White-and-Gray Paint Scheme Brightens a New Living Room Layout
The right colors and right-sized furniture and accessories open up entertainment possibilities in a California Craftsman
After: Interior designer Libra Kaplan maintained the same furniture configuration but introduced a more modern-style sofa with higher legs, which lifts the sofa base off the floor for a lighter appearance. Moving it away from the wall added some breathing space.
Opposite the sofa, a pair of swivel chairs forms a complete seating group while still preserving the visual and physical connection to the den to the left. “Swivel chairs typically have high backs, so we had to find a style that was modern enough but with a low back,” Kaplan says. “Those Knoll chairs fit the bill perfectly.”
A slat wood bench serves as a coffee table, adding warmth and replacing the dark metal glass-top one.
Rug: A larger area rug now defines and anchors the seating group while splashing in some color.
Sofa: Bilsby, DWR; chairs: D’Urso swivel chair, Knoll; bench/coffee table: Nelson platform bench, Herman Miller; rug (discontinued), DWR; browse more rug options
Opposite the sofa, a pair of swivel chairs forms a complete seating group while still preserving the visual and physical connection to the den to the left. “Swivel chairs typically have high backs, so we had to find a style that was modern enough but with a low back,” Kaplan says. “Those Knoll chairs fit the bill perfectly.”
A slat wood bench serves as a coffee table, adding warmth and replacing the dark metal glass-top one.
Rug: A larger area rug now defines and anchors the seating group while splashing in some color.
Sofa: Bilsby, DWR; chairs: D’Urso swivel chair, Knoll; bench/coffee table: Nelson platform bench, Herman Miller; rug (discontinued), DWR; browse more rug options
Light fixture: A new midcentury pendant light adds illumination. Its disk-like shape mimics spheres used elsewhere in the space, like the mirror and armchairs.
Pendant fixture: Nelson saucer bubble pendant, YLighting; mirror: Harvey mirror, DWR; basket; Esqueleto; find more pendant lamps
Pendant fixture: Nelson saucer bubble pendant, YLighting; mirror: Harvey mirror, DWR; basket; Esqueleto; find more pendant lamps
Two-tone paint scheme: The darker tan paint in the previous space was retired and changed to a two-tone scheme of pale whitish-grays. The lighter hue is on top and a darker color is below the chair rail.
Upper wall paint: White Wisp, Benjamin Moore; lower wall paint: Crushed Ice, Sherwin Williams
Upper wall paint: White Wisp, Benjamin Moore; lower wall paint: Crushed Ice, Sherwin Williams
Kaplan painted the fireplace the same color as the wall space below the chair rail. “This gave the fireplace definition and provided a visual anchor, a place where the eye can rest and pause, versus being a sea of white had we gone with the lighter of the two grays,” Kaplan says.
Accessories: Kaplan swapped out an abundance of photos that once lined the mantel for a mixed assemblage of plants and sculptural accessories.
After: Kaplan brightened up the entryway with the same wall paint scheme as the living room. She added a larger rug that spans the width of the space. As with the mantel, Kaplan chose accessories in varying heights and textures to top the console table.
White pot and bromeliad plant: Crimson Horticultural Rarities, Oakland; coral: West Elm
White pot and bromeliad plant: Crimson Horticultural Rarities, Oakland; coral: West Elm
This floor plan shows the small entryway on the right that opens to the new living room layout.
More
Key Measurements for Designing the Perfect Living Room
Good Furniture Combos for Tight Living Rooms
More Resources on Houzz
Find a professional designer
Browse living room furniture and accessories
More
Key Measurements for Designing the Perfect Living Room
Good Furniture Combos for Tight Living Rooms
More Resources on Houzz
Find a professional designer
Browse living room furniture and accessories
Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A physician and her partner, a classical Indian percussionist
Location: Oakland, California
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters); the house is 1,600 square feet (149 square meters)
Designer: Libra Kaplan of librastudio
Before: The homeowners bought their 1910 Craftsman home three years ago but felt the living room design never jelled. Besides feeling uninviting, it didn’t offer enough seating for guests, and the homeowners actually shied away from entertaining because of it.
One long sofa and a single chair far off in the corner didn’t encourage conversation. Plus, the sofa was bulky and looked cramped pushed up against the window. A too-small area rug also brought an untethered look to the seating area.