My Designs: French Design - Before and After

This beautiful living room is located in a client's house that has undergone a total design transformation. Originally I was called to this house to finish up details my client's previous designer had left undone. She and her husband had recently "downsized" to this townhome and tried to use all their furnishings from their previous, much larger, home. They wanted an area rug - that was their first request. At that time, this room was gray and contained a large, gray velvet sectional - I kid you not!! As I listened to the wife and husband bicker back and forth, I realized the wife was toying with the thought of changing directions from soft contemporary to French design with an emphasis on antiques. She knew that in order to realize her dream, all the previous designer's work would have to be changed and everything else would have to be replaced, all at a considerable expense. To her it seemed an insurmountable task.



At the second meeting I was honest how I felt about their current decor. This honesty gave the wife the courage to change it. She convinced her husband to let me redo the house once again. We spent the next two years hand selecting every antique, fabric, wall color, accessory, and vibe necessary to achieve the total French design that she truly wanted.




Today, the room is a mellow yellow, with French gray trim. The curtains are a flowing pinstripe silk. The upholstery fabrics are linens and silks. The furniture is antique. It's been a long strange trip, but wow - it was worth it!