Warm Embrace

Hugs that linger a bit are the best and when you walk through the door at the end of the day, your home should feel like a warm embrace. This week’s homeowners are the same homeowners from two weeks ago with the dark and moody bedroom but this week we want to highlight the warm embracing living room. This is a space that has taken some time to evolve and create just what the homeowners wanted. Notice I did not say what they had planned because this is not what they had planned. The original iteration of this space was with much more white but as time went on the white just did not work well for them because it did not highlight any of their beautiful things. They have personal pieces and beautiful art that need a backdrop of color to bring them to life. Finally, when the natural grass cloth wallpaper was applied everywhere, the room seemed to inhale a breath of the life. Let’s take a peek into the living room of a Warbler model to see how a room can visually invite you to linger and if your lucky you might get a hug…. somewhere in the heart of The Villages.

  •  Fireplace
The room started with the fireplace. The homeowners wanted a fireplace with shelving that allowed them to have display space for their decorative items. They wanted the fireplace to have simple and elegant lines. They imagined that the all-white fireplace would highlight and show their decorative items in their best light. Once the fireplace was completed it just never seemed quite right. It did not create the effect that the homeowners were trying to achieve. That was a great opportunity to add another layer to the space and the layer was wallpaper. They decided that the room needed warmth. The wallpaper applied to the walls and the back walls of the display shelves of the fireplace would add that warmth. Also, by applying the wallpaper to the entire space it created a visual connection between all the spaces of the open floor plan. When the wallpaper was installed on the back wall of the display shelves, the decorative pieces came to life. The backdrop of warm color made the pieces stand out because the warm color and natural texture of the grass cloth complemented the pieces.

  •  Lighting on fireplace shelves
Lighting the display shelves on the fireplace unit was a must. The lighting is hidden underneath the lip of the front of the shelves. This way the light shines into the shelf so that everything is lit up.

  •  Wallpaper
The homeowner’s dream for a long time was to have a white space. They imagined that they would love white, but they had never lived in an all-white space. When the room was just white and layers of white, they kept feeling like something was missing. The something for them was warmth and color. They did not want to just paint because it was not just color that was needed it was texture too. They decided to install a grass cloth that is a natural beige color. The grass cloth adds simple elegance and warmth to the space, and it did tie it all together. Installing wallpaper is still an investment, that is why you want to choose something that is neutral and timeless. However, the investment was below the price of a three-day cruise.

  •  Wainscot
The homeowners decided to add a wainscot treatment around the entire space at the same time they decided to add wallpaper. The wainscot serves two purposes, the first purpose is to help with the visual connection around the entire space. This treatment ties into the white of the fireplace and the white of the molding around the windows. It also ties into the white kitchen cabinets that are not seen in the picture. The second purpose the wainscot serves is to create a framework for the wallpaper that will highlight and show off the wallpaper. The wainscot is simple wood applied to the wall. The wall is painted white from the top of the chair rail to the bottom of the baseboard.

  •  Side panels
The large sliding glass doors are softened by installing long drapery panels that are not meant to move on each side of the door. The panels are hung wide enough so that the side of the panel just grazes the larger molding that was installed around the door. The side panels are soft white, so they remain bright against all the light coming into the windows. These panels were purchased online, and they look great in the space.

  •  Crown molding
Crown molding was installed throughout the main body of the home wherever there was wallpaper. The crown added a nice finish to the top of the wallpaper.

  •  Light sectional
The homeowners purchased a large sectional which works nicely in the space because this is a big room. The light color works well in the space because when light is shining into the room through a big window, everything in front of the light looks darker. A light-colored couch will always remain light. Pro Tip: When considering a sectional be sure that you check the depth of the seat. If the sectional is too deep it will be uncomfortable for many people and since it is your main seating, you need to create a comfortable space. Also, remember that sectionals only allow one person to have a side table and lamp.

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