Dear Style Studio team,
We added a great room with two-tone hardwood flooring over a year ago. I set up the room to be centered around our flat screen that is mounted on a stone wall above the fireplace and flanked by built-ins.
I put together a few of the main anchor points of the room — couches, chairs and a rug. My favorite item in the room is Ballard’s Nicolette Hooked Rug in Brown. I love how it gives just the right pop of color in my neutral pallet.
I used some of the teal, golds and corals in the rug as inspirations for some of the décor accent pieces placed on the shelving and the shades on the windows.
The room is in dire need of finishing touches, including tables and wall décor. I’ve had my eye on the Benedetta table collection but wasn’t sure if the pieces were too big compared to my smaller scale couches and chairs. I’m stuck!
How do I add the finishing touches to the bare spots, especially the corner by the large window and the nook between the dining room and kitchen, and finally give this room a cozy, completed look without crowding the room? I should add I’m looking for a child-friendly environment since I have three little ones under four years old.
Dear Paula,
First of all, we love your selection of the Nicolette Hooked Rug. It works really well in the room and provides a great palette of colors to work from.
Starting with the large space to the left of the television, we think your instincts are right: the Benedetta Console would absolutely work here. We suggest the Rubbed Black finish to break up the brown hues in the room and to bring out the black stripes from the window coverings and your accents on the shelves.
That wall space is just screaming for a large, round wall item to offset the squared off shape of the shelves and TV. Any one of our oversized sunburst mirrors would look fabulous here. What do you think?
Let’s talk tablescaping: a pair of lamps on either end of the Benedetta adds balance as well as much-needed additional lighting in your room. Add a stack of books or framed photos in the middle for simple accents. And if you need more storage for your kids’ toys, throw a few woven baskets underneath the console — the texture would look great!
Moving to the other side of the room, we suggest placing a console against the wall behind your sofa. It’s near an entrance, so it provides a convenient space to drop keys or sunglasses. The Newport Demilune in Rubbed Black (to match the Benedetta Console) is small enough that it wouldn’t overwhelm the space. This also gives you another opportunity to add more lighting. A blue lamp base, such as our Suzanne Kasler Gourd Lamp in French Blue, beautifully brings out the spa blue in your window treatments.
Above the console, an oversized round wall clock would work well. The shape mimics the round window near the entrance as well as breaks up the strong geometric lines of the windows.
As for that little nook between your dining room and kitchen, the Lotus Garden Seat in Light Blue kills two birds with one stone: it adds a pop of color to the space and repeats the spa blue in your window treatment, adding to the overall color palette in the room. We say have a little fun in the wall space above. How about our Atelier Antlers for something a bit unexpected? If that doesn’t suit you, our Suzanne Kasler Set of 3 Sunbursts hung vertically would look very chic.
Happy decorating!
The Style Studio Team
