Room of the Day: Multipurpose Space Grows Up for a Young Family
A designer revamps a New York living-dining room with light colors, flexible furnishings and sophisticated childproofing
This couple was ready for their home to grow up and grow with their family. After bidding on a design consultation at a charity auction, they met interior designer Nicole Gibbons, who had donated her services, and the design sparks flew. The project stretched way beyond the two-hour consultation they’d won — Gibbons wound up redesigning a good portion of their Upper West Side apartment, including this living-dining space. She lightened things up, adding a range of beautiful colors and textures. And though she created a style that’s sophisticated, she also made sure the room would be safe and comfortable for the couple’s 3-year-old son and the baby on the way.
Interior designer Nicole Gibbons worked with the homeowners to find the style and colors they liked, discovering that they were drawn to bold blues like teal. She lightened the walls to take advantage of the strong natural light. In fact, the apartment is so bright that no flash was used for these photos, and the rug and walls are a little darker than they appear here — both are soft gray.
Open armchairs upholstered in a deep teal velvet help keep the airy feeling. “The family loves to entertain, and they also wanted the furniture to be easy to move to the edges of the room so the floor would be open for the kids to play,” Gibbons says. Likewise, the side tables are somewhat open, but also have a handy drawer for storage.
A striking abstract painting creates a focal point and draws the eye up. “It’s very bold and a statement piece,” the designer says. Beautiful linen window treatments add more softness and pattern from floor to ceiling.
Wall color: Nimbus, Benjamin Moore; window treatment fabric: Kravet
Open armchairs upholstered in a deep teal velvet help keep the airy feeling. “The family loves to entertain, and they also wanted the furniture to be easy to move to the edges of the room so the floor would be open for the kids to play,” Gibbons says. Likewise, the side tables are somewhat open, but also have a handy drawer for storage.
A striking abstract painting creates a focal point and draws the eye up. “It’s very bold and a statement piece,” the designer says. Beautiful linen window treatments add more softness and pattern from floor to ceiling.
Wall color: Nimbus, Benjamin Moore; window treatment fabric: Kravet
Because they had a baby on the way who would soon be crawling, the couple wanted carpeting that was almost wall-to-wall in the living-dining space. Since the apartment has beautiful herringbone hardwood floors, Gibbons left a 10-inch border around the room. “Eight to 12 inches works well when planning a rug like this — it just depends on the room and the layout,” she says.
Gibbons chose a soft, easy-to-clean wool rug with silver metallic threads woven through it. In fact, she made sure everything would stand up to plenty of abuse by finishing all the fabrics with various stain-proofing treatments. The ottoman looks like leather but is a high-quality vinyl that’s a cinch to wipe down.
Painting: Malta Abstract Series: Zoe Bios Creative; chairs: Robert Allen, upholstered in a velvet by Fabricut; sofa: custom
Gibbons chose a soft, easy-to-clean wool rug with silver metallic threads woven through it. In fact, she made sure everything would stand up to plenty of abuse by finishing all the fabrics with various stain-proofing treatments. The ottoman looks like leather but is a high-quality vinyl that’s a cinch to wipe down.
Painting: Malta Abstract Series: Zoe Bios Creative; chairs: Robert Allen, upholstered in a velvet by Fabricut; sofa: custom
Gibbons accomplished sophisticated childproofing by keeping everything soft and curved without hard edges. For example, the upholstered ottoman serves as the coffee table, and round side tables flank the sofa.
Side table: Vanguard; lamps: Arteriors
Side table: Vanguard; lamps: Arteriors
Adding a tray is an easy way to switch an ottoman from footrest/extra seating/jungle gym mode to coffee table mode. It’s also easy to move out of the way when the kids want to play.
Gibbons kept the couple’s dining table but dressed it up with new chairs upholstered in high-performance ultrasuede. The glass top maintains the open feeling. She replaced the armoire with a light-colored buffet and sophisticated mirror.
Chairs: Lee Industries, upholstered in a Lee Jofa ultrasuede fabric
Chairs: Lee Industries, upholstered in a Lee Jofa ultrasuede fabric
The buffet provides ample storage and serving surface. The mirror reflects the light and makes the space feel more open. The clean lines, silver leaf on the frame and panes on the mirror make it an interesting transitional piece. “This is not your grandmother’s mirror,” Gibbons says. Note the way another chic tray corrals the supplies for a full bar.
By the time Gibbons was done, the family had grown from three to four, and their home was ready for the action.
Browse more Rooms of the Day
By the time Gibbons was done, the family had grown from three to four, and their home was ready for the action.
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Living-Dining Room at a Glance
What happens here: Playing, crawling, eating, entertaining, lounging
Location: New York, New York
Size: 242 square feet (22.5 square meters)
BEFORE: The room had a large, blocky sectional sofa that was a space hog. There was no storage and the furniture was too heavy to move around. The walls and the sofa were practically the same shade of brown and made the room feel dark, even with all the natural light it gets. (This photo was taken in the evening.) Having only an area rug meant that the couple’s 3-year-old son was often crawling on hardwood floors.