The Lake House Pt. II – Great Room
February 23, 2024
This great room was designed with visions of cozy family gatherings after sunny days of swimming in the lake in mind (Sounds amazing, right? Here's to living vicariously through our fabulous clients.) This home is meant to be a gathering spot for generations to come, so we wanted this space to feel cozy and intimate but still provide plenty of seating for gathered loved ones.
We created a conversational area with a large sofa, two swivel chairs, two leather armchairs, three easy-to-move-around pouf stools, and window benches on either side of the fireplace hearth to create the ultimate family gathering space. The more, the merrier, amiright?
Subtle Patterns
The color palette throughout this home is soft and mostly neutral. However, a neutral home palette doesn't mean you can't incorporate some pattern! Believe it or not, we actually layered three different plaids, three different stripes, and a hand-knotted motif rug in this great room, all while maintaining the beautifully understated and casual vibe this client was going for.
So let this be your reminder that incorporating patterns doesn't have to be loud or bold. You can (and most definitely should!) incorporate patterns into any design style.
Our Formula For Coffee Table-ing
While we believe nothing in design should be too formulaic (It's all about experimenting and having fun, people!), we've come to accept that we do have a few staple items when it comes to coffee tables.
Typically, we style our coffee tables with each of the following:
- Something to read
- Something to smell
- Something to protect the table
- Something to add visual interest
When incorporating decorative objects to add visual interest, know that there is no right or wrong! We used these jute balls in a ceramic vessel for this space, but something as simple as a vase of cut florals or as quirky as a bowl filled with collected bouncy balls (special thanks to our friend, Steph, at Flair Hunter for the rad idea!) can also add variety and interest to your design.
Something To Read
Stick to the basics, or don't; there are hundreds of offbeat, niche coffee table books out there. Here are some of our faves.
Something To Smell
When it comes to home fragrances, we love using oversized (like, really oversized) candles and diffusers to style coffee tables.
Something To Protect Your Table
Keep those water rings off your furniture, people! We love styling coffee tables with funky coasters or beautiful trays to add variety and create visual groupings.
Something To Add Visual Interest
We love utilizing unique vessels to create visual interest on coffee tables. If you need some height variation, try incorporating an arrangement of beautiful candlesticks, a potted plant, or cut florals.
