This bookcase was our jumping off point. The client bought it about a year ago because she wanted more places for books and pictures.
In this case, she had already picked out a paint color and had the room painted a neutral beige. She liked the color and didn't want to change it. She also had her window treatments picked out and hung, so for this particular project, the objective was simply to shop!
As with any room, we had some challenges to overcome and decisions to make. You can tell from the picture that the room isn't very large so that was something to consider. Also, the client and her husband describe themselves as very casual people...so a formal living room wasn't really something that suited their lifestyle.
Still, it is the first room you see when you walk in the house so it needed to look nice. The couple have a large den right off their kitchen where they watch television and their home office was upstairs, so we didn't need to worry about accommodating the need for a television, desk or computer.
The clients are avid readers and had recently bought this painting that they really liked...
Given the bookcases she'd already purchased and this painting, it was pretty to easy to see that this room needed to become a library!
What this room needed to do:
The clients have a 19-year-old son who is still living at home and two grown daughters who live on their own. Their oldest daughter is married and just had her second baby so, of course, the baby pictures are rolling in and they needed more places to put framed pictures and books. That was one of the biggest reasons they bought the bookcases and why we bought three tables for this room.
I think nothing looks better than a smattering of family photos placed around a home. It says, "A happy family lives here."
AND not forgetting that their teenage son is still living at home and the house is always full of teenagers (and I mean ALWAYS), the clients really needed a room that was all their own where they could go and read in relative peace and quiet.
The Breakdown:
We bought the chairs, the round table and the library table at Value City Furniture in St. Louis. Our original plan was to buy two matching leather club chairs, but when we saw these, the client changed her mind. She liked how the chairs didn't exactly match, but coordinated. We also thought we got extra style points for the masculine and feminine look of each chair. The bigger chair was $180, the smaller chair was $150. The library table was $250 and the round table was $150.
We bought the lamps and the clock on the library table at HomeGoods and most of the picture frames, accessories and the smaller three-legged table at Hobby Lobby.
The gold sconces on either side of the bookcases were actually mine, but when we saw how good they looked, I had to give them up for the cause because I'm sweet like that.
The Client's Homework:
To help the client stay within her budget, I recommended that at a later date she purchase an area rug that would help draw the seating arrangement together. I also recommended that she find a footstool or small ottoman to place in front of the chairs for some added comfort when reading.
Tips:
When we bought the furniture, they originally told us it would be six-to-eight weeks for delivery. The client was eager to finish the room within a shorter timeframe, so we asked if they would sell us the floor models and were told yes...and not only that, because they were the floor models and one of the chairs had a little ding on the leg, we got it for a discount!
It never hurts to ask for what you want. In this economy, people will do almost anything to make a sale and the worst they can say to you is "no." We've all been told "no" before and went on living, so don't be afraid to ask.
If you wanted to do a similar room, you could always go with leather club chairs or matching wing-back chairs.
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