Interior designer Toby Strogatz is challenged with making over a bland living room in Pamela Hughes style. Since Hughes often uses elaborate rugs as a starting point for a room's color scheme, Strogatz does the same thing to transform a non-descript space into a luxurious and beautiful suite:- This living room is comfortable for lounging in its current state but not really set up for company plus the vintage furniture and bare walls combine to make the room seem dark.
- Strogatz livens up the room by toning it down. The creamy walls are just the right color for a Pamela Hughes living room so just troubled spots are touched up. The neutral background gives one the freedom to experiment with color in other areas of the room.
- Hughes thinks floor covering is an important element to consider when thinking about color for the rest of the room since you can pull colors from it to select fabric for window treatments and upholstery. Strogatz chose three hand-woven area rugs with a French design for this room.
- Based on the colors of the rugs, a patterned couch with a champagne background and a complementary peach chair are placed by the window in an intimate arrangement. A comfortable multi-colored striped chair for lounging is put where the computer was. Beautifully patterned pillows with fringe trim add even more luxury to the couch.
- Lighting in a living room is very important because it affects the psychological feeling of the people in it plus it should be functional. Hughes likes to light the perimeter of the room so there aren't any dark corners (use dimmers for maximum control).
- Inexpensive thrift-store paintings plus mirrors with gilt frames are hung on the walls and greenery and flowers enhance the look.
- The cost of traditional Pamela Hughes-inspired draperies is cut without sacrificing any elegance by adding trim to purchased draperies.
furniture and accessories (mirrored wall sconces 2074151; topiaries 2445033; lamps 1096230 and 1096229; rose arrangements 3446080, floral arrangement 1445751; St. Germain sofa 12078263; KP Diana chair 12075673; KP Laurent chair 11371013; end table 1228503; coffee table 1228510; sofa table 1119620) (Ethan Allen Home Interiors)
floor lamp with hanging tassel and oil paintings (Xcessories, Inc. by Design)
silver punch bowl/cups and tassels for curtains (The Bombay Company)
wall and trim paint Oyster White (walls) and One Coat White (trim) (Duron)
curtains (Linens 'n Things)
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