Thanksgiving Sunset

Time marches on one sunset at time and another Thanksgiving is fast approaching which means company is coming. There will be teenagers begging to drive the golf cart when they are not taking up half the couch lying about with their head bent down looking at their cell phones. Other family members will be clinging to the kitchen island watching you cook and asking if they can help you in any way. Finally, if there is a recliner someone will plant themselves permanently in the chair until dinner time. At the end of the day all that mattered was being together with family in a comfortable space and the turkey was not dry. In the world of decorating, no matter what size space, the end goal is a functional, comfortable and finished room. Let’s take a peek into the living room of a Jasmine model in which the homeowners are comfortable and enjoy a sunset every day somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

• Finished Look
The homeowners had new flooring installed and wanted to know how to make the space look more lively and finished. The sofa and chairs were already in the space and I really liked the position of all the furniture. The space felt functional, cozy, and inviting! I don’t usually like sectionals because you lose the function of a second sided table and lamp. However, I love the way the sectional performs in this space. It can accommodate many people and the room is very comfortable. We opted to keep all the furniture. The two coastal accent chairs had a pop of yellow and we decided that yellow would be a great accent color that would unify the space. So, pump up the yellow!

• Rug
The rug would serve as the color anchor in the space. We chose a yellow rug with crème and grey flowers in the pattern. If you look at the accent chairs they have yellow, grey, and crème in the pattern so it was safe to say that the rug would work in the space. The 8×10 yellow rug added much needed color and vibrancy to the space.

• Curtains
Now that we established that gold would be the accent color we needed to get more of it in the space. The new curtains were yellow with a white cross over pattern that looked stunning at the back the room. The yellow tied into the rug perfectly. Also, we did buy new rods for the curtains. The small silver rods that held up the curtains were replaced with larger rods in a warm gold finish in order to accommodate a wider curtain. The warm gold rods looked more impressive and the wider curtain provides a larger splash of color drawing the eye to the back of the space.

• Art
The homeowners chose a large canvas over the sofa titled, “Pathway to Paradise” by Alan Maltz. This canvas is 60inches wide by 40 inches high and provides a dramatic display on the sofa wall. The sunset is presented in Old Florida style creating a nostalgic look and whatever the sunlight touches in the canvas looks awash in gold. Don’t be afraid to use large dramatic art in a smaller space. Larger and less is always the way to go!

• Sconces
The corner of the living room behind the couch looked a bit naked but anything that would sit on the floor behind the sofa will become a nuisance when it is time to clean. We used the hurricane sconces once again but with a twist! I painted them gold to tie into all the other gold metal around the home. I don’t think it is wrong to mix metal but in this case the gold was looking better than the silver.

• New Pillows
We needed to bridge the yellow curtains to the yellow rug by adding pillows to the couch. The homeowners already had two pillows that popped but we needed two more. We chose sunflower pillows to work with the two existing pillows and they are the perfect pillow to connect the colors together in the space.

• New Lamp
We chose a new glass lamp in subtle sage greens to tie into the picture. The lamp is a touch modern but works well in a traditional space because the color of the lamp is relevant to its surroundings.

• Wall shelf
Finally, we added a shelf above the TV on the focal wall. When you add a shelf above a TV that sits on a console you are creating a strong focal point for the eye to see. The human eye wants to see something anchoring the space. We found an amazing glass piece that looked like the sun to place on the shelf. That glass piece pulled the yellow color around the room. Also, we hung a pair of birds facing each other over the two accent chairs. The artwork has all the colors in the room and further reinforces the color rhythm in the space. The TV will be mounted later in the year but we wanted to add the shelf before for a more finished look.

P.S. –Attention all club presidents! We give free decorating seminars. It is lots of fun and very informative. Call and schedule your club today. Also, we are on-line check out our web-site at www.ruthdyer.com and you can always e-mail us at ruth@finishingtouchfl.com or Call Ruth your full service decorator at 352-804-2056.

Before and After Pics Below