South Bay Project: Living Spaces Reveal

We're back today with two more spaces from our South Bay project. This home has two living spaces: A living room with a fireplace that is just off the entry and a more casual family room adjacent to the kitchen that is used for watching TV and lounging. We wanted the front room to be a touch more formal and have plenty of seating for entertaining, and the family room to be cozy and kid-friendly for this growing family.

The Front Living Room

Most of our work was in furnishing the house and since it is fairly new construction, we just need some cosmetic updates to bring it up to date. New flooring and paint throughout gave us a light, bright place to start, and from there we updated lighting and hardware. However, the fireplace in the living room was a pretty dull stacked stone that did not fit our vision, so we changed the surround to a slab of black quartz topped with a warm wood mantle. It is flanked on either side by windows, so we wanted to keep the design simple but elevated. It instantly changed the tone of the room!

We needed plenty of seating here for entertaining, so we chose two different sofas, one a rich caramel leather and one linen with a wood-framed accent chair in between. This is kind of a casual take on a formal living room, and the two sofas facing each other draw your eye toward the fireplace when you first walk through the door, giving the room that "wow" factor we were after. Over the leather sofa, we hung a pair of oversized prints of the coast, which are a staple here in South Bay because of the proximity to the water.

The room has pretty high ceilings, so we used stationary drapery (the same panels as in the nearby dining room) to bring in a cozy factor. We also chose several black items (the coffee table base, display cabinet, pot for the tree) which pop really nicely against all of the neutrals, but also tie in the new black fireplace.

I love using so many materials in one space! We used marble, steel, wood, leather, linen, and glass and it makes the room feel curated, and not just shopped. Playing with so many textures really gives the space so much personality, so don't be afraid to mix materials, colors, and patterns in one space, it's truly what helps it come alive!

The Family Room

The family room is off the kitchen and is the main hub of the house. It needed to be comfortable, sleek, and durable, so we chose a performance fabric on the sectional sofa in a light grey color. The rug is also neutral and designed to hold up to a lot of traffic so we added color and texture with pillows and throw blankets. There wasn't quite have enough space for two chairs so we sourced an extra wide chair to fill the space and add some personality.

This is a track home, so there are no built-ins and we needed to create our own furnishings for the entertainment area. We paired a long sideboard with two taller shelves to create a custom built-in look and provide some storage and display space.

Simple drapery softens the big sliding door and grounds the space, and the dark accents and second beach print recall the front living room. Overall, I think we accomplished our goal to make the front room more of a grown-up retreat, while creating a cozy family space that is easily maintained in the back.

ICYMI: Entry + Dining Room Reveal

Photos by Public 311 Design