The Living Room
Welcome to The Colorado Cottage – Part 2 reveal! This is the second of three reveal posts for this stunning project (read the Part 1 Kitchen Reveal here), and this week I’m showing you all of the pretty details that went into the living room design. Ready for some great before & afters?! Me too. Let’s go!
(Shop the coffee table & this carved marble bowl here!)
Behind the Overall Design…
This project is so unique to my typical aesthetic, and I love that it pushed me in a slightly more traditional direction than some past projects. It’s so fun to dabble in different styles while keeping a clean-lined & organic Hill Interiors “stamp” on things. When I first began to dream up a concept for this home, I took inspiration from the homeowners’ travels and personal style, and blended it with a clean “cottage” feel, while incorporating obvious nods to the home’s beautiful natural Colorado setting. We really honed in on organic, storied materials such as handmade tiles, woven fabrics, natural stones, and an earthy color palette with plenty of warm wood tones. The finished space almost feels like a retreat you’d find in a European countryside plopped down into the foothills of the Rockies, hence the name, “The Colorado Cottage”.
Alright, now that you have that context, I give you:
The Living Room Before…
And the Living Room After!!
Ok, one more just for fun:
Before…
After!!
So good, right?!! Now,
Let’s Talk about that Fireplace…
It is the star and focal point of this space, after all. In order to put the majority of the funds towards the kitchen renovation, we opted to keep the original stone surround and fireplace insert but re-grouted the stone with a lighter grout in a slightly over-filled application to create that cottagey, perfectly imperfect vibe. We also added a custom mantle to match the White Oak woodwork in the rest of the home and plastered the wall above to tie in the finish on the range hood and the (spoiler alert) dining room accent wall as well (you’ll see that one next week, so stay tuned). Those magical Onyx sconces were the cherry on top. I’m obsessed with their warm ambiance!
The Furniture Selections …
The layout here was tricky, as are most living spaces with a corner fireplace (who can relate?). We wanted to maximize seating capacity and also give them pieces that they could reconfigure as needed. I always love a sofa and chair combo for that very reason; endless arrangement possibilities! This sweet custom sofa upholstered in a cream linen-look performance fabric fits its space perfectly, and I love the English-rolled arms with gorgeous pleating details.
(You can shop this coffee table here!)
It’s a true classic and is juxtaposed beautifully by the sleek curves of the warm leather armchairs and organic-shaped coffee table. The rug is a stunning chunky knit wool and is THE softest thing ever underfoot. It’s like walking on a cloud, people. Just heavenly!
(Don’t you love this view into the kitchen?! Read the Kitchen Reveal post here.)
The Art & Accents…
The art in this room is a mix of antiques and original pieces that the homeowners already had and wanted to incorporate as well as a few prints from the beautifully curated collection at Juniper Print Shop. After lots of considerations and configurations, we ended up with this combo and anchored everything together with a big ol’ piece of driftwood (this baby is heavy!), and this adorable bench that we had upholstered to match the bench seat in the breakfast nook. Seriously, how cute?! A stunningly simple original plaster art piece lies just around the corner, and a beautiful antique finish mirror above the mantle reflects that beauty of a kitchen back to you as you walk through the space.
(Shop this Onyx Tea Light Holder Here!)
The Railing …
This wall configuration felt needlessly busy before, so we removed the bulk of the walls surrounding the main walkway between the 3 spaces (kitchen, dining, & living), and removed the old railing. A custom iron railing with a white oak handrail is now the perfect complement to all three spaces and ties them together in such a refined and elegant way.
Before:
After!
Well, there she is! I hope you enjoyed Part 2 out of the three reveal blogs for the Colorado Cottage! Part THREE will be here next week, and will cover the Entry, Den, and Dining Room. Stay tuned!! Here’s a little sneak peek to hold you over until then…
As always, thank you so much for reading along! Drop a comment below and let me know what your favorite part of this project has been so far!!
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Xoxo,
Alyssa
(Photos are by Karen Mitchel of The Elan Studio)