I have a few Design Dilemmas from Scott McGillivray, left! (Any excuse to put up a photo of Scott McGillivray... Side note: Am I getting nauseating? Like Rosie O'Donnell became with Tom Cruise when she had her show? Please tell me when/if that happens.)
Scott is a great sport though, and since he was willing to give (advice), why would we do anything but take? Today, a somewhat cavernous ground-floor parlour is the subject of its owner's scrutiny. Who better to ask about spicing up a less than inviting ground-floor space than the man who makes the most basementy of basements not only livable but desirable? Rhetorical. BTW, Glen Peloso is back next week!
From Samantha:
Please help me with my parlour. It is the first thing you see when you enter our house and it lacks personality. We have lived in this house for over 2 years and have not accessorized the walls simply because we don't know what to buy and where to put things.
The room is 13'4" wide by 16'10" long. There is a half wall (9") by the front door and a tiled entrance area that is 4'11"x 3'8.5".
I would like to keep, if possible, all the furniture in the room especially the piano.
The room is currently used as a piano/play room for my two daughters (5 year old and 4 month old). Any new furniture pieces (e.g. ottoman) must be kid friendly (i.e. no glass). We were thinking of purchasing a few of these storage ottomans to hide away the toys.
The room does not get a lot of light due to an overhanging balcony outside the window -- could you suggest ways for us to create more light? I have a new lamp (with a glass base to reflect light) that currently sits on the floor by the sofa, as we do not have a table to place it on.
I am not a fan of the half wall and would love to eventually remove it but I was informed that it would require a total rework of the floors. I struggle with the wall at least 8 times a day when I have to maneuver the stroller in and out of the front door. It is a challenge trying to squeeze my 6 year old daughter, a stroller and myself in and out of this small area while trying to stay off the carpet.
The carpet keeps the feet warm on this lower level, tiles are more functional and easier to keep clean while wood floors would have the aesthetic appeal. Money is a huge factor so we will not be doing any major renovations until years down the road.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Samantha
Scott suggests: Samantha,
You have a great space with a lot of potential! Your big cabinet in the
front hall is beautiful and should remain in its existing location. Removing the half wall and column will open up your entire space and
will make it feel a lot more contemporary. My suggestion would be to invest in installing a beautiful hardwood
floor in a medium brown/black tone. Hardwood is a great feature for
resale and makes smaller spaces feel much larger. You can soften and
define the spaces with area rugs, which are also great for kids!
As far as furniture, one large central ottoman in the center of the room
is a clever idea to store all the kids toys and de-clutter the daily
mess. I would suggest a pair of matching chairs to be placed directly
across from the sofa. I would also advise to include a few side tables,
tables that are round as opposed to square, which are a lot more kid
friendly.
Even though this space is used by the kids daily, you still want to
ensure that this front room is appealing and welcoming, since it is the
first space you see when you walk in.
To tackle your lighting situation I would suggest installing 9-12 pot
lights in a perfect grid throughout the entire living an front hall
area. At about $100 a pot light, you will see how you can transform a
dark and cold space into a bright a spacious formal room for about
$1,000.
Floor lamps and table lamps are also a great way to illuminate the
space, but these fixtures will create mood lighting, and
will not illuminate the entire room.
A splash of colour would be a great way to complete the room. Choose a
color that you love and accessorize with a few matching pillows, a throw blanket and perhaps some wall art within these tones.
Wishing you the best of luck with your renovation and decoration
endeavors.
Scott McGillivray
Anything to add friends? I actually don't mind this room at all...
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