2nd and Strand

Lauren would like help adding some finishing touches to her living room. She already has the main pieces of furniture: a couch, rug, coffee table, side table, and small bookcase used as a media console. It's a great room, right? Look at those amazingly big windows that stretch along that side of the wall into the dining space. And come on, an actual wood burning fireplace? I bet that will be her favorite thing about the apartment in the winter.

Lauren is off to an amazing start with her living room, she would just like it to feel more complete. The main piece of furniture she still wants is a accent chair. She would also like the space to feel a little more colorful and fun.

Here are individual images of what she already has in her space - 

One of the colors in her kitchen (which is off the living room) is yellow, so we thought bringing the yellow out of the rug as the main accent color would be a nice idea to tie the spaces together, especially since yellow is one of Lauren's favorite colors.

Here are some basic things I would add to the space- 

Sources and explanations- 

Sofa - main seating for the room.
Tuscan Alfombras Cream Rug- to anchor the space. All the color inspiration came from here.
Geometric side table - to go on the left side of the couch (in between the couch and chair).
Coffee Table - wicker baskets were added for dvd storage.
Upholstered chair - to go perpendicular to the left side of the couch to add more seating.
Ikat lumbar pillow - to go on the yellow side chair. I wanted to make sure colors were tied in together so this pillow does the trick with having blue (rug), white (coffee table) and tan (couch).
Orange round pintuck pillow - for the couch. I wanted to add a different shape and texture to the pillow group.
Ikat chevron pillow - for the couch. To go behind the round orange pillow.
Yellow and white medallion pillow - to go on the couch on the far side from the chair (right hand side).
Dip-Dye pillow - to go on the right side of the couch behind the yellow pillow.
Tibetan Cloud Ceramic Stool - to go on the right side of the couch. I really love this piece and love the whimsical interesting feature it would add to the room. But looks aside, this will be great as either a side table to place a book or drink, or can be an extra seating option if needed. It will also help balance out the room.

-Megan

**If you'd like to submit a question to our 2nd Opinion segment (it can be as big as a room or as small as a lamp... whatever question you have, we'll help you out!) click the button below. We'd love to hear from you.**

I have three small children, yep three.  They are delightfully messy creatures who are often too wrapped up in their own little worlds to remember to put things back where they belong, or to notice when they knock something over etc.  They are just the way they should be!  I however am a compulsive neat freak.  How do we get along?  Well, they're teaching me to not care too much about order, and hopefully they will be successful, responsible adults in about fifteen years - I"m choosing to take the long view!  As I was carry another load of "stuff" from one room back to where the "stuff" actually belongs I noticed something.   There is one corner of my house that is usually mess free.   

The kids rarely sit in this chair, and the top of this storage piece is too tall for them to see; so they leave it alone!  I'm going to consider this corner, mine, and look at it more often when I'm feeling frenzied.  I like this corner because it's a lot of my favorite colors; blue, gray, yellow.  Lovely.  I also like it because of the layering of pattern.  Chevron, large scale modern damask, and the geometric print on the candle.  And the books underneath the metal bowl, those are mine too.  Yep, I'm feeling calmer already :)

Do you have a space that is yours?  How does it work for you?  

                                                                                                                                   -Andrea

We've talked about wood paneling on 2nd and Strand before, here.  On today's Design Therapy we get to see inside a readers home to see how she implemented wood paneling in her family room.  Reader Natalie sent in some great before and after shots of her room.  Not only did she and her husband add some great color to the walls, but the plate rail her husband installed is truly inspiring.   The picture below was taken during their paint color picking debate.  Picking a paint color is a true challenge, for anybody.  I'm happy to see that Natalie did all the necessary leg work to make a great choice!

This is a great family as it already had crown molding, good light, nice furniture, and plenty of seating.  But Natalie knew she could do more with the space.  I really like the improvements she and her husband, Nick, made.  

Impressive right?  My two favorite parts are the contrast between the white wainscoting and the dark armoire and sofa, and the addition of the plate rail.  I think the decorative molding makes the room feel bigger and really draws your eye up the wall.  What a great place to display artwork and other meaningful accessories.   I also really like how the white space allowed them to go darker on the wall paint, but that the whole room feels bigger and brighter in the process.  

Thanks for sharing your Design Therapy with us Natalie!  It looks fantastic and with such classic choices it will look fantastic for a long time!

                                                                                                                                -Andrea

We'd love to feature your home on 2nd and Strand.  Click on the button below to send us info on how you've improved your space.

Jillian, my lifelong friend, would like a 2nd Opinion for her living room. She moved into an apartment with a new roommate, and is at a place in her life where she wants her home to feel more cohesive than what's typically found with shared living spaces.

Below is a picture of her living room taken from behind the island in her kitchen, which gives you a good overall view of the room. The items in the middle of the room (the desk, bin, banquet, lamps) will be moved to different areas of their apartment, but the couch, trunk (under the left window) and bookcase will stay put. 

Jillian loves the idea of an orange living room. She would also like to incorporate red because as you can see in the image below, the kitchen has red hanging pendant lights. Since these spaces are open to each other, she'd like make the red seem intentional and bring red into the living room as well, which is a fantastic idea. Since orange and red are both warm colors, we decided to throw some blue in the space to be a neutralizer while highlighting the orange since it's its complementary color (click to see our post about color theory and complementary colors).

The bookcase wall shown below will be the focal point in the room. A TV will be mounted, and Jillian has two original art pieces from Dan Christofferson that will be flanking both sides of the TV. She would also like the wall to be painted an accent color. To make the art stand out in the room, and also to make sure your eyes aren't too strained while watching TV, I would stay away from any overly bright colors. I think a medium toned gray-blue would look great on the wall.

Below is how I would suggest the room be laid out. Jillian wants more seating, so that was the first issue I wanted to address. 

First, I would suggest moving the trunk down the wall towards the bookcase, and put a chaise settee in the corner under the window by the sofa. I thought this would be a nice option to add some shape and interest into the space, but it has a low profile so it won't block the window. How great would it be to read a book relaxed on a chase with the natural light of the window? Or stretched out at night watching TV? Both situations sound great to me. 

Jillian and her roommate wanted an ottoman, so I picked a large square option to fill the room in better.

Next, I wanted to do a smaller scaled chair on the other side of the ottoman (or two if it would fit!) so it doesn't impede your view into the living space. An added perk of this chair option is that its pretty from all angles, since you'll be seeing it from the back in the kitchen, and from the side when you come into the apartment (you'll see when you look below). 

Along with a chair I thought placing two poufs at the other side of the ottoman would be nice (read Andrea's post about why poufs are awesome here). Not only would it create more seating if needed, it also helps extend the furniture towards the right wall to help fill the room and to make it look like a more unified space without blocking the view of the bookcase/TV.

A rug would be great in the room. It would help warm up the space, and since Jillian wanted the main color to be orange, a rug is the perfect opportunity to add that color, texture, and pattern to help liven up the space. A rug will help group the furniture and make everything feel cohesive and planned. And as a side note, orange will also really compliment the wood tone of the floor as well. 

And as a last touch, Jillian would like to change out the plain white drum shade that's hanging from the ceiling, so a new option is a great opportunity to add more interest and pattern to the space.

Here are some items I think would look great in Jillian's space-

Sources -

1. Sofa - Jillian bought off Craigslist.
2. Orange mosaic medallion rug.
3. Navy upholstered ottoman... it would look great with this white or orange tray on the top for accessories, remotes, etc.
3. Red velvet chaise settee.
4. Barrel back chair(s).
5. White leather poufs.
6. Navy blue striped drum shade.
7. Orange pillow for the sofa.
8. Red ikat pillow set for the sofa.
9. Orange lumbar pillow for the chase settee.
10. Painting (one of a set of two shown) - Jillian already owns.
11. Bone inlay wall mirror - not shown above, but this can go on the entry way wall right off this room.

-Megan

**If you'd like to submit a question to our 2nd Opinion segment (it can be as big as a room or as small as a lamp... whatever question you have, we'll help you out!) click the button below. We'd love to hear from you.**

I wanted to share an image today that I think is fresh, balanced, and tailored; all things I love in good design.  This image is of a house in Megan's neck of the woods, specifically Venice, CA.  Anything goes in Venice, and this house is bold in all the right ways.  

There are so many things to love about this room.  I love the balance between the very linear sectional and the curved wings of the blue velvet chair.  I love the campaign style sideboard, and in emerald green no less!  There is just enough black to really ground the room and keep the eye from resting too much on the black box of a TV.  I like the contrast between the bright, glossy, pink backed storage piece and the lacquered carpentry. I appreciate the clean white wall space that helps keep the room feeling fresh and organized. I like the shape and combination of the ottoman and pouf, and don't forget the gold edged side tables that carry just the right amount of visual weight.  I think the wood detail along the ceiling as well as the door add a much needed organic element that keeps the room from feeling too modern.  I would say what makes the room though is that rug!  The rug is not only the color palette for the whole room, but adds so much movement and interest.  Well done to the designers from Turquoise who created this beautiful home.  

I have to throw a picture of the master bedroom up here as well, because it is SO fantastic.  

Can you believe how skillfully these patterns are layered?  Wallpaper, drapery, headboard, euro shams, blanket, not to mention the art.  I am really glad they went with a subtle chevron, I feel like that will give the headboard a much longer life.  

What do you think?  Would you move right in?  I think Megan should!

                                                                                                                               -Andrea

I've got a pouf, you've probably got one.  What's the deal with poufs?  Well; they're crazy practical for adding flexible seating options to a room, inexpensive, they are a great pop of color and pattern, a unique shape, a great DIY, and they can be stashed under a coffee table or in an awkward corner.  All around they are pretty great and might be just what a difficult area of your home is screaming for .  I've collected a few of my favorites but if I've missed one you love please let us know in the comments!

I wanted to start with the iconic pouf, John Derian's moroccan pouf.  This baby has been featured everywhere and for good reason.  People love it in the metallic, but I think it's pretty timeless in white.  I am not doubting that it's worth$345, but if you don't have that to spend, know that there are a lot of other more budget friendly options out there, specifically HSN.  

I also think it's important to acknowledge the knit trend.  The coolest version of this that I've seen recently is one by Kumeko.  I love the thickness of the weave, and the break in white with the added band; so sharp.  There are some great budget versions of this style at West Elm and cb2.

I also love the global look that poufs often showcase.  Have you seen the Ernest Pouf at DWR?  This would look so so good in my living room. 

And a source not to be over looked...etsy.  Lots of options there, and so many customizable features from size, fill, fabric, and shape.  I was drawn to this frenchy one below...

Do you use a pouf in your space?  
                                                                                                                                -Andrea

Everybody knows it is true, Massachusetts is full of history lovers! We particularly love our Revolutionary War Heroes, but we also love our Kennedys.  Who wouldn't right?  Well, when I was browsing this article about Steve Penley's House on atlantamagazine.com I noticed a few things that really resonated with me.  Penley is an artist, married to an interior designer; and their home shows it.  Every picture of their home is extremely balanced, purposeful, and focused on Steve's art.  This is the sort of home I dream of creating as there is room for people and activity in each room. 

Their dining room above highlights one of Steve's collages; the Kennedys.  It is THE pop of color in this very neutral room.

This image above is totally exciting to me.  It's clearly the Penley family, chillin' on their sofa in the living room.  But what a mural!  I love the action packed brush strokes combined with very muted furniture and softened edges on the lamps and the furniture.  They are truly living with history in a way that most families don't.  What a bold move, and it has really paid off.  I don't expect to see another room like this ever again.  
                                                                                                                                 -Andrea