Project Photos Released: Family Room Fun(ction)

We hope you enjoy the new family room photos we just posted in our portfolio as much as we do - isn’t that aubergine-and-burnt orange color palette yummy? It’s based on the artwork above the fireplace!Photo Courtesy of Sweet Peas Design

The clients are a Wilmette family of four living in a 6-year-old home with very traditional furnishings and color palette of golds, olives and burgundy. They asked us to refresh this much-used room and make the tricky space more functional. Among their goals- provide places to display family photos and objets d’art, include plenty of seating for family and guests (especially high school boys) and find a “home” for their family heirloom bench.

We faced some built-in challenges with this project: The room is long and narrow with pocket doors to an office at one end, stairs to the lower level and back yard at the other end and a very wide opening to the kitchen across from the fireplace. To complicate the problem further, the clients wanted the existing fireplace mantel and surround left untouched and to keep the TV to the left of the fireplace. Our solution required a clever custom cabinet design and floor plan to accomplish all the client’s requests.   Here are some highlights-

• We designed the cabinets to step back at each end (due to the wall of windows to the right of the fireplace) and to project or step out further in the center (to accommodate the TV and AV components). The height of the cabinets was determined by the height of the clerestory windows above and the height of the existing TV. We chose stained wood tops to reference the square medallions on the fireplace surround. The cabinets added a much needed symmetry and bulk to the room.
• Surprise! Instead of a typical sectional we selected a pair of angled, mushroom-colored love seats that seat four comfortably. Our favorite sectional!
• Perfect harmony – The pair of aubergine chairs flanking the fireplace balance the room and provide a big dollop of color which we carried over to the sofa pillows.
• Rustic vibe - The chunky, architectural legs and nail-head detail on the sofa table echo the vintage style of the home.
• Company coming? The two ottomans are as practical as they are pretty, and they pack a burnt orange punch. Pull them out when needed and tuck them away when the party’s over.
• Beloved bench – We provided a custom cushion in the same fabric as the angled love seats for a bit of continuity.

To see all the photos, please click here.