Room of the Day: A Minneapolis Living Room Goes From Dim to Delightful
A Craftsman-style living room gets lightened up, giving a family some space to gather and play
The dark living room of this 1913 Craftsman-style bungalow didn’t reflect the vibrancy of its family. The owners’ three kids have a “running circuit” that begins in the kitchen and courses through the living room. And while the space needed to give the little ones room to play during Minnesota winters, it also needed to provide the family with a comfortable seating area in which to gather. So, as part of a whole house renovation, homeowner and designer Nicole Botsman tackled the living room first, with a goal of turning it into a bright and fun family hangout.
“After” photography by Susan Gilmore
AFTER: Botsman painted the walls white, and refinished and stained the floors a darker brown. Acknowledging that it’s a controversial move, she painted the window and baseboard trim white to help brighten the space. She also added recessed overhead lighting.
The L-shaped layout presented a challenge of creating a family seating area in front of the fireplace while providing ample circulation and comfortable TV viewing. The solution: creating two seating areas — one in front of the fireplace and an adjacent one for watching TV. Mounting the TV on the wall made space for a full-length black leather sofa, a Noguchi-style coffee table and kids who like to run.
A black-trimmed sisal rug helps define the TV seating zone. The sofa cushions are regularly pulled off for fort-making, but Botsman says she’s found the leather to be pretty indestructible.
A black leather chaise bridges the TV and fireplace areas, keeping both spaces from feeling cut off. A toy basket under the chaise allows for easy access and a swift cleanup.
Because they already owned the sofa and chaise, Botsman was able to have more fun with accessories. She kept the color scheme a simple black and white but enjoyed bringing in orange with the throw pillows and velvet chairs.
The Roman shades — white with a black trim — are one of Botsman’s favorite details. While providing privacy, they’re inside-mounted and don’t detract from the window trim.
Wall paint: Seapearl OC-19, Benjamin Moore; trim: White Dove OC-17, Benjamin Moore; chairs: Room & Board; small sofa pillow: AriannaBelle on Etsy; large sofa pillow fabric: Vientiane Ikat, Schumacher; coffee table, chairs and chaise pillows: Room & Board; Roman shades: DBJ Design House
AFTER: Botsman painted the walls white, and refinished and stained the floors a darker brown. Acknowledging that it’s a controversial move, she painted the window and baseboard trim white to help brighten the space. She also added recessed overhead lighting.
The L-shaped layout presented a challenge of creating a family seating area in front of the fireplace while providing ample circulation and comfortable TV viewing. The solution: creating two seating areas — one in front of the fireplace and an adjacent one for watching TV. Mounting the TV on the wall made space for a full-length black leather sofa, a Noguchi-style coffee table and kids who like to run.
A black-trimmed sisal rug helps define the TV seating zone. The sofa cushions are regularly pulled off for fort-making, but Botsman says she’s found the leather to be pretty indestructible.
A black leather chaise bridges the TV and fireplace areas, keeping both spaces from feeling cut off. A toy basket under the chaise allows for easy access and a swift cleanup.
Because they already owned the sofa and chaise, Botsman was able to have more fun with accessories. She kept the color scheme a simple black and white but enjoyed bringing in orange with the throw pillows and velvet chairs.
The Roman shades — white with a black trim — are one of Botsman’s favorite details. While providing privacy, they’re inside-mounted and don’t detract from the window trim.
Wall paint: Seapearl OC-19, Benjamin Moore; trim: White Dove OC-17, Benjamin Moore; chairs: Room & Board; small sofa pillow: AriannaBelle on Etsy; large sofa pillow fabric: Vientiane Ikat, Schumacher; coffee table, chairs and chaise pillows: Room & Board; Roman shades: DBJ Design House
BEFORE: The brick on the fireplace surround was covered with beige paint. A gray potbelly stove stuck out of the firebox.
AFTER: Botsman replaced the stove with a sleek, flush fireplace insert. She also removed the doors on the built-in bookcases flanking the fireplace. The mirror-backed shelving reflects quite a bit of light into the space, so that stayed intact.
Marble slabs repurposed from one of Minneapolis’ historic banks now cover the brick surround. Chalkboard paint left over from decorating the playroom coats the wall above the mantel.
The lower bookshelves hold books for the kids, who often hang out right here on the floor.
Lumbar pillow: Anthropologie; round mirror and side table: Room & Board
Marble slabs repurposed from one of Minneapolis’ historic banks now cover the brick surround. Chalkboard paint left over from decorating the playroom coats the wall above the mantel.
The lower bookshelves hold books for the kids, who often hang out right here on the floor.
Lumbar pillow: Anthropologie; round mirror and side table: Room & Board
Key architectural components like the fireplace mantel and door casings were left unpainted.
Across from the fireplace, a sideboard followed the Botsmans to the U.S. from Australia, where the designer grew up. “My husband’s father was a dentist, and this is an old dentists dresser,” she says. The top drawers have grooved slots to hold dental tools. They had it refinished and restored by a local furniture expert.
Two round storage ottomans from Target provide extra seating. “They were very cheap and I didn’t like the fabric, so I had them reupholstered in a fabric I found on Spoonflower,” she says.
Botsman made the six-piece canvas painting assemblage above the sideboard, as well as the spotted art piece seen on the mantel in the previous photo. The pieces are examples of her “high-low” mix: The art was an inexpensive DIY, but the framing was custom.
Across from the fireplace, a sideboard followed the Botsmans to the U.S. from Australia, where the designer grew up. “My husband’s father was a dentist, and this is an old dentists dresser,” she says. The top drawers have grooved slots to hold dental tools. They had it refinished and restored by a local furniture expert.
Two round storage ottomans from Target provide extra seating. “They were very cheap and I didn’t like the fabric, so I had them reupholstered in a fabric I found on Spoonflower,” she says.
Botsman made the six-piece canvas painting assemblage above the sideboard, as well as the spotted art piece seen on the mantel in the previous photo. The pieces are examples of her “high-low” mix: The art was an inexpensive DIY, but the framing was custom.
The kids know that the bottom shelves are theirs and leave most of the pieces on the other shelves alone, Botsman says.
Botsman found the fun bronze hands and suzani-patterned canisters at Vivid Interior Design, a local studio and boutique.
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Who lives here: Designer Nicole Botsman of Dezaar Interiors; her husband, Luc, a marketing executive; and their three children, ages 3, 4 and 6
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 322 square feet (29.9 square meters)
BEFORE: The room had dull beige walls, dark window and baseboard trim, and orangey floors.