THE CHALLENGE
Tim Raymond wants to update the 14-by-17-foot living room of his McLean home but is struggling to put all of the pieces together. He wants a comfortable, traditional style for the space, which is used for entertaining, reading and relaxing. The wainscoting and fireplace make the room feel a little more formal than he would prefer, and he needs help choosing lighting, furniture, window treatments, accessories and an area rug. Essentially, everything can go for the sake of creating a brighter and more inviting space.
THE PROPOSED SOLUTION
Designer Dana Tydings adds tables and upholstered seating to create an intimate conversation area. A wallcovering with a subtle but fun pattern relaxes the wainscoting for a more informal feel. She uses upholstery in Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2017, Greenery, as well as orange accessories, to brighten and inject life into the space.
TYDINGS’S SUGGESTIONS
Use a variety of textures on furniture and fabrics to add appeal and depth. Here, that comes from raffia on the chests, a chunky woven wool rug and velvet on the club chairs. A contemporary light on the mantel doubles as a decorative and functional element. Covering the homeowner’s existing chair in fabric to match a new chair unifies the space. Paint the fireplace surround white to eliminate the dark focal point. A neutral sofa, area rug and wallcovering are balanced with colorful accents to keep the space interesting. A tempered blue glass console with a colorful lamp reflects the light from the bay window and acts as a functional backdrop for the sofa. Add a silk palm tree to soften a corner and inject a natural warmth to the space year-round.
Tydings, with Tydings Design (301-417-8711, tydingsdesign.com), is based in Rockville.
SPLURGE OR SAVE
SPLURGE: Natalya chandelier in hand-rubbed antique brass ($4,200, circalighting.com), left. SAVE: Gramercy medium chandelier in gilded iron ($1,008, circalighting.com).
SPLURGE: Haslam lamp in salmon ($435, danagibson.com), left. SAVE: Hardy orange and clear acrylic table lamp ($160, lampsplus.com).
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SHOPPING GUIDE
Furniture: Grace coffee table ($899, frontgate.com); waterfall console in blue ($649, wisteria.com); Essex apartment sofa with casters in natural Ruffin upholstery and black walnut legs ($2,099, crateandbarrel.com); Adele sideboard ($1,499) and Elsie swivel glider club chair in lemongrass Soho velvet ($1,179), both from ballarddesigns.com; Take Flight side table in bronze ($398, anthropologie.com). Accessories: Zayan Meika chunky wool cable 9-by-12-foot area rug ($680, wayfair.com); seven-foot areca silk palm tree ($372, nearlynatural.com); natural woven cordless waterfall shades in Safina ivory (prices vary by size, smithandnoble.com); Equestrian pillow cover in orange ($199, williams-sonoma.com); tall Beaudry mirror in antique brass ($549, ballarddesigns.com); "Beach Umbrellas" wall art ($249, wisteria.com); Lumio book lamp in walnut ($190, dwr.com). Materials: Soho velvet fabric in lemongrass ($40 a yard, ballarddesigns. com); Palm wallpaper in white/sand ($98 a roll, serenaandlily.com).
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