Room of the Day: Time to Feather an Empty Nest
This stylish living room update reflects a couple’s new chapter in life
Nothing was a shambles in this room. It had four walls, some quality furniture and the wallpaper to prove that it had been lovingly decorated, albeit in another era. So when a pair of empty nesters contacted Baltimore designer Elizabeth Reich, it was because they were ready to “take back their house and make it their own” after their two kids went off to school, she says. The living room had become the scene of the couple’s morning retreat with coffee and the paper, but as often happens with the passage of decades, they had simply grown bored and uninspired by the space. Fortunately, turning the page to a new chapter of life affords the perfect occasion to pause, take stock of one’s surroundings and make a change.
The extra molding added “a huge architectural layer for a relatively small expense,” Reich says. She also amplified the room’s grandeur with heightened cased openings and windows decked in Roman shades mounted toward the ceiling.
Comfortable, cozy seating was the primary objective. Since the room functions as a secondary living space (there is a separate family room for TV viewing and entertaining), the design centered around creating a restful retreat.
The shades are neutral so as not to compete with the luscious drapery panels, made from an embroidered fabric that both the client and designer adore. Along with the pillows and ottoman, the draperies were custom-made. “Drapery can be a high-ticket item in a room, especially if you fall in love with a higher-priced embroidered fabric,” Reich says. That fabric was the driving force of the design.
Here’s a closer view of the custom ottoman, with its subtle band of Greek key trim.
Reich and her client discovered throughout the process that they shared a similar design aesthetic.
Both consider these tufted leather armchairs a favorite feature. The chairs are so comfortable that everybody agrees they were worth the four-month wait.
Both consider these tufted leather armchairs a favorite feature. The chairs are so comfortable that everybody agrees they were worth the four-month wait.
The art above the sofa was commissioned for the room by an artist found by the homeowners. Reich specified the scale, and the artist got to work rendering a shadow of the Eiffel Tower for this Francophile family. Painted amid the crowd are the couple’s two daughters, hand in hand, gazing at their favorite landmark.
The grand piano occupies the same corner it always had, but now it’s next to fresh new artwork from Jenkins Baer Associates’ sizable art and decor inventory. The four pieces surrounding the well-lit centerpiece are framed etchings from an old book. It was important that none of the art on the piano wall distracted from the special painting above the sofa, and these pieces contain just the right amount of color.
This living room was part of a larger redecorating project that involved the master bedroom, dining room, office and powder room. The couple had reached a point in their lives when they decided to truly invest in a space that would go the distance, stylistically and functionally. They chose a designer who understood their style, and they approached the project with a sense of balance: If they really loved something, they weren’t afraid to invest in pieces that make a statement, like the stunning embroidered drapery fabric, but they also integrated existing features that already worked well.
See more Rooms of the Day
See more Rooms of the Day
Who lives here: A couple of empty nesters whose daughters recently left for college
Location: Ellicott City, Maryland
Size: About 240 square feet (22.3 square meters)
Designer: Elizabeth Reich of Jenkins Baer Associates
Photographs by: Jamie Sentz
When the couple hired Reich to transform their home, their living room already had a few key assets. The grand piano was there to stay, and the blue velvet sofa and pedestal-style end table were attractive and in great condition. While the tired wallpaper was replaced with a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore paint, the chair rails needed only to be beefed up with additional picture molding, laid right over the drywall.