Room of the Day: Downsized and Upgraded
Designer Kim Macumber’s family room shows that scaling down doesn’t have to mean letting go of style
Bryan Anthony
August 5, 2015
With three of their four children off to college, designer Kim Macumber and her husband, Don, decided it was time to sell their old house and downsize to a comfortable Cape house just down the block. With some clever rearranging, all of Kim’s favorite furniture and accessories found a happy new home — and the family room exemplifies how it all came together.
Family Room at a Glance
Who lives here: Don and Kim Macumber and their 4 children
Location: Sherborn, Massachusetts
Size: About 350 square feet (32.5 square meters)
Designer: Kim Macumber Interiors
Originally from Nashville, Kim has lived in Massachusetts for the past 11 years but says the colder weather is something she doesn’t think she will ever get used to. As a result, she has embraced the layered look to create a sense of warmth. An antique Oriental rug tops a large polypropylene-jute rug that covers nearly the entire floor.
Sofa: Duralee; armchair fabric: Greek key, Thibaut; red bull art: Daniel Maltzman
Who lives here: Don and Kim Macumber and their 4 children
Location: Sherborn, Massachusetts
Size: About 350 square feet (32.5 square meters)
Designer: Kim Macumber Interiors
Originally from Nashville, Kim has lived in Massachusetts for the past 11 years but says the colder weather is something she doesn’t think she will ever get used to. As a result, she has embraced the layered look to create a sense of warmth. An antique Oriental rug tops a large polypropylene-jute rug that covers nearly the entire floor.
Sofa: Duralee; armchair fabric: Greek key, Thibaut; red bull art: Daniel Maltzman
Kim likes to mix high and low items. The three stools under the antique drop-leaf table are a combination of both. The stools were purchased at Target and then re-covered in fabric by Martyn Lawrence Bullard for Schumacher. “We like to build puzzles together as a family, so this table gets a lot of use,” Kim says.
Drop-leaf table: Arhaus; stools: Target, re-covered in fabric by Martyn Lawrence Bullard for Schumacher; curtains: Thomas Paul, Duralee
Discover great drop-leaf tables
Drop-leaf table: Arhaus; stools: Target, re-covered in fabric by Martyn Lawrence Bullard for Schumacher; curtains: Thomas Paul, Duralee
Discover great drop-leaf tables
The living room has bright red lacquered walls with neutral-colored furniture; Kim took the opposite approach in the family room, with off-white walls and boldly colored furniture. The sofa is covered in a navy wide-wale corduroy.
The antique painting above the sofa belonged to Kim’s mother and helped to bring in a subtle Asian influence. The lamp bases on both sides of the sofa are repurposed Chinese tea canisters.
Sofa: Duralee; tiger-print pillows: Jim Thompson
The antique painting above the sofa belonged to Kim’s mother and helped to bring in a subtle Asian influence. The lamp bases on both sides of the sofa are repurposed Chinese tea canisters.
Sofa: Duralee; tiger-print pillows: Jim Thompson
Kim searched a large warehouse in Atlanta full of English antiques to come across the cabinet-desk pictured above. She uses it as a writing spot and display case for collectibles. She purchased the chair for $20; it was once used as an auditorium chair in Poland. “I found it on Craigslist and then drove over an hour to pick it up, but it’s one of my favorite finds,” Kim says.
Secretary: English Classics
Explore dazzling deskscapes
Secretary: English Classics
Explore dazzling deskscapes
While the fireplace is functional, Kim says it’s not often used, so she made it a more decorative space. An antique birdcage and a collection of wood candlesticks topped with green moss balls make for a pretty vignette.
Candlesticks: Arhaus
Candlesticks: Arhaus
An antique demilune table is topped with a bronzed statue, a collection of crystal decanters that Don uses to decant his growing collection of wine and a vase full of purple alliums.
The loving note attached to the decanters was written by Kim to Don many years ago. It reads: “If a kiss was a snowflake, I’d send you a blizzard.”
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The loving note attached to the decanters was written by Kim to Don many years ago. It reads: “If a kiss was a snowflake, I’d send you a blizzard.”
More
Demilune tables that bring elegance
See more Rooms of the Day
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Great colors and design. Nicely designed, but still like a comfy home instead of a showcase.
The home seems so livable! Is there a source for the darling tiger pillows? I sure hope so!
Downsizing and upgrading is a fabulous idea as your children leave home and you can do what you want in your own home. Wonderful design. Love Navy blue couch!