Thank you for the great response to my new approach to these Making it Yours posts! I love sharing a bit more about the thought process behind the designs.
The last post was pretty girly and young, and this time we’re going a bit more grownup, a bit more neutral. Well, as neutral as one can get with a pink rug as the foundation, but I’m going to show an alternative color scheme at the end. This is going to be a living room, so with the rug already chosen (since we’re seeing it in three looks), the next big choice is the sofa. Sometimes I know exactly which piece I’ll be incorporating, and sometimes I have to look around a bit. In this case, I immediately thought of the latest sofa from Interior Define, designed by Maxwell of Apartment Therapy.
The walls are going to be painted either in Clunch or Dimity, both by Farrow & Ball (I’m considering both for a project I’m working on right now, so the colors are top of mind). Between the pink rug, pale walls, and the beige sofa, it’s all very light. We need a little depth and contrast in the form of dark finishes, maybe leather or velvet, and wood. How about a big display cabinet, or maybe a wall of bookshelves to start?
DARK CABINETS AND SHELVING: Chelsea Display Cabinet • Tuscan Flush Bookcases • St. James Armoire • Geometric Double Door Cabinet • Soft Metal Industrial Cabinet
It’s probably going to be the chelsea display cabinet or the geometric double door cabinet (both hit the right mix of modern and traditional), but I won’t decide for sure until everything else comes together.
Now chairs. A matching pair or two different styles? Maybe one upholstered (good way to introduce leather and/or color), and one wood? Gotta see what’s out there and what works. Maybe one pricier option and one more affordable — I try to mixup the price points as I would in my own home.
I started by looking for slim-profiled dark leather chairs with metal bases. These are a nod to the lines of the SAIC sling nightstand in the bedroom.
SLIM METAL-BASE CHAIRS: Barcelona Chair • Cue Chair with Brass Legs (velvet) • Borough Leather Chair • Milo Leather Chair • Major Leather Chair w/ Polished Brass • Mellby Leather Chair
My favorite of the bunch for this room was the cue chair with brass legs. It’s the only non-leather chair of the bunch but it fits stylistically, and because it’s fabric, it’s a bit more affordable than most of the others. I think wood is out for the other chair now; these need something more plush. And what color? Pink, bien sûr. Maybe a wingback, or something with tufting? It needs to be different in shape from the other upholstered pieces, and a bit larger in scale than the cue chairs.
PINK CHAIRS (numbered, so we can discuss)
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Tom Dixon Pink Wingback Chair
So cool! So tall! Too tall? -
Linen Gwinnette Chair
This is a good option. I like the tufting that’s not present anywhere else. On the traditional side, but that could work depending on what else ends up in the design. -
Bliss Down-Filled Chair-and-a-Half
I like the envelope styling of the cushions, but this is a bit too wide and low for the room. -
Thompson Wing Chair, Blush
Kind of feminine — a good balance to the masculine chairs. -
Linen Astrid Chair
Maybe too feminine? It’s a contender though. I bought this chair ten years ago in an orange/red pattern. Sometimes I still wish I had it. -
Belgian Chair, Blush
Subtle reference of the sofa arms, but not an exact match (that’s a good thing). Nailhead detailing is a plus, as is the traditional lines. -
Söderhamn Light Pink Chair
Great price ($330), but a little too flat and lean for my liking here. -
Linen Glenlee Chair, Wilcox
The rolled arms are too similar to the sofa’s pared back version of the same style. -
Saba Powder Pink Amélie Swivel Chair
A little deco. I’m into it.
Screen shot! Here’s what I’m looking at as I write this. (The post is coming together stream-of-consciousness style. It’s different for me, but I’m enjoying it! Also, we’re at the point where I want to chuck all of my furniture and do this in my house. Happens just about every time — I’ve gotten good at ignoring it.)
The rug, sofa, and black chair are staying. I think the geometric cabinet is staying. For chairs, I’m thinking #2, 4, 5, 6, or 9. Let’s look for a coffee table, shall we? Not brass — too on-the-nose with the brass chair legs. Wood, or maybe lucite? OK, found what I wanted without too much searching: the Boom Coffee Table has a nice wood tone, and the chunky/blocky shape is nice against the spindly legs of the chair and the turned legs of the sofa. A little gold accent table for next to the pink chair would be good with it.
Boom Coffee Table • Ellison Side Table
I had been thinking I would bring back one of the white table lamps from last time, but now I think a floor lamp would be the better choice, and I know just the one. Time to pull this all together!
OK, and just because it’s so simple to change this out, let’s take a look with a different color scheme. Everything is the same except for the rug and the color of one chair. Funny how color changes things so much, eh?
IDENTICAL, EXCEPT: 3. Thompson Wing Chair, Gold, Serena & Lily • 10. Taza Hand-Knotted Jute Rug, Dash & Albert
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