, the floor contractors realized there was too much water damage to salvage the original hardwood. Luckily, White knows how to sniff out a great bargain and found these espresso floors at a Lumber Liquidators sale, saving the budget.
DwellStudio Hans Leather Chairs: Dania Design Center; coffee table: Crate & Barrel; sofa: Macy’s (discontinued); Mongolian lamb pillows: West Elm; paint: Extra White SW7006, Sherwin-Williams; peacock painting: Alex Beard
White also used black accents to provide a sharp contrast to the white and to lend a tailored feel. “Sam’s a secure guy and was comfortable with pink, but I wanted to balance in some masculine with the more feminine items in the room,” she says. “It’s like the room is going to a fun party in a colorful gown, complemented by a man about town in a tailored tuxedo.” The black and white portion is a second striped fabric sewn onto the edges of the window treatments.
Curtains: custom by Titan Decor with fabric from Designer Discount Fabrics
Curtains: custom by Titan Decor with fabric from Designer Discount Fabrics
White stumbled upon the tripod lamp by chance strolling through The Home Depot. She knew the black legs and shade trim would work well with the window treatments, adding another tailored touch. She came across the throw pillows cruising some of her favorite online bargain sites, like Joss & Main and One Kings Lane, as well as Etsy. The chevron pillows’ color palettes downright uncannily match the colors in the peacock painting.
“Honestly, it would have been hard to screw up this job, because Athalia and Sam had an amazing art collection and great pieces, like the sofa and this mirrored buffet,” White says. The couple needed someone to just tie it all together, completing and arranging the scene.
Mirrored buffet: Z Gallerie; blue lamps: The Home Depot
Mirrored buffet: Z Gallerie; blue lamps: The Home Depot
Big entertainers, the clients have a wooden bar set up just off their entry hall facing into the living room (back right). White added the mirror above it to give it a larger presence.
Mirrors and glass, a balance of metal finishes, well-worn looking leather and soft cowhide are just a few of the textures that work together in harmony in the room. The cowhide patchwork rug adds some light color to the dark floors and plays off another cowhide rug in the adjacent foyer.
Cowhide rug: Overstock.com; Clairemont Coffee Table: Crate & Barrel
Cowhide rug: Overstock.com; Clairemont Coffee Table: Crate & Barrel
Using her clients’ existing pieces was important; White worked in their existing side table here. She bought the eclectic hand piece for another client who didn’t like it, but these clients think it makes a great conversation piece and love it as a quirky touch.
The lively color palette flows into the dining room, another room with big dollops of bright color and crisp black and white. Perhaps we’ll take a closer look in a future feature — what do you say?