Room of the Week: A Sunken Living Area With an Upmarket Boho Vibe
A sunken living room with a groovy corduroy sofa sets the tone for laid-back family fun in this renovated home
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Brief
We were involved in the final stages of this renovation, and were tasked with bringing together the home’s classic and contemporary elements. The client had an eclectic collection of furniture – a mix of different styles inherited from her grandmother and accumulated from living abroad – and she wanted help incorporating them into the new contemporary renovation.
We were involved in the final stages of this renovation, and were tasked with bringing together the home’s classic and contemporary elements. The client had an eclectic collection of furniture – a mix of different styles inherited from her grandmother and accumulated from living abroad – and she wanted help incorporating them into the new contemporary renovation.
We sourced decorative elements that would soften the clean, modern lines of the house. Handmade pieces, such as the beaded chandelier above the dining table, helped the client’s rustic dining table sit comfortably in such a modern space. The Stolab Lilla Aland spindle-backed dining chairs, which we introduced, added a timeless touch, and the natural warmth of the wood looked beautiful alongside the rustic brick wall.
Starting point
The bones of the space were already in place when we were engaged, so there were a number of key features we needed to work with. These included the exposed-brick wall in the dining/entry area (which was salvaged from the original house), the built-in corduroy sofa in the sunken living room, the client’s dining table, polished- concrete and timber floors and black steel-framed windows.
The client had a large, sentimental collection of art, which we edited in order to include key pieces in each room. The resulting schemes were in response to these works.
The bones of the space were already in place when we were engaged, so there were a number of key features we needed to work with. These included the exposed-brick wall in the dining/entry area (which was salvaged from the original house), the built-in corduroy sofa in the sunken living room, the client’s dining table, polished- concrete and timber floors and black steel-framed windows.
The client had a large, sentimental collection of art, which we edited in order to include key pieces in each room. The resulting schemes were in response to these works.
For the stair wall, which runs almost the full length of the sunken living and dining areas, we had earmarked a painting of Melbourne at dusk. It needed a darker wall to help anchor its deep, rich hues in the space, and we selected Dulux’s ‘Oboe D’Amore’. We chose a high-gloss finish to contrast with the surrounding subtle, textured surfaces. This really became a feature wall and set the tone for the palette in this open-plan space.
Key design aspects
Colour palette: The retro, bohemian tone of the built-in corduroy sofa demanded subtle, layered tones and texture for the rest of the room. We chose an earthy, muddy palette with hand-blocked cushions for the sofa (fabric from Walter G).
The rug added something abstract and textural to the space, mirroring the pool outside in a play with light and shadows. It’s a digital collage of layer upon layer of broken surfaces, rough concrete, fading light, blurred shadows and smudges of deep blue pigment. It sits perfectly on the polished concrete floor of the living area.
The white doors were softened with mouldings and painted in Annie Sloan chalk paint in ‘Paris Grey’. We eventually used the same chalk paint on the kids’ piano (in ‘Graphite’) to give it a more subtle matt finish so that it felt more at home in the dining room alongside the other tactile furniture pieces.
Colour palette: The retro, bohemian tone of the built-in corduroy sofa demanded subtle, layered tones and texture for the rest of the room. We chose an earthy, muddy palette with hand-blocked cushions for the sofa (fabric from Walter G).
The rug added something abstract and textural to the space, mirroring the pool outside in a play with light and shadows. It’s a digital collage of layer upon layer of broken surfaces, rough concrete, fading light, blurred shadows and smudges of deep blue pigment. It sits perfectly on the polished concrete floor of the living area.
The white doors were softened with mouldings and painted in Annie Sloan chalk paint in ‘Paris Grey’. We eventually used the same chalk paint on the kids’ piano (in ‘Graphite’) to give it a more subtle matt finish so that it felt more at home in the dining room alongside the other tactile furniture pieces.
Materials palette: I designed the fireplace in collaboration with the joiner, and had it tiled in Patricia Urquiola Mutina Dechirer 600 x 600 millimetre porcelain tiles.
The bas-relief in the tiles allows the light to catch the subtle pattern from different angles, making them a perfect feature tile for this spot. But at the same time they were challenging to work with – especially on the mitred corners of the fireplace. All the tiles had to be sent off to a stonemason for cutting and then assembled like a huge jigsaw. It was a massive undertaking, but executed so well by our joiner. There were many nail-biting moments as it was painstakingly installed.
The bas-relief in the tiles allows the light to catch the subtle pattern from different angles, making them a perfect feature tile for this spot. But at the same time they were challenging to work with – especially on the mitred corners of the fireplace. All the tiles had to be sent off to a stonemason for cutting and then assembled like a huge jigsaw. It was a massive undertaking, but executed so well by our joiner. There were many nail-biting moments as it was painstakingly installed.
Key pieces of furniture and accessories
- Klaylife Sash chandelier in grey
- Ecosmart Fire fireplace
- Kerrie Brown You Crack me Up rug from Designer Rugs
- Walter G cushions
- Thonet Stolab Lilla Aland dining chairs in solid birch
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture/fixtures
The built-in sofa and dining table were already in place, which left us little room to move on the floor plan. We were able to squeeze the kids’ piano into the dining room, and the fireplace into the sunken living room, which meant that everyone in the family was happy.
Challenges worked around
The house was built with entertaining in mind, but is also home to four small children, so each room needed to serve multiple functions. Each joinery set was designed with this is mind and includes multi-functional elements. In the sunken living room, the fireplace unit also houses the television, speaker, DJ decks, subwoofer and AV, plus display shelving. Fitting each of those elements in to one unit when some generate heat and others are heat-sensitive was another challenge.
The built-in sofa and dining table were already in place, which left us little room to move on the floor plan. We were able to squeeze the kids’ piano into the dining room, and the fireplace into the sunken living room, which meant that everyone in the family was happy.
Challenges worked around
The house was built with entertaining in mind, but is also home to four small children, so each room needed to serve multiple functions. Each joinery set was designed with this is mind and includes multi-functional elements. In the sunken living room, the fireplace unit also houses the television, speaker, DJ decks, subwoofer and AV, plus display shelving. Fitting each of those elements in to one unit when some generate heat and others are heat-sensitive was another challenge.
Why do you think this room works?
It successfully blends old and new, and there is a history and meaning to many of the pieces, which makes the clients and their children really connect to their new home. Tactile layers of natural materials combine to create a warm and cosy ambience.
Tell us
What do you love about this room? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like or share this story, and save your favourite images. Join the conversation.
More
Looking for more ways to work an open-plan living space? Check out last week’s Keep It Separated: Zone Your Open-Plan Apartment With Flair
It successfully blends old and new, and there is a history and meaning to many of the pieces, which makes the clients and their children really connect to their new home. Tactile layers of natural materials combine to create a warm and cosy ambience.
Tell us
What do you love about this room? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like or share this story, and save your favourite images. Join the conversation.
More
Looking for more ways to work an open-plan living space? Check out last week’s Keep It Separated: Zone Your Open-Plan Apartment With Flair
Answers by Kate Connors, principal designer at Kate Connors Interiors
Who lives here: A couple with four young children
Location: Tamarama, NSW
Room size: Sunken living room, 4.5 x 4.5 metres (20.25 square metres); dining room, 3 x 5.5 metres (16.5 square metres)
Scenario: The open-plan space with a dining room and sunken living room was part of a renovated, beachside family home.