Modern to Traditional Living Room Makeover

February 11, 2023 in DESIGN PROJECT, INSPIRATION

One of the biggest benefits of building a home is being able to choose everything– from the crown molding to the flooring and everything in between.

But people who desire a home with character or one in an established neighborhood usually buy a pre-owned home. While pre-owned homes have many advantages, it’s common for buyers to get a home that doesn’t exactly fit their style.

Think wall-to-wall carpet, dark wood paneling, popcorn ceilings, and pastel bathrooms.

And, though our client’s newly purchased home wasn’t outdated, it still didn’t fit her traditional and elegant style.

One room the Lisa Gilmore Design team re-envisioned was the formal living room.

home renovation before_formal living room — Formal living room before

Before, the room was a bit too modern with a crystal chandelier, light coastal blue walls, and dark wood flooring.

formal living room before renovation_interior design — Formal living room before renovation

To make the room feel more timeless, we chose a palette of softened primary colors mixed with neutrals. The gorgeous, classic chinoiserie wallpaper creates a feeling of being at one with nature, while delicate ornaments featuring birds and rabbits embody life.

We were also able to reuse the homeowner’s side chairs and reupholster them in a light, cream fabric.

traditional living room interior design — Lisa Gilmore Design | Native House Photography

Our goal for the entire home renovation was to add warmth and luxury to the space, while ensuring it was still inviting at the same time. You can read more about the whole project at Homes and Gardens.

But if you are unable to completely renovate a room, there are still ways to inject your style into a room. Consider small investments such as changing the lighting, painting the walls or furniture, replacing the window treatments, or adding accessories like rugs, art, and decorative accents.

To get more tips, see our projects, and find ideas for adding liveable glamour to your home, follow me on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter.

DESIGN PROJECT BEFORE & AFTER:: ONCE DULL, NOW A MODERN, SUNNY & FUNCTIONAL LIVING & DINING ROOM

June 01, 2020 in INSPIRATION, DESIGN PROJECT

When our client approached us about this project she was so excited to work on their home, they are a military family and as you know - move often. This would not be the case with this home and they were going to put some roots into St. Petersburg!

The home they purchased has a great layout and style it just needed to be a bit happier and showcase their personal style. So the LGDesign team got to work, pulling inspiration - all the things that make for a happy vibe and started working on a floor plan that would flow and accomplish all of their needs.

VISION BOARD BY LISA GILMORE DESIGN FOR PRIVATE RESIDENCE

LIVING & DINING ROOM BEFORE:

Looking at the before photos, you can see the potential, right? We knew we could give that room more justice, working on the flow of furniture, color choices and complimenting elements. We really loved the lush greenery backdrop and allowed that to play into our choices as well.

LIVING & DINING ROOM AFTER:

Creating a balance between the kitchen, dining and living room was important. Furniture layout, scale and color played a large role in this also allowing the sunlight to naturally flow through the space. A mixture of furniture selections with “visual weight” combined with sleek more “airy” options really suited the size of the space well, also allowing no interruption of sunlight to soak through the space.

LISA GILMORE DESIGN | NATIVE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY

We mentioned that happy, sunny and modern was the goal, right?

Well, if these sleek vintage mid century modern dining chairs revamped in this bright yellow doesn’t strike a smile and joy… we aren’t really sure what can! We personally love how the dining area is very light and airy, however, it doesn’t lack wow factor at all. Minimalist with a colorful punch.

Our client had some pretty great existing items to work with, including art collected over the years and a few key furniture pieces with personality. This home doesn’t lack in individuality.

When we talk about the art collection, we don’t mean just a few random things. They have some really cool stuff! Memorabilia from different World’s Fair’s, music posters, a collection of patches, maps, and original art. In addition to their cool and sassy art collection, they are also quite the music lovers and have a collection of records.

So we decided, these important pieces need a home, but not just tucked away storage, we wanted them to sing. (pun intended.) That inspired this functional and artsy music lounge corner.

Ample space for a large and continuously growing record collection, with the perfect perch for their record player, open shelving for plants and collectables, complete with their unique art collection, thoughtfully framed and hung in our beloved gallery style, topped off with some wall sconce lighting to create the perfect ambience.

We are pretty proud to say that we feel the happy and sunny vibe was achieved. Check out more of the home here, (complete with monkey wallpaper!) if you would like to see how we continued this feeling throughout!

4 FAVORITE WAYS WE LOVE TO MAKE A ROOM COZY

October 09, 2019 in INSPIRATION

When we initially meet with clients about their future projects, often words out of their mouths are: “I love ‘x’ style, but I really want it to be cozy and approachable.” This is exactly how I came up with our mission Liveable Glamour.

So, I wanted to chat about a few things that I feel make a space cozy for all different types of style!

1. ANTIQUE OR VINTAGE AREA RUGS

LISA GILMORE DESIGN, SEAMUS PAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY

Hands down, no question about it. An antique, vintage (or really good replica) is my favorite way to create coziness in a space! The patterns and handcrafted quality are something you really cannot compare. I also adore the array of rich color palettes you can find. When I say that I do not mean just deep colors, even lighter colorways can have a very rich quality and depth to them.

2. DECORATIVE MILLWORK

Let’s face it. Drywall can be boring. One way to cozy up a space without adding a dramatic color (or wallpaper) is through millwork. It adds such a great dimension without being overwhelming!

3. WALLPAPER

Come on! Did you really think there would be a blog post without some mention of wallpaper? We all know my love for wallpaper… patterned, textured, bold, simple, all of it - I just love it all! A lot of people have a fear of using wallpaper, just because they cringe thinking of the stuff that was used decades ago. However, technology really has changed when it comes to wallpaper, so rest assured, you can wallpaper to your hearts content!

I really love how wallpaper can transform a room, instant wow factor - and you guessed it: cozy factor.

4. RICH COLOR PALETTE

I realize that this approach is not for everyone. It’s a very bold move! However, if you can handle it, push yourself out of your comfort zone and go really rich and bold with your color palette. I promise, the way the color wraps around you, creates the most cozy environment you could ever dream!

There are a multitude of ways to make a space feel more cozy, this is just scraping the surface! What approach calls to out to you?

5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD PAINT YOUR WALLS BLACK

May 09, 2019 in INSPIRATION, DESIGN PROJECT

In an era of bright and white instagramable spaces (yes, we swoon over those too!) - we are think you should paint your walls black. It’s no surprise that I am a fan of dark moody spaces. I try to slide in some saturated color into a project every. single chance I get. So here are our top reasons why you should say yes to that darkest color swatch on the paint color fan deck.

1. MAKE IT COZY

A dark room (especially black) has the ability to wrap you in color and create a cozy inviting space that light colors simply can’t achieve. It’s almost like the room is opening its arms to you and pulling you in for a big bear hug.

2. BENEFIT FROM CONTRASTS

Other colors will contrast and bounce off like you would’t believe, so the end result is actually bringing more life to the space.

3. BLACK IS SEXY

Everyone looks sexy in a black room. A black interior is flatering. Your skin tone will thank you.

4. YOUR ART WILL LOOK PHENOMENAL

Your art will look PHENOMENAL. It doesn’t matter if you are an avid fine art collector, pick up art from the thrift store, have only a few key pieces and a massive collection. Your art will sing on the dark moody backdrop.

5. NO NEED TO FEAR

It will not feel small, we promise. Okay - so a few factors do come into play with this promise. One, your ceilings really can’t be lower than 8 ft, and if they are, make sure you balance that dark wall with some of the following: light or bright area rugs and drapery OR light and bright furniture, also varying wood tones add interest to a dark space. (really, any space.) Additionally, if you don’t have a lot of natural light in the space, be sure to add ambient lighting through chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps and/or wall sconces

GO AHEAD, PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE BLACK PAINT.

There you have it, I rest my case. Hopefully you are now dreaming up which room (or maybe you should just go for it and paint your whole place black!) that you will tackle with this amazing color. And if you get a little scared, don’t worry, we’ve got your back.

With love & design-y dreams,

Lisa Gilmore

INSPIRATION

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