Living Room Tour: HGTV Green Home 2009

Interior designer Linda Woodrum created a quiet, contemporary and inviting living room for HGTV Green Home 2009. “This was more about a quiet feast for the eyes,” she adds. “One side of the room is very bold and crazy and the other is quiet and textural and focuses on shapes. If everything has color you stop noticing.”

The cozy gathering spot is defined by a trellis-patterned nylon rug and features a comfortable Transitions by The Charles Stewart Company sofa in a natural linen fabric and lounge chairs covered in Woodrum’s favorite collection of neutral fabrics, all organic. Just a hint of orange upholstery fabric connects the space to the more vibrant lounge area, and the addition of throw pillows in geometric and zebra prints add punch to an otherwise mellow, earthy space. A 52-inch Sony Bravia flat-panel HDTV invites guests to get comfortable and watch the game, and counterbalances the recycled-wood coffee table topped with an intriguing metal fish sculpture and wicker basket filled with Emerald Fronds. “Organics are wonderful to have inside the home,” adds Woodrum. “We made sure they were plants that were natural to the area and low maintenance.”

Design is in the details, so Woodrum did not miss the chance to add a few wow pieces where they mattered most. Teak root tables, complete with visible growth rings, flank the sofa and serve as pedestals for shiny silver carousel lamps. And then there is the console table: a recycled metal furnishing with a glossy white resin top. For Woodrum, the decision to pair a more architectural piece with rough-hewn wood was an easy one. “You have all these rustic elements in the sitting area and behind it you have this smooth sleek white surface — it’s a nice contrast to everything.” To continue the clean, open and uncluttered feeling of the space, the console table was topped with two blown-glass vases with exterior ribbing. “I love the glass color. It plays off the tiles in the kitchen and you’ve got those shiny translucent surfaces so you are finding a way to unite these areas,” Woodrum adds. “I love light going through glass, I love that glass is rustic, I love the bubbles and I love the shape.”

Although not immediately apparent, this central gathering area boasts a spectacular view. The clerestory, which features a hardwood ceiling constructed entirely of 8-inch-wide recycled-wood planks, shines a natural spotlight on the living room and offers up its own bit of suspended drama. The massive 45-light three-tier ring chandelier was chosen — after careful shopping and consideration — by Woodrum and HGTV Green Home 2009 builder Leon Camorda. “It’s the right scale, the right weight and I think we’re telling a story that is unique and special. It really is the unique feature in that space.”

The living room’s subtle design statement extends to the master-suite entrance, flanked by faux bois resin demilune consoles, each topped with a snake plant-filled planter. Driftwood mirrors add a dramatic touch and hint at the tropical-chic decor theme to come. “We thought about repainting the faux bois tables an orange and then we thought no, it’s really about bringing out the entrance to the master bedroom.”