A warm wood console table greets visitors at the door of this midcentury home, as well as provides storage for books, keys and mail. To complete the vignette, designer Barbara Vail hung a round, gold-trimmed mirror overhead, which helps to make the small space feel larger and more open.

With clean white walls, soft natural light and a spacious rug underfoot, the living room of this historic Cambridge, Mass., home is at once bright and ethereal. Patterned pillows add subtle visual interest to the sofa, as well as encourage rest and relaxation with man's best friend.

A closer look at the living room corner reveals the designer's attention to scale and detail, with two copper frames and a tall plant adding height to the space. Below, mixed-patterned pillows pair well together thanks to their complementary colors.

Opposite the sofa, two sapphire blue armchairs denote a more formal sitting area for entertaining guests. When paired with a copper side table and high-gloss pillows, the gems make an especially chic statement.

To make the room feel even more warm and welcoming, designer Barbara Vail layered the space with her client's vast book collection. With their spines arranged by color and size, the novels easily enliven the white walls.

Just down the hall sits a formal dining room steeped in midcentury modern style, with a Sputnik light fixture and large square table. Blue armchairs anchor either side of the room and echo the hues in the framed artwork.