Room of the Day: Formal and Family-Friendly on the Parlor Floor
A historic Brooklyn brownstone mixes traditional and modern, formal and comfortable — and lots of color
Becky Harris
March 14, 2016
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Parlor floors in Brooklyn’s tony Cobble Hill neighborhood are first-impression makers, and this one lets everyone know this family is fearless about color, loves its sentimental heirlooms and appreciates both historic buildings and modern art. “These parlors are usually formal, but my clients also wanted it to be a place where they could enjoy staying in every night,” interior designer Courtney McLeod says.
Photos by John Dolan Photography
Room at a Glance
What happens here: A couple and their young daughter lounge, hang out with friends, play on the floor and watch TV together
Location: Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 800 square feet (74 square meters)
Designer: Courtney McLeod, Right Meets Left Design
“This was a really fun project for a cool, young family,” designer Courtney McLeod says. “The parlor level is usually the prettiest and most formal floor in these brownstones, but while my clients wanted something formal, they didn’t want it to be some space they never used.” Because the home had undergone a modern renovation before the couple bought it, historical details had been wiped out and the space felt cold. They wanted to bring back tradition and warmth.
A few of the couple’s favorite things, including a colorful abstract painting and the painted armoire seen here — a family heirloom — helped the designer determine the lively color palette. “Using the primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — is what gives this room such a happy, playfully elegant feel,” she says.
McLeod also helped the couple find some design compromises. He loves midcentury modern while she loves a new traditional look, and combining the styles created interesting juxtapositions throughout the space.
Case in point: McLeod shopped the house for some of the pieces, grabbing the antique roll-top desk and Eames shell chair from different rooms and pairing them. “This is a great example of the compromises we made between her traditional and his midcentury styles,” she says. She also used rugs from the couple’s collection, tying them together via a repeating diamond pattern.
While he wanted the practicality of ceiling fans and she wanted chandeliers, the breeze won out.
When I mentioned to McLeod that if this room had a large crystal chandelier in the center I would swear it was a parlor in New Orleans, she laughed and said, “I’m from New Orleans!”
Room at a Glance
What happens here: A couple and their young daughter lounge, hang out with friends, play on the floor and watch TV together
Location: Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York
Size: 800 square feet (74 square meters)
Designer: Courtney McLeod, Right Meets Left Design
“This was a really fun project for a cool, young family,” designer Courtney McLeod says. “The parlor level is usually the prettiest and most formal floor in these brownstones, but while my clients wanted something formal, they didn’t want it to be some space they never used.” Because the home had undergone a modern renovation before the couple bought it, historical details had been wiped out and the space felt cold. They wanted to bring back tradition and warmth.
A few of the couple’s favorite things, including a colorful abstract painting and the painted armoire seen here — a family heirloom — helped the designer determine the lively color palette. “Using the primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — is what gives this room such a happy, playfully elegant feel,” she says.
McLeod also helped the couple find some design compromises. He loves midcentury modern while she loves a new traditional look, and combining the styles created interesting juxtapositions throughout the space.
Case in point: McLeod shopped the house for some of the pieces, grabbing the antique roll-top desk and Eames shell chair from different rooms and pairing them. “This is a great example of the compromises we made between her traditional and his midcentury styles,” she says. She also used rugs from the couple’s collection, tying them together via a repeating diamond pattern.
While he wanted the practicality of ceiling fans and she wanted chandeliers, the breeze won out.
When I mentioned to McLeod that if this room had a large crystal chandelier in the center I would swear it was a parlor in New Orleans, she laughed and said, “I’m from New Orleans!”
The designer divvied up the long parlor floor into three distinct spaces. This portion she left open for entertaining and for kids to roll around in. It features an iconic Brooklyn brownstone detail: a marble fireplace. She scored the surround from another brownstone remodel nearby and had it and the black insert refurbished. While it’s not operable, it provides an elegant focal point.
The mirror is just the right size for the space and adds a glamorous touch befitting its place next to the armoire. “Both pieces are exotic but you can’t quite place them,” McLeod says. “The mirror is kind of Greek key, kind of chinoiserie, and it adds some sparkle to the space.”
The mirror is just the right size for the space and adds a glamorous touch befitting its place next to the armoire. “Both pieces are exotic but you can’t quite place them,” McLeod says. “The mirror is kind of Greek key, kind of chinoiserie, and it adds some sparkle to the space.”
The second area is in the center of the space — a formal seating area for entertaining, marked by a favorite abstract painting of the couple’s. McLeod chose a soft cream rug for this area. “I brought in a neutral rug here to differentiate it from the rest of the space; I also felt the bold blue and yellow in the upholstery and the red in the artwork would really shine against a lighter background,” she says. The rug has a smaller-scale, more subtle diamond pattern woven into it.
The deep cobalt blue sofa picks up on colors in the painting. McLeod found the secondhand sofa online and had it restuffed and reupholstered in the brilliant velvet. “It’s such a strong, deep color, yet it’s soothing and not overpowering,” she says.
Photo by Courtney McLeod
The deep cobalt blue sofa picks up on colors in the painting. McLeod found the secondhand sofa online and had it restuffed and reupholstered in the brilliant velvet. “It’s such a strong, deep color, yet it’s soothing and not overpowering,” she says.
Photo by Courtney McLeod
A bit of that hoped-for chandelier arrived in the form of a yellow Italian glass midcentury fixture in the entry area. Another yellow piece, the daybed, bridges the gap between spaces. Its low profile eases the flow, and its color ties into the armoire and the abstract painting.
The daybed is another melding of his and her styles. While the tufting and style are more traditional, the tweedy yellow upholstery nods to midcentury modern. “It’s so much fun to see them using it — he’s really tall and loves to just lounge across the whole thing,” McLeod says.
The daybed is another melding of his and her styles. While the tufting and style are more traditional, the tweedy yellow upholstery nods to midcentury modern. “It’s so much fun to see them using it — he’s really tall and loves to just lounge across the whole thing,” McLeod says.
The sofa and chaise center around this coffee table. “The table is great because it has weight but it’s clear,” McLeod says. “Also, they can change up the look by switching out what they display inside.”
The credenza has a midcentury look but is new; it floats elegantly atop slender legs. The magazine rack on the right is a vintage piece by iconic midcentury modern French designer Jacques Adnet. “It brought in that style and a little bit of black and leather,” the designer says. The crystal set is another family heirloom.
The credenza has a midcentury look but is new; it floats elegantly atop slender legs. The magazine rack on the right is a vintage piece by iconic midcentury modern French designer Jacques Adnet. “It brought in that style and a little bit of black and leather,” the designer says. The crystal set is another family heirloom.
McLeod was excited that her clients went for the historic “Strawberry Thief” William Morris fabric on the throw pillow. “It’s perfect — it brings in a historic print from the 1880s and it has just the right colors and a lot of movement — it’s a great juxtaposition next to the art,” McLeod says.
Cane chair and floor lamp: Global Views; credenza: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; coffee table (similar): Aron square coffee table, Focus One Home
Cane chair and floor lamp: Global Views; credenza: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; coffee table (similar): Aron square coffee table, Focus One Home
The last and most casual portion of the space is the TV lounge. The designer worked with her clients’ existing sectional sofa, bringing in the color and warmth they love via a mix of prints, including the William Morris, a crewelwork fabric from Kravet and some off-the-shelf geometric pillows. She also added a bunch of throws for cozying up and their daughter’s little piano for lounge performances. A Barcelona chair brings in another midcentury modern piece and adds leather to the texture palette in here.
McLeod also found a way to use modern fans and still get in some sparkly chandeliers. The twin pendants were a great score from Pottery Barn that draw the eye out to the couple’s beautiful backyard.
The key to such an exuberant mix? “You have to have a plan but also a little bit of serendipity,” McLeod says. “You have to know where to mix and when to stop.”
I would add that there must be something in the water that makes designers from New Orleans able to mix colors, textures and styles with such flair.
More
Decorating 101: How to Start a Decorating Project
How to Plan a Just-Right Living Room Layout
McLeod also found a way to use modern fans and still get in some sparkly chandeliers. The twin pendants were a great score from Pottery Barn that draw the eye out to the couple’s beautiful backyard.
The key to such an exuberant mix? “You have to have a plan but also a little bit of serendipity,” McLeod says. “You have to know where to mix and when to stop.”
I would add that there must be something in the water that makes designers from New Orleans able to mix colors, textures and styles with such flair.
More
Decorating 101: How to Start a Decorating Project
How to Plan a Just-Right Living Room Layout
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Nice use of colour yet not too over the top. There is a calm feeling within the decor
The use of Mid Century furniture gives the space great character along with the juxtaposition of modern items gives a great sense of style.
Great lines and detail of the cane back chair. Wonderful jewel in this space.