Room of the Day: Color Cheers Up a California Living Room

Moving from a two bedroom apartment in San Francisco to a four bedroom, three bath Craftsman bungalow in the suburbs was an exciting upgrade for this young professional couple. They just wished their new living room had reflected that cheerful tone. With a budget of about $6,000 they turned to designer Leslie Harris-Keane to help brighten the formal setting with an upbeat color palette and eclectic furnishings that induce a grin any time someone enters the room.

Before the makeover, the living room was dark and uneventful. It had great bones, decent light and good architectural details, but it also featured an area rug that was too small for the space. “It made the living room seating area feel smooshed together,” Harris-Keane says.


Photos by David Duncan Livingston

The homeowners kept many of their main furniture pieces, but the bulk of their budget went to a new 11-foot-by-14-foot grey and taupe area rug that opens up the living room with a playful but not overpowering pattern.

The cheerful colors in the print above the fireplace provided the inspiration for the room’s bright palette. Vibrant accessories, including two hot pink poufs that act as additional seating, punch up the couple’s existing Restoration Hardware sofa and chairs.

“When a client has great foundation pieces, then I can really focus on the details that bring a room together,” Harris-Keane says. “My clients had already done an amazing job choosing stylish, neutral pieces for the room. I added a colorful layer that brought the room to life.”

Vintage vases placed on top of a vintage bamboo cabinet add height to the room.

Mid-century brass coffee table: ebay find; pillows: Crate & Barrel; pink poofs: Anthropologie; yellow tray on coffee table and throw on sofa: One Kings Lane; area rug: Dash & Albert Rug Company; print: Crate & Barrel


The couple found the vintage cabinet at a Napa Valley antique store and had it spray painted a glossy black to give it new life. They keep some of their most prized possessions here, including a dried wedding bouquet, an antique silver punch bowl the owners received as a wedding gift from Harris-Keane and a vintage cake topper. Board games for game nights are stored behind closed doors in the bottom.


To create the entry gallery wall off the living room, Harris-Keane walked through the house pulling art from the walls in other rooms to use in a new way. The charcoal nude was from the husband’s grandmother and the Matisse print above the mirror was purchased during a trip the couple took to France. Blue and white porcelain jars and the cobalt blue containers that hold the plants add color to the console.

Console and mirror: Restoration Hardware


A fuzzy creme pillow on a see-through chair creates a fun departure from the room’s former traditional leanings. The couple purchased the heart print above the chair from a store in San Francisco on their first Valentine’s Day together.

Light beige paint with a gray undertone replaced the dark taupe wall color from before. “It gives the room warmth but still keeps it airy and bright,” says Harris-Keane.

Ghost chair: vintage home store find; wall paint color: Kelly-Moore Malibu Beige; trim color: Polar White by Benjamin Moore; wood floor: distressed walnut


As art lovers, the couple had a cabinet full of coffee table books that were hidden away and rarely seen. Harris-Keane put some to good use in a yellow faux crocodile tray on the coffee table.


An antique Staffordshire dog figurine found on ebay also founds its way onto the coffee table.


The porcelain accents in the living room are a mix of antiques and affordable reproduction pieces, including this pair of porcelain pineapples from Home Goods that sit on the mantle above the fireplace.


This floor plan shows the living room’s location right off the front door and porch of the home, and the nearby proximity of the kitchen and family room.

“We wanted people to be greeted by something fun and beautiful, inviting and comfortable,” says Harris-Keane. “My clients are young and vibrant, which was reflected in their color choices. The accessories are a mix of traditional pieces, like the blue and white porcelain jars and the Staffordshire dogs, and modern pieces, like the yellow faux crocodile tray and modern art over the fireplace. The mix of elements and layers of color give the room a comfortable and collected look.”

See more Rooms of the Day

URL: Room of the Day: Color Cheers Up a California Living Room http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-24398.html