A Sophisticated, Baby-Friendly Living Room

The living room is adjacent to an open kitchen that the couple revamped in black and white. To complement this adjoining space, I used black and white in the living room but kicked up the color quotient a notch. I chose a peacock-inspired feature tile in iridescent black, purple, teal, gold and fuchsia for the fireplace, and I used it as the starting point for the room's color palette.

I painted most of the room bright white, put up halogen lighting and laid down a natural-stained, strip maple hardwood floor. In the living area, I created a feature wall with a fireplace that has a black quartz mantel and hearth and is clad in the colorful feature tile. On one side of the fireplace I put in black, wood-veneer cabinetry for storing baby toys, and on the other side I painted the wall fuchsia and installed a flat-screen TV.

In the sitting area around the fireplace, I installed a variety of lush furniture. A white, easy-to-clean leather-like sofa and matching love seat, a funky teal chaise and a chair upholstered in luscious blue help to create a cool, lounge-like vibe. On the wall behind the sofa I put up wallpaper in teal and gold paisley for an added wow factor.

In the dining area, I installed a chic black table that can expand to seat six or contract for two, and I surrounded it with great chairs in the room's feature colors. I also created a small office area under the stairs that includes a desk with a painted glass top and a funky new chair.

But this room isn't just about style; it's also about substance. With this in mind, I installed some much-needed baby-proofing features. I clad the back of the hazardous open stairs with wood, added tempered-glass panels to the side of the stair railing and put in some functional (and ultra-hip) baby accessories, including a high-style high chair and the world's funkiest baby rocker.

After adding a host of fabulous accents and accessories, including a two-story remote-control blind, a stunning piece of art on the wall and a hanging mobile (for adults and kids), the room was complete.