Stoney Creek Project Reveal | the Living Room

“Calming, coastal, kid-friendly… basically what you did at the Abundant Life Partners office,” was the direction that we received when starting out on the design of the Stoney Creek Project. Excited by this, we quickly began dreaming up ways in which we could transform their space. Like a lot of Americans, this sweet family of six had lived in their current space for several years but between work, kids and soccer practice, hadn’t gotten around to really turning their house into a home. The result was that their current space felt dated, uncomfortable and uninspiring. Coming to us, they were ready to make a change, wanting to create something that could be enjoyed by family and friends for years to come.

For this project, we focused on the first floor, which included the: entry, family room, living room, and dining room. Between the addition of new floors, paint, light fixtures, furniture, and decor… this was going to be our biggest transformation as of yet! Today, we are so excited to share the reveal of the living room with you!

The inspiration board really set the tone for this home… knowing the owner’s taste and style after having worked with them on the Abundant Life Partners project, I envisioned a color palette of soft, cool neutrals: grays, blues, white with pops of warmth. Originally from California, we wanted to bring in some of that laid-back “California cool” vibes mixed with some coastal elements.

I mean look at these bones?! I could see it already… new paint, fresh floors… this space was going to unrecognizable when it was done. Our challenge was going to making a cohesive space though… we need to provide comfortable seating for when friends came over while also incorporating a work space. It took a little while playing around with the layout but we eventually figured it out.

While not necessarily ideal, having a work space in the living room is the reality for a lot of American families. The thing is that you just gotta make it work and I knew that we could, with a few tweaks!

What was once a simple, basically empty living room is now one filled with color and life. Wanting this space to feel a bit more elegant and “grown-up” than the rest of the rooms in the house, we painted the walls the most beautiful shade blue (“beach glass” by Benjamin Moore) and brought in some new furnishings, lighting and decor. Juxtaposition played a major role in the design as we wanted the space to feel elegant and yet accessible. Designed for entertaining, we slip-covered an existing sofa and brought in some new chairs, all of which will hold up to the test of time. The accent tables provide a nod towards our love of coastal design without going overboard; while the coffee table helps to ground the room.

To keep things feeling pretty and bright, we kept the furniture neutral in tone, adding color, texture and warmth through the decor. Sourced from all over, these special pieces were thoughtfully layered into the room; really bringing things to life.

When it comes to our sourcing, Making Room for Peace has been increasingly striving to support small businesses and local artisans. We were able to do just that in the Stoney Creek project by purchasing some of our special pieces from our favorite stores in Northern Virginia, European Country Living! The owner, Matt, travels to Europe a few times a year to find some of the most beautiful furniture and decor, such as these Turkish throw pillows, vintage pickling jar, and woven demijohn. The addition of these pieces really helped to make the room!

In regards to the area rug, we knew that we wanted something warm and woven; something that would complement the new floors instead of taking away from them. Choosing this geometric jute/sisal, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality! It added the perfect amount of pattern to the space without being overwhelming.

There are so many parts of this room that I love but honestly, the work-space ended up being one of my favorites! In a last minute decision, the day before install, we decided to lean this linen-covered bulletin board up against the wall in lieu of artwork. While we very could have well hung the bulletin board and it had looked good, something about leaning it gives it an artsy, relaxed vibe. By pinning some magazine clippings and what-not, we treated it more like a piece of art, minimizing the office vibe.

I have been OBSESSED with these dried, pink flowers ever since they came out at Target earlier this year. Like literally, I think I bought them out from our local store a couple of times because I love them so much. Using them in our home but also holding onto some for future projects such as this, I knew that they would be the perfect pop of pink in the Stoney Creek living room. We placed a few here and there, as shown, carrying the color throughout the room. The faux olive branches (from European Country Living) added the perfect level of height and whimsy to the room.

Interior Design: Making Room for Peace | Photography: We Are Luke & Ashley