Project: The Dartmouth- a living room makeover
In January of this year, Jeanette messaged me asking if I was busy and did I have the time to take on another project.
Shh…I had been waiting for this message.
See up until then, I’ve worked with Jeanette on every room of her home. The living room and her home office were all that was left and I knew from past comments, that her living room would be next on the list of spaces to receive a makeover.
A little backstory for you.
I’ve known Jeanette for close to 25 years! Way before I became a designer and she became a professional maker. You must check out her rope bowls and quilts. They are gorgeous and I am blessed to own one of each!
We became friends when we both lived out west and due to circumstances we lost touch when she and her husband moved to Nova Scotia. Many moons later, my husband and I found ourselves living in Nova Scotia and I always wondered where Jeanette ended up. This was long before social media btw!
One day while standing in line at Michaels Craft store, I saw this woman walking towards me but she wasn’t looking in my general direction. My brain immediately went, “Oh my god! Is that Jeanette?” Well before I could utter a single word, she made eye contact and if memory serves me correctly, I don’t want to say she shouted but she definitely loudly said, “MARSHA!” My poor husband didn’t know what to say or do as I was a blubbering fool. I think we were both close to hysterics and to know us, reconnecting inside a Michaels store is well….serendipity.
So here we are many years later and I am beyond excited to share with you her beautiful living room makeover. But first, let’s get the not so pretty photos out of the way and share some before shots so you can appreciate how far this space has come.
As you can see the dark brown sectional really dominated the space and interfered with traffic flow. Before this makeover, we had painted the walls on the main level Sherwin Williams White Heron. Her dining room had also gone through a makeover when we gave her kitchen a refresh a few years earlier. However, it was time for new living room furniture. As you can see Jeanette was now gravitating towards light and airy rather than the dark and heavy pieces she had chosen when they first purchased the home. It totally makes sense that we would want our homes to evolve as our style preferences change.
Durability was super important as this space is the main TV watching area where Jeanette and her husband like to hang out with their two teenage daughters. This is also the space they like to entertain with friends and family. It was super important to Jeanette that the fabrics we considered be uber family friendly and the new design had plenty of seating.
So enough reading! Let’s get to the pretty photos!
A few details about the space.
The rug is wool which is naturally stain resistant and anti-microbial as well as perfect for high traffic areas. It feels soooo good underfoot. This is a 9x12. It is imperative that you size your rug correctly for the space. In living areas, you want to at least have the front legs of the seating sitting on the rug.
All upholstered pieces are in a family friendly stain resistant fabric. Again super important since we also opted for a lighter color palette.
The cabinet to the left of the fireplace was existing and made by a local builder.
We decided to go with an ottoman in a cream leather-like upholstery so one can easily put their feet up as well as serve as a coffee table. The cream leather-like upholstery also means its wipeable!
Lighting!
Even if you have recessed lighting, you still need to add in that layer of task and ambient lighting. I like to use a combination of floor and table lamps.
Side tables! I love to scatter side tables about the space so no matter where one is sitting, they have a surface to lay down a drink. Also makes the perfect perch for those movie night snacks!
There you have it! Thank you so much for checking in on this project and allowing me to share it with you.
