Room of the Day: Football, Work and Rock-and-Roll
Moody walls, mixed metals, faux croc and Mick Jagger all play a part in this deliciously dark and loungy den
She loves the Rolling Stones, and he loves the look of John Varvatos boutiques. And they wanted to change their family room but weren’t sure where to start. This San Francisco Bay Area couple knew they wanted a design that would push their boundaries, and that’s where interior designer Lindsay Pincus came in. She took inspiration from the rock band and the signature aesthetic of the shops and painted it (almost) black, flipped around the furniture plan, included a wall of rock photographs and created a livable, comfortable room with rock-star style.
AFTER: Smartly placed in the corner, a tufted black faux-croc sectional sofa with brass nailheads is now the star of the room. A leather butterfly chair mixes in a casual midcentury modern touch. The glass coffee table provides a good spot for favorite rock monographs and memoirs.
The couple had a midtone gray paint color in mind, but they had hired a designer to push their boundaries. Indeed she did, pushing the gray to the edge of black. “It’s funny: The original white felt so bare and cold, while the dark moody paint actually feels warmer…. She works from home in here sometimes, and the colors and textures give her that cozy library feeling,” Pincus says. The paint’s very matte, almost chalk-like finish was key.
The designer took the rest of her color cues from the Persian rug, adding golden drapes, a red bar cabinet and a mix of throw pillows to add warmth and color. Overhead a Sputnik chandelier draws the eye up and adds bronze to the metal mix.
The couple already had the collection of rock photography, which Pincus arranged into a gallery wall. Of course, Mick Jagger gets star billing in the arrangement.
Coffee table: West Elm; Sputnik chandelier: H.D. Buttercup
The couple had a midtone gray paint color in mind, but they had hired a designer to push their boundaries. Indeed she did, pushing the gray to the edge of black. “It’s funny: The original white felt so bare and cold, while the dark moody paint actually feels warmer…. She works from home in here sometimes, and the colors and textures give her that cozy library feeling,” Pincus says. The paint’s very matte, almost chalk-like finish was key.
The designer took the rest of her color cues from the Persian rug, adding golden drapes, a red bar cabinet and a mix of throw pillows to add warmth and color. Overhead a Sputnik chandelier draws the eye up and adds bronze to the metal mix.
The couple already had the collection of rock photography, which Pincus arranged into a gallery wall. Of course, Mick Jagger gets star billing in the arrangement.
Coffee table: West Elm; Sputnik chandelier: H.D. Buttercup
The cabinet is a vintage Etsy find, which Pincus had the seller refinish in red lacquer and outfit with antique brass knobs. As it turned out, the perfect paint color choice was called Chili Pepper. “We realized what a funny coincidence this name was to another rock-and-roll connection,” she says, “so we named this furniture piece Anthony,” after Anthony Kiedis, lead singer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Almost Black (walls); Chili Pepper (cabinet); Abate mirror: Anthropologie; vase: Pottery Barn; rhino heads: clients’ own
Paint by Benjamin Moore: Almost Black (walls); Chili Pepper (cabinet); Abate mirror: Anthropologie; vase: Pottery Barn; rhino heads: clients’ own
Anthony serves as a liquor cabinet, and when the couple is entertaining, as a bar. (The vase is wearing a macramé dress, so it’s leaning a little more Stevie Nicks or Coachella.) An antique brass mirror adds a striking focal point overhead.
In addition to the rock-and-roll theme, Pincus had the 49ers’ signature crimson and gold helmets pushed way to the back of her mind, yet on it still. “I would never design around a football team’s colors, but golds, brass and reds are a very subtle nod to his beloved team,” she says.
Love black? Here are 11 reasons to paint your interior doors black
In addition to the rock-and-roll theme, Pincus had the 49ers’ signature crimson and gold helmets pushed way to the back of her mind, yet on it still. “I would never design around a football team’s colors, but golds, brass and reds are a very subtle nod to his beloved team,” she says.
Love black? Here are 11 reasons to paint your interior doors black
Houzz at a Glance
What happens here: A young couple watches TV, reads, works from home, enjoys cocktails, entertains friends and roots for the San Francisco 49ers
Location: Oakland Hills, California
Size: 300 square feet (27.8 square meters)
Designer: Lindsay Pincus
BEFORE: The new spec house’s family room was a white box staged for sale. The room was sun-filled but somehow managed to feel cold. Additionally, the stager’s furniture plan had the homeowners stuck in a rut, and they couldn’t figure out how to arrange it in a different way.
“The first thing I did was flip the furniture around in my spatial plan to make better use of the space and the walls,” Pincus says. “He wanted a huge sectional with room for his friends when they came over to watch 49ers games.”