Room of the Day: Sophisticated but Not Stuffy
A designer creates a living room that welcomes toddlers to jump off chairs and dogs to cuddle up on the sofa
“This is the living room, but we never used the word ‘formal’ to describe it,” says interior designer Lindsay Pincus. Because the couple who live in this Silicon Valley home had a toddler and another child on the way during the design process, the goal was to make the whole house playful and family-friendly yet sophisticated. “This is really their everything room, and they use it as a family room,” the designer says. She kept things comfortable and inviting, blending the East Coast coastal style the couple love with a cool and casual California spirit.
The coffee table exemplifies the style mix of East Coast and West Coast — the spool base recalls New England, while the travertine top brings in the Mediterranean style that’s prominent in California.
One challenge was fitting in the homeowners’ piano. Pincus used substantial pieces of furniture so that the large scale of the piano would not look out of place. Dark accents like the spool base of the coffee table and the trim tie the piano into the palette.
Note: Because the family doesn’t plan to use the fireplace, the piano’s placement here is OK. But those who do use their fireplace should keep pianos away from it. “The heat from a fireplace is drying — I’ve seen crackled finishes and dried-out soundboards caused by the heat and the changes in humidity,” says Bob Lewis, president of The Piano Store, who has been refurbishing pianos for 30 years.
Paint: Simply White (walls) and Hale Navy (trim), both Benjamin Moore; coffee table: Wisteria; chair fabric: Duralee; rug: Madeline Weinrib
One challenge was fitting in the homeowners’ piano. Pincus used substantial pieces of furniture so that the large scale of the piano would not look out of place. Dark accents like the spool base of the coffee table and the trim tie the piano into the palette.
Note: Because the family doesn’t plan to use the fireplace, the piano’s placement here is OK. But those who do use their fireplace should keep pianos away from it. “The heat from a fireplace is drying — I’ve seen crackled finishes and dried-out soundboards caused by the heat and the changes in humidity,” says Bob Lewis, president of The Piano Store, who has been refurbishing pianos for 30 years.
Paint: Simply White (walls) and Hale Navy (trim), both Benjamin Moore; coffee table: Wisteria; chair fabric: Duralee; rug: Madeline Weinrib
Surrounded by windows on three sides, the original room had great bones but was in need of cosmetic changes. For example, the existing fireplace surround was composed of dark brown and beige tile. “We needed to lighten and brighten it up in here,” the designer says. She replaced the surround with a sky-blue mini brick tile and the hearth with a coordinating tile in a larger scale.
She got the horse painting from a New England artist, then pulled hues like the pinks and tans out of it to add to the blue-and-white color palette.
Fireplace tile: Ann Sacks
She got the horse painting from a New England artist, then pulled hues like the pinks and tans out of it to add to the blue-and-white color palette.
Fireplace tile: Ann Sacks
On the opposite side of the coffee table is a navy blue chair with white welting that reverses the white walls and navy trim combination. “We didn’t want to make things matchy-matchy,” Pincus says of not choosing two matching armchairs. “They aren’t next to each other, and everyone in the family wanted to have their own favorite spot. Dad’s is already this navy chair, and their daughter’s favorite is the patterned one — she loves to jump off it!” By the way, all the upholstery was treated to be stain-resistant and wipeable.
Because of the little ones and the dogs, Pincus chose a flat-weave cotton rug. “You can vacuum it up very easily, and it hides dirt,” she says. To make it feel cushy to toddlers playing on the floor, she added a thick rug pad beneath it.
Because of the little ones and the dogs, Pincus chose a flat-weave cotton rug. “You can vacuum it up very easily, and it hides dirt,” she says. To make it feel cushy to toddlers playing on the floor, she added a thick rug pad beneath it.
The X stools beneath the blue textured console add a healthy dose of pattern. “These stools were a perfect opportunity to bring in the punch of a bold print,” Pincus says. “When you use it on smaller items like these, it’s less of a commitment.” If you look closely at the pattern, you can see that it’s more geometric than spotted.
Over the table is a piece that was the homeowner’s idea — it’s an Hermès scarf that Pincus had framed. “I love this kind of collaboration — my clients were really engaged in the process and gave great ideas,” she says. “We were able to pull other colors into the room through the scarf, and it’s fitting to frame it as these scarves really are works of art.”
Chinoiserie lamps: vintage; X-stool fabric: Caitlin Wilson
Over the table is a piece that was the homeowner’s idea — it’s an Hermès scarf that Pincus had framed. “I love this kind of collaboration — my clients were really engaged in the process and gave great ideas,” she says. “We were able to pull other colors into the room through the scarf, and it’s fitting to frame it as these scarves really are works of art.”
Chinoiserie lamps: vintage; X-stool fabric: Caitlin Wilson
Although each family member has his or her own spot, they also wanted room for everyone on the sofa. Pincus had a Restoration Hardware sofa’s length customized so that the four of them could fit comfortably on it together, sink in and snuggle up for movie night. The fabric is by Perennials and can take a lot of abuse, which is a good thing because they also enjoy having their two big basset hounds join them on it.
“Definitely play with different scales when choosing throw pillows, and don’t be afraid to mix different patterns and shapes,” Pincus says. “Tie them together by using a coordinating color or two.”
“Definitely play with different scales when choosing throw pillows, and don’t be afraid to mix different patterns and shapes,” Pincus says. “Tie them together by using a coordinating color or two.”
Pincus designed this built-in to hold media, game consoles, games, toys and photo albums as well as to display the homeowners’ favorite knickknacks and family photos. She also left them room around the TV to upgrade down the line. “He dreams of a big TV, but I had to tell my client that we were stopping him at 70 inches,” she says of the TV box’s dimensions.
Browse more stories about living room design
Browse more stories about living room design
Room of the Day
What happens here: A young family of four enjoys piano playing, reading, TV watching, playing with toys, cuddling up together on the sofa and petting their two basset hounds.
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Size: 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Lindsay Pincus
Here’s a peek into the room from the foyer, where Pincus set the tone for the house. “The entry was the perfect opportunity to make a sophisticated yet playful space,” she says. She accomplished this by using a bold-patterned wallpaper in neutral tones and adding unexpected dollops of color.