Room of the Day: East Coast Preppy Meets West Coast Cool

“The fact that our clients were making a big move from the East to the West Coast really served as the inspiration for the space,” interior designer Shea McGee says of this lovely California formal living room. “We wanted a mix of preppy and coastal styles.” Because the family already had a more casual TV-family room in the house, they had the freedom to go more formal in here. The result is a living room that’s elegant yet comfortable.

Photos by Tessa Neustadt

Living Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with young children
Location: Pacific Palisades, California
Size: About 300 square feet (28 square meters)
Designer: Studio McGee

The dining room and living room are within view of the front door, so they set the tone for the home. “The home didn’t have a designated entry, so we created one — the bone inlay chest and mirror vignette is the perfect spot to drop your keys or have one last lipstick check on the way out the door,” McGee says.

This tableau has a great mix of textures and materials that give this entryway area a well-traveled look — exotic bone inlay on the chest, chinoiserie-style bamboo on the mirror frame, leather on the British Colonial-inspired stools and a glass lamp that adds a coastal touch.

Cooper leather stools: Serena & Lily; chest, mirror and glass lamp: via Studio McGee


“This room is used mainly when our clients entertain and host big dinners, since it is connected to the dining room,” McGee says. “Because the home has a more casual great room for watching TV and hanging out, we got to have some fun with this room and design a more formal space — hence the white furniture and leopard pillows.”

She began with the beautiful indigo rug, which combines crisp East Coast favorite navy blue and a more bohemian California batik-inspired pattern. The next move was bolder — velvet leopard-print pillows. The white upholstery lends a more formal look, while the driftwood-like light acacia wood on the Spanish-style coffee table brings in a more casual coastal look. A fiddlehead fig adds life.

Wall paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore: trim paint: white lacquer without pigment; Mirabelle rug: Serena & Lily; Leopard velvet pillows: Arianna Belle; Barley Twist coffee table: Wisteria


While the overall scheme is more formal, there is a California casual feeling, thanks to the batik-inspired rug, comfortable fabrics, coastal touches and layers of texture on the window treatments. The treatments combine casual natural-fiber Roman shades and white drapes detailed with a Greek key trim. It’s a nice balance of laid-back and refined elements.

A comfortable seating layout arranged around the fireplace eases conversation. The room is a great place to gather for cocktails before dinner and enjoy coffee afterward.





The home was a spec house that the clients bought partway through the construction process. While the elegant Carrara marble fireplace surround and millwork design were already set, McGee helped her clients select the rest of the finishes, cabinetry and fixtures throughout the home.


“Our client loves gold and brass,” McGee says. She accessorized with warm metal finishes throughout the space, like this sailboat, the picture frame above the mantel and the directoire table between the two armchairs.





The entertaining spaces of the living room and dining room are open to one another. “Our goal was to create a flow between the two without being too matchy-matchy,” McGee says. “Both rooms have washed woods and hints of navy and gold throughout, which keep them cohesive.” While the drapery hardware remains the same, the drapes themselves have a livelier print. The coffered ceiling also helps define the dining room as an area within the open space.

Salvaged wood and concrete beam rectangular dining table and Belgian wingback slipcovered armchairs: Restoration Hardware; chandelier and chinoiserie side chairs: via Studio McGee

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