Rooms of the Day: Bringing the Happy Into Formal Spaces
Having recently completed their family room and kitchen in a bright, contemporary style, this Houston family of four couldn’t live with the dark, heavy traditional furnishings in their formal living and dining rooms another minute. They were looking to lighten things up, literally and in spirit. “We were inspired by the renovated spaces and wanted the colorful and happy feeling to flow throughout the rest of their home,” says designer Laura Umansky, principal at Laura U.
Umansky started with a neutral palette, brought in reflective metallic pieces and added dashes of bold, saturated colors to the Georgian townhouse, while incorporating special pieces from the clients’ trips abroad and art collection. Here’s how she used light and color to give the formal spaces a new, happy feeling.
Photography by Julie Soefer
Umansky began with a neutral backdrop, which allowed her to add big dollops of bright, saturated color. Embroidered sheer trellis fabric on the window treatments dresses the large openings while allowing in lots of natural light. A light-colored wool rug provides a neutral base, but also ties into the metallic finishes she chose for the room’s tables.
“The cocktail table is definitely a statement!” Umansky says. Even though the mass of the table is hefty, the hand-applied silver leaf finish reflects the light and transforms it into more than a large floating block. The side tables add more reflective metal.
The accent chairs, too, are covered in a fabric with a subtle sheen.
Drapery fabric: Kravet
The painting provided the color inspiration in the newly renovated family room, but both client and designer agreed it belonged in the formal living room. It fits right in with the new furnishings and attitude in here.
The furniture layout is set up for conversation, and the bold colors, the view and the artwork inspire it.
“The client loved the mix of the fuchsia and purple and wanted to add a pop of chartreuse to add contrast,” Umansky says. The aubergine chenille on the stools adds the biggest dash of deep color. Just the right amount of dark wood on the bases anchors the space.
The formal living room is fully open to the dining room, so Umansky united them by using the same drapery fabric. The rugs complement each other but are subtly different in material, pattern and color. Viscose gives the rug a sheen, continuing the reflective qualities in the adjacent room.
Dark wood — solid maple with a coffee bean stain — is more prevalent here than in the living room. The side chairs were made in North Carolina, but tie in well with the Asian-style pieces.
The clients acquired the painting and the cabinet, an antique Chinese chicken coop, on their travels.
Side chairs: Century Furniture
“Since the palette is fairly neutral in the dining room, we felt that a great way to infuse color was with the chair backs on the host and hostess chairs,” Umansky says. “It pulls the vibrant hues of the formal living space into the dining space.”
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