Room of the Day: Family Memories Fill a Casually Elegant Parlor

This parlor room holds fond memories for its owner. I say “parlor room” because that’s what it’s been known as in this family for generations. It’s in the triple-decker house the owner’s grandmother lived in and where her father grew up. Though the room was ready for a refresh, she wanted the retain those family memories. Interior designer Liz Miller infused the room with updated style and incorporated meaningful things that keep the owner’s family history around her.

Photos by Jessica Delaney

Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A single woman
What happens here: Entertaining family and friends, lounging, reading, writing emails and watching TV
Location: Dorchester neighborhood of Boston
Size: 150 square feet (14 square meters)
Designer: Liz Miller

The homeowner is a Houzz aficionado and had gathered lots of inspiration photos to show Miller, whom she also found through Houzz. This gave the designer a clear idea of the casual elegance that appealed to her client.

“We wanted the style to be lively and fun and approachable,” Miller says. “She also loves to entertain friends and family a lot, so we didn’t want anything to be too precious, like you’d have to say, ‘Oh, don’t sit there!’ or get upset if something spilled on a pillow.”

The jute rug can take a lot of abuse, and reasonably priced fabrics cover the throw pillows. “We knew we needed some pops of color against all of the neutrals, but we also wanted her to be able to feel like she could replace them down the line if she wanted to switch up the look,” Miller says.

Alexa Hampton Audrey flush-mount light: Circa Lighting


BEFORE: In a snapshot taken for reference before work started, you can see the view from the dining room into the parlor. “It was plenty roomy, but there were some challenges,” Miller says. There were French doors that led to the dining room, a door that led to the hallway outside of the unit, and the door seen on the right side of this photo that leds to the balcony to work around. There were also a radiator and a steam pipe in the room to contend with.

The homeowner kept the vintage barrel chairs seen here. Miller freshened them up with spray paint and new upholstery.


AFTER: Incorporating memories was a big part of the design process. They replaced the futon with a new velvet sofa because the homeowner remembered her grandmother’s velvet sofa.

Miller lightened the room with Revere Pewter paint on the walls and Decorators White on the trim (both by Benjamin Moore). She ditched the heavy orange drapes but kept the fabric Roman shades that the homeowner had recently had custom made.

Sofa: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; London coffee table: Ballard Designs; yellow pillow fabric: Duralee; blue pillow fabric: Pindler; Axis adjustable foor lamp: Robert Abbey; rug; Pottery Barn


“I love to try and incorporate vintage objects into all of my projects,” Miller says. The dominos atop the coffee table are vintage, as is the framed map of Boston.

The homeowner works for the city of Boston and found an antique map from the time after her street was built.


BEFORE: The homeowner had her TV perched on a tray.


AFTER: Miller designed millwork over the radiator that extends to form a shelf under the TV. The TV itself is wall mounted with a swing arm. Another shelf underneath provides room for media equipment. Look closely and you’ll see the DVD player and router cleverly camouflaged among the books.


The millwork extends over the radiator and serves as a bar and a place to display beloved family photos. The print above the bar is from The Stationery Boutique, an Etsy shop. Miller found the frame at Target.


The top of the shelf is the most remarkable element in the room. The homeowner’s sister is artist Cris Reverdy. She made the poured resin top and incorporated pieces of fabric from her sister’s childhood sweater into it. It’s a very personal touch.

The custom countertop adds texture and shine and a break from the white millwork. A vintage book and vintage-looking glass add some age.


This door is not used except when large pieces of furniture need to be moved in or out of the house. Miller got busy with a DIY project, antiquing new mirror panels and adding them to the five-panel door, which helps bounce the light around. She also added a vintage doorknob she found at an architectural salvage place.

The refreshed vintage barrel-back chairs are comfortable without hogging too much space. They needed to be neutral, but the wavy zebra pattern adds texture and pattern, Miller says. She upholstered the backs in a solid fabric.

Chair fabric: Shadows, Lee Jofa; throw: Restoration Hardware


The homeowner wanted a window seat. Miller’s design works beautifully with the original moldings. The mirrored faceted table provides room for a book and a cup of coffee.

The owner collected the shells at the beach near a family home in Ireland. Miller had them custom framed with glass on both sides so you can flip the frame over and see the backs of the shells.

Custom woodwork: Shaun Ritter, Needham Woodworking; accent table: West Elm; ikat striped pillow fabric: Duralee; teal pillow fabric: Kravet


The art is all very personal. We’ve already covered the antique map of Boston, and the framed shell is from the same beach in Ireland as the others. The homeowner’s sister painted the landscape.

Now the parlor feels personal and keeps many family memories alive.

Framing here and for the shells over the window seat: custom, Framers’ Workshop

More: Browse more Rooms of the Day

URL: Room of the Day: Family Memories Fill a Casually Elegant Parlor http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-26284.html