A couple of years back, Hyde Evans Design got a call from potential clients that wanted us to "fix" their living room. When I walked into the room, it was instantly obvious to me what had gone wrong. It had a sofa, coffee table, a pair of comfy side chairs and a nicely shaped single armchair in the seating arrangement. All good things. The drapery was fine, just hung a little low, and the color scheme needed some adjusting. But those weren't the real problem.
All of the upholstered pieces had been covered in chenille. The coffee table was casual, in wood. And it all sat on top of a handsome wool area rug. Even the accent pillows were some kind of plush. It was soft and cozy alright; so much so that it felt like you could fall in but never make it back out. My new clients thought texture was a good thing, and it is, if it is varying texture.
Every room needs a carefully thought out mix of plush and rich, smooth and shiny.
It's that juxtaposition that makes it work.
To make this living room amazing, we moved the rustic wood coffee table to the family room. We replaced it with a polished metal-based table topped with glossy walnut. We reupholstered the single chair in a heavy cotton fabric and added silk pillows to the other pieces. The crowning touch was painting the walls a glossy, rich blue. (Of course, we also raised the drapes and finished them with a contrasting boarder fabric to add length and interest)
Success! Suddenly stunning.
I wish we could share the photos with you rather than making you use your imagination, but we can't. The clients would rather we didn't, and our job is to keep them happy, even if our blog suffers. In lieu, we'll share some rooms that got the texture right.
