Friday, January 17, 2014

Project Glam Kitchen: Furniture and the Family Room

A key factor in planning the addition was ensuring I could create a family room zone for TV watching, lounging and more. It needed to be comfortable and durable enough for kicking back with kids, but still retain my signature glamorous design sense.

waks family room

My husband and I did not see eye to eye on my sofa choice from our apartment which had a tight back, high rolled arms and tufting, so I was determined to give him a cozy sectional that he couldn’t complain about this time around. I went the custom route so I could personalize the design, including a double row of brass nailheads on the top perimeter to down-wrapped seat and back cushions for optimum comfort. For the fabric, I chose Maxwell Fabric’s Soul Mate in Indigo, a rich sapphire-hued polyester chenille that is soft to the touch but can be spot cleaned easily as well. Going with the navy definitely was a departure from the expected black and white, and I love how it gives the room a sense of regal boldness.

button tuft

My tuxedo chair from the apartment makes an appearance here and it pairs perfectly with the sectional thanks to equally sophisticated details like the black velvet contrast welting and button tufting. Both the chair, breakfast banquette and bar stools are upholstered in faux-leathers from Maxwell Fabrics (Platinum in Oyster for the tuxedo chair and Big Horn in Ebony for the banquette and bar stools), so I don’t have to worry about staining.

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I pulled in the red accents from the kitchen by choosing Kravet’s Reva in Rio, a red croc-embossed vinyl, for the upholstered ottoman that is super durable and different from the other vinyls, thanks to its exotic texture. I chose an ottoman design with a shelf underneath so I could have an extra surface to stash beautiful books and magazines, which tend to pile up quickly in my house. To tie in the red and blue with the black and white, I layered toss cushions that introduced some of my favourite patterns, such as one of my all time fave florals: Designer’s Guild Orangerie through Primavera and a graphic multi-textured stripe: Schumacher’s Leather Stripe in Jet through Bilbrough.

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To ground it all, I wanted a wool rug that was cushy underfoot, but I needed a pattern that would also be forgiving for life with kittens and kiddies and small scale enough not to overwhelm the other patterns. This cheetah stripe broadloom I ordered from Reznick Carpets complemented the golden finishes throughout the addition perfectly and it looks very sharp bordered in black faux-leather.

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The vintage bamboo side table was found while on an antiquing excursion in Palm Beach. I snapped it up because its proportions were perfect for the sectional’s depth and I loved how it referenced the chinoiserie breakfast chairs. I had Tim at Beresford Inc. spray over the original cerused wood finish in a glossy black lacquer and kept the antiqued mirror top, which hides scratches excellently.

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For accent lighting, a classic ivory double gourd table lamp from Robert Abbey with brass detailing harmonizes with the timeless library sconces from Circa Lighting. The sconces help designate the family room area from the breakfast area and the modern pansy prints by Natural Curiosities hung in between them look like they were made for the space. Pansies are one of my fave flowers (they featured heavily at my Bat-Mitzvah luncheon circa 1997), so I ordered these prints a year in advance without even knowing where they’d be hung. Pansies + black + white + gold leaf = no brainer.

(top photo: Stacey Brandford)

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