When I was a child growing up in Michigan, I have memories of my grandparents protecting their living room furniture to keep it in pristine condition. My grandparents had clear plastic covers on the couch, coordinating chairs, and plastic runners that directed foot traffic throughout the house. Looking back, I suppose this was a housewife’s dream. I have no recollection of the plastic being removed from the furniture. Once the covers went on, they stayed on. Furniture and carpet was sheltered under plastic for many years. My grandparents’ living room looked like a showcase model encapsulated in time.
Don’t worry, I’m getting to the makeover story about the dark brown and moody color scheme, just go on this journey with me, please.
I still recall the squeaky sound it made whenever I sat on the couch. The plastic was stiff and it whooshed when sat upon. No matter how cool the room temperature, I recall getting stuck to the sofa whenever my 10-year-old thighs got hot and sweaty. However, the discomfort of the plastic was softened by the sweetness of the candies in the glass dish nearby.
My mother and her husband never used plastic to slip–cover their furniture. But I have memories of them having rules about their swivel recliners. These were exclusively my parents’ chairs. My three siblings and I weren’t allowed to sit in them unless our parents weren’t home. If we were sitting in either one when they walked into the room, they gave us a thumb gesture, which simply meant “get up and outta the chair.”
Back then I didn’t know I’d grow up to be an interior designer. But I did know that when I had a house of my own, I’d make sure it was free of plastic covered furniture. And I wanted a place where anyone – family or friends – would want to hang out and sit wherever they chose.
So, today I thought we’d talk about how we spun a disaster into an opportunity. How my husband and I took the cards we had been dealt and capitalized on the opportunity to enhance our home. We had no plans to remodel, but we used a devastating hurricane as a prompt to recreate a happy, enjoyable open-concept room. The open concept combines three rooms into one larger space. In our home, there are no walls that separate the kitchen, living room (or family room) and dining area.
Ok, so who’s ready for a room makeover reveal?
Before we hired Mike Progl from Coral Coast Construction to do the renovations, I researched color trends. I wanted to know what paint manufacturers and color experts predicted for 2023. I love color and especially love nature colors. The exterior of our home is painted earthy green, all the doors are dark brown, and trimmed with crisp white paint. So, I was thrilled when I read the color predictions: nature-inspired shades along with dark, moody colors. At first when I thought about using a dark moody color on the walls and the ceiling it felt a bit scary and yes, I was nervous. I understand a dark moody paint choice wouldn’t be the most obvious paint color choice for most folks, especially here in sunny southwest Florida. In fact, some people thought I was a little crazy when I said I was going to paint our open concept spaces—walls and ceiling—dark moody brown. But, you see, I was aiming to bring the outside in. Strategically placed towering trees surround our property. There’s a group of trees which stand so tall with seemingly endless more trees beyond that leaves me breathless. The nearby landscape is well-maintained with mature shrubs and tropical plants. I wanted to bring all this inside. After you step inside our home, I wanted the feeling as though you’re taking a walk through the woods. So, a moody, cozy, woodsy tone was what I was after.
Who among us hasn’t looked at a fan deck of hundreds of paint colors and become completely overwhelmed? Now, even as an experienced interior designer, choosing a paint color isn’t always easy. At the time, I had a general idea of what color I wanted. But it took some convincing my husband to go with a dark, moody brown. (We’re still married, don’t worry.) I went to the paint store and discovered there were at least 150 colors that are called “earth tones.” And that’s just from Sherwin Williams. How confusing! I narrowed down my selections and purchased three small samples of different shades of brown, and painted them on the wall. The color that won: Sherwin William’s Tea Chest SW 6103. I won’t lie, after the first coat was painted on the ceiling, I had a moment where I thought, What on Earth have I done? I was having some serious doubts. But thankfully, I stuck it out and trusted the process. It wasn’t an overnight decision or one I made lightly. The room is so much more inviting now and has a real cozy feel to it. I’m proud that we were brave with our color choice despite some initial apprehensions.
Now, onto the furnishings. One way we saved money was by keeping most of the previous furniture and artwork. Luckily our favorite La-Z-Boy sectional hadn’t been affected by any water damage from Hurricane Ian. The crayon green fabric plays well with the deep, moody brown walls and it ties in with the indoor plants. We chose the new jute area rug because it was budget friendly, but then it also proved to be good looking, and great at hiding dirt. Nature can be a great source of inspiration for designing spaces that are both comfortable and calming.
However, the pièce de résistance are the decorative flying birds. I felt the whimsical birds would be a great way to provide visual interest and charm. (I ordered decorative birds from different online companies. When they arrived, the color of the birds didn’t go with our room. So, it turned into a DIY project. I hand-painted the birds.)
A design tip: hang curtains and shades a bit higher than your windows to accentuate a room’s height. Even though we’re blessed with tall ceilings, it never hurts to emphasize that fact. Our curtain rod hangs just below the crown molding. Speaking of design tips, here’s another: you’ll get perfectly spaced folds in your grommet curtains if you use empty toilet paper tubes. The toilet paper tubes prevent the curtains from looking limp and squished together, and they are not visible because they sit behind the folds.
Although my grandparents’ fashion didn’t last, I will never ridicule my Grandma’s sofa. When I think of the hard candy, the whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on every piece of homemade pie, the warm memories are reminders of days past. Grandma’s pretty 60’s retro aprons (she wore one all her life, even if she was in the kitchen to make only a cup of tea and a sandwich), and the telephone party lines, and that plastic-covered sofa, I just can’t help but love those memories, too. Many people have great memories of being in their grandparents’ home, so a sofa becomes part of those memories. My grandparents’ home was all about the love—and that’s what we make homes for.
And before I go, we (and by we I mean I) would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike Progl, owner of Coral Coast Construction. Mike did a fantastic job as a general contractor. I’m genuinely grateful for the high-quality of work provided by Mike and his team throughout the entire remodeling process. I wholeheartedly appreciate the way Mike worked on this project and made it a success. My husband and I will continue to recommend Coral Coast Construction’s impeccable services to others.
Well, let the pictures speak for themselves. There really is no place like home.
I ain’t gonna lie. I was skeptical. But it IS gorgeous. The birds are truly sensational.
I am surprised by how much lighter the ceiling seems than the walls, even in the pictures here. I’ve seen it in person and I know for a fact the ceiling and the walls are the same color, but the light in the room does really stunning things for the overall effect.
Well done! It’s a very comfortable and welcoming room to be in.