The Living Room Ladue News Show House 2016
This year for the Ladue News Show House I designed the living room. The house in the Central West End area of St Louis, Mo is a Victorian era home built in the late 1800’s.
My design concept for the living room was an updated, classic version of a Victorian parlor using rich, saturated colors and accents of white and gold. The walls are painted a rich teal, Havana Green. The ceiling and trim are a warm white, Cloud. The mantel, shelves, French chairs and console table are painted a dark blue called Blazer. The paint colors are from the Victoria Dreste Signature Colors through Sherwin Williams. The classically styled Gramercy chandelier with a gold finish and pearlized orb adds a brilliance to the room. The warm gold finish is repeated on lamp bases, side table and the fireplace screen.
The living room has a wonderful amount of natural light. The combination of rich, saturated
color on the walls and white, sheer window treatments create a space that is warm, welcoming and open.
Some of the furniture I used are vintage pieces that have been painted in glossy finishes and covered with current, updated fabrics.
The frames of the two French chairs were painted Blazer in a glossy finish and covered in Designers Guild’s linen toile fabric, Jade Temple.
This vintage chair started out with a walnut brown stained frame and a drab brown fabric. It is now completely changed with a glossy Cloud paint on the frame and a combinations of fabrics. The cushions are covered in a Kravet Couture fabric called Chenille Tweed. For the seat base and inside back I used a gold faux leather from Osborne & Little. The chairs were all totally transformed.
To add to the ambiance of the room I used a hand knotted area rug with a tribal pattern in rich colors that included the teal and dark blue of the paints. The art work is by the outstanding water colorist Muriel Eulich. To complete the styling I used accents of white and gold. Around the room there are ceramic and coral pieces in white. Gold is thrown in for brilliance and contrast.
Designing a room for a showhouse is a wonderful, creative process. I am the client and the designer. I look at the empty room and I know I can take it wherever I want.
I designed my room this year knowing I wanted to use saturated colors with a contrast of white and gold. A bold color palette that is also sophisticated and chic. I wanted the space to be specifically curated. Everything in the room has a place and a purpose.
