Take a look at this fresh and colorful transformation that gave new life to a family’s front room and basement, now turned into a library and family room/guest suite. We love the rich hues and funky furniture that were used to really make these spaces pop.

When the opportunity presented itself to work with repeat clients, we couldn't have been more excited! We were first introduced to this lovely family when we helped them two years prior on their remodel & addition to a home that they had purchased. We left two areas unfinished at the time, the front room and the basement, because they had really wanted to live in the home to see how their family would want to use these spaces. We were so happy when they called and explained that they wanted to create a family room/guest suite in the basement and wanted us to create a library in the front room!

Upon entering the front door of the clients home, the soon-to-be library is immediately located on the left. We knew our focus would be to make the entryway flow nicely into the library, while also keeping the history of the home in focus. Our main goal was to create a library that was not only warm and inviting but also family-friendly and usable. 

Keeping the history of the home was important to us and the clients. The home was built in the early twentieth century and still had the original plaster walls. For the library remodel, we wanted to create an intimate space that would draw guests in especially as it is one of the first rooms that people see after coming in the front door. Once we had our built in designed and added to three walls, we choose one of our favorite paint colors, Gentleman's Gray by Benjamin Moore and painted the walls and all the trim detail to really make a statement. 

Going dark on the walls, we knew we had to address lighting for this space to prevent it from feeling too dark and heavy, especially in the evenings when you would lose the natural light from the three windows. We added three brass wall sconces above the bookcases, which look so luxurious against the dark navy color, and one floor lamp as a task light. 

The clients had expressed an interest in wanting a green velvet couch, and lucky for them, we had just the perfect one in mind. The placement of the velvet couch underneath our striking Strewed Blues artwork provided a great focal point for the library. To round out the look of the room, we added one of our favorite coffee tables to the mix. The edgy brass base ties in perfectly with the wall sconces above the bookshelves. We love the details of this table and it is the perfect place for this family to enjoy family games, puzzles and other activities without any issues. Tying in the colors of the room while providing a foundation that is still light and bright is our Nyla Slate rug.

One improvement to the room was added storage cabinets that also double as window seats.  It gives the clients a way to store their items, but also utilize as reading nooks for their kids.

As we made our way to the basement, we started with an un-finished blank canvas.  Our clients wanted an area that was inviting but also relaxing for their family and guests. We started by adding a built-in as the focal point of the main wall tying two necessities together, a tv area with storage and a bar cabinet to hold food and drinks when the area was being used. We used shiplap to connect the two to feel as one. We painted it all in one of our favorite colors, Dark Pewter by Benjamin Moore. Our Misty Morning Art, looks beautiful and soft in the center and pulls together all the colors of the space. We added two brass wall sconces and a floating shelf above the bar cabinet for display. For the backsplash, we chose a classic white gloss subway tile that we extended all the way to the ceiling that just looks so crisp and clean against the Dark Pewter. 

This basement area is smaller in size and knowing we had to squeeze in as much seating as possible, we opted for one of our custom sectional sofas, covered in a highly durable and stain resistant Crypton fabric. It's perfect for families with young children or pets.  An oversized coffee table completed the flow of the downstairs giving this family tons of tabletop to accommodate everyone no matter where they are on the sectional. We finished off the space with lots of layers and texture to help it feel warm and cozy despite it being a basement!

One fun feature that we added directly under the stairs was a play area for the kids to have their own little space.  It was unused space that wasn't being utilized, so we turned it into a quiet little oasis for hours of play.