Before and After: Sophisticated Living Room Redesign

Before

One of the first things Kenneth suggests is bringing in a bigger area rug. He says, "Area rugs set the stage for where the furniture will go. A bigger area rug will allow you to spread the furniture out and use more of the space." For Hilary and Will's living room, he has a piece of regular carpet cut and bound to make a rug. A simple two-foot extension of the wall between the living room and den also made room for the TV armoire. Here are a few of his other design tricks Kenneth follows to create their spectacular room:

• Painter's tape is used to show the dimensions and arrangement of the furniture. Kenneth tapes out every piece of furniture directly on the floor so they can get a sense of how everything will flow together.

• Built-in bookshelves don't have to be boring. Kenneth paints the wall behind in blocks of subtle colors and removes a few of the shelves to make it more visually interesting.

• Even the bookshelf contents are given a designer flair — he says to create a sense of order by stacking books like a pyramid with larger ones on the bottom. Also, create clean lines by pulling the books to the edge of the shelf.

paint colors (Network Gray - 7073; Sage SW 2860; Blonde SW 6128) - Sherwin Williams
limestone hearth (Saint Alexandria Limestone) - Ultra Marble & Granite
custom frame for chandelier - Fantasy Lighting
sofa fabric - F & S Fabrics
custom sectional (City) - Richter Furniture
nesting tables (ATG Nesting Tables, Espresso Oak) - Civilization
living room fabric and chair (Cosmo chair in Cirillo Smoke fabric) - Cisco Brothers
office armless fabric and chairs (Cosmo armless chair in Hobnail Mint Chocolate fabric) - Cisco Brothers
sofa pillow fabric (Aspire Aqua) - Cisco Brothers
brown sofa pillow fabric (Bechamel Anejo) - Rogers & Goffigon
pillow fabric - Diamond Foam & Fabric
sitting room ottoman (Valente ottoman in Alazan brown leather) - Cisco brothers
area rug (Windhaven color 0015 Interstorm) - Carpet Design, Inc.
capiz shells for chandelier - West Elm
living room ottoman (Bondi in Western Beige leather) - Richter Furniture
rocking chair (Donolo chair in Natural Leather) - Design Within Reach
side table (Eileen Gray) - Design with Reach
Venetian plasterer - Zac Crandell Fine Finishes