The debate continues between husbands and wives about how to mix his and her tastes, and one of the common requests by husbands (yes I’m generalizing!) is the placement of a big ol’ recliner smack dab in front of a giant screen. I’ll admit, there’s something comforting about the feeling of certain cushioning recliners for the television and movie watching experience, but the look?  I’ll just say it: I’m not a fan. Raise your hand if you’re with me.

Kathy M. recently wrote to this to me. “How can I incorporate a leather recliner in a design plan for my main living area? My husband is insistent!” I invited contributing writer and interior designer Courtney of Courtney Out Loud to tackle this topic, please welcome him back with his thoughts on the issue of recliners in interior decorating. 

“I don’t think I have ever met anyone who has ever said they want their home to be an uncomfortable and uninviting place. Mind you, that everyone has a different concept of what that is, but I think I can safely say that home is where we all go at the end of the day to kick off your shoes, let down your hair, and relax.

So it comes as little surprise when clients come to me and ask for interiors that exemplify those ideals of comfort. Kate came to me with a question from one of her readers on how to integrate a recliner into her home, I had a moment of pause. To be honest, I still have flashbacks of the large, over-stuffed leather recliners that seemed to dominate the 70s and 80s living rooms. To me, they exemplify an overly relaxed way of addressing a client’s need for comfort.

However, I firmly believe you can still have a place to put up your feet without sacrificing style. Incorporating a recliner into your room is simple as these rules: Reimagine It, Scale It, or Forget It.

Reimagine It.   Canadian designer Meredith Heron, believes that recliners can work in any space but they shouldn’t look like recliners. "I use recliners in many of my rooms" states Heron. "But I do them all custom which allows me the greatest control." In the example below, Heron reimagined the traditional leather recliner as a pair of streamlined, velvet club chairs that flow effortlessly into her pale grey and cream palette. 

Meredith Heron Designs

Stephen Tomar and Stuart Lampert of Tomar Lampert Associates followed a similar approach to Heron in creating the pair of channel back recliners in the serene shade  that serves as the focal point in a monochromatic room.

Tomar Lampert Associates 

Takeaway: If budget allows, a custom upholstered recliner allows you to all the creature comforts of a recliner without sacrificing any style (see also some of Kate’s picks below).

Scale It.   Typically, I love big things. Huge things. The more oversized the better, as they relate to accessories, artwork and lighting. However, when it comes to furniture, pieces should always be balanced and in scale with the room, which is why I have a hard time with recliners. I find many to be bulky white elephants that clients try to shoehorn into a space. They are the furniture equivalent of bullies, forcing all the other furniture in the space to the edges of the room.

Fortunately, retailers have taken heed and are producing some fantastically sleek and deliciously modern takes on recliners. Mid-century modern lovers will undoubtedly love the classic lines of the Milo Baughman Recliner 74 by Design Within Reach. The walnut legs elevate the body of the chair making it less bulky than its current counterparts and the wispy arms along with the elongated back create a frame that is less ballerina than lumbering lumberjack. The sense of lightness and airiness of the piece isn’t overpowering and won’t overwhelm a room.

Design Within Reach

 

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I met a friend at her house a few weeks ago, she has four cute kids and an empty hallway, and she was asking what to do with the “blankness” of it all.  I’m a big believer in “bigger is better, make a statement!” when it comes to displaying photographs, and you cannot go wrong with black and white – they are undeniably classic and oh so sophisticated when gathered in a group on display.

For her hallway, I suggested four extra large black frames and white mats with their darling faces enlarged and all four hung in a grid; or a simple hallway collage like this one I created for another friend years ago.

But it got me thinking…beyond the hallway, there are multiple ways to display black and white photographs, it just depends on the space and whether you prefer a more eclectic and asymmetric display, or if you favor a symmetric or streamlined look.

Symmetry is the easiest look to pull off, just gather up the same size frames in a grid – bonus points for large off-center mats, and then hang your favorites in a series.  The bigger frames and mats are an investment but worth it, the look is timeless.

Samantha Pynn

The best part about a gallery like this is you can change out the photos as you please since photography enlargements are so affordable.   Showcase your favorite vacation, your wedding, silly faces, your family members, whatever is meaningful.

Pinterest

This image has been seen by many, but it’s still one of my favorites.  It took some thought to achieve the look, but I love how this display keeps your eye moving around and yet it is still so well balanced. Notice the mix of black and white frames in different sizes and that one black mat thrown into the mix, all of it hung on a blue painted plank wall – lovely.

Pottery Barn

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Brooke wrote to me a few weeks ago asking for suggestions on what to do with her catchall office space and looking for a few tips on how to pull a look together in an affordable way.   Here’s Brooke’s summarized email: 

“The room is 11 x 10 with 8 foot ceilings and the only thing that has to stay is my grandmother’s desk, a family heirloom.  As far as my style, I prefer light colors, whites, creams, warm grays, some navy blue and punches of color.  I’m not a huge floral print person,  but I’m obsessed with stripes.  I love minimalistic, simple non cluttered, but you probably couldn’t tell from the photos.  LOL!  Oh, and I love texture.”

Here’s Brooke’s catchall space that she can’t wait to clean up and organize and turn into a functional and comfortable home office, once she has a style plan in place.  Ignore the mess she says! 

And here are a few of the images Brooke sent me for inspiration: 

image sources: 1 / 2 / 3

She loves whites and texture and pops of navy, so here’s a basic plan for including all of those elements:

sources: accent chair / chevron pillow / rope ottoman / billy bookcases / geometric panels / parson’s desk / rattan office chair / navy stripe indoor/outdoor rug

How fantastic would  white plank walls be in this space like the ceiling in the first image?  With Shelley’s DIY instructions, Brooke could install them herself.  I love the idea of an accent chair in a corner to plop into to read or have a conversation with someone else in the space. 

Texture is easy to add with accessories – any basic chandelier can be wrapped in rope , or consider Ashley’s jute wrapped pendant as an alternative to the ceiling fan.  A stool wrapped in rope can become perch too – or the Crate + Barrel Samar ottoman is another option for a textural accent.

Pottery Barn’s desk chair is a little pricey, but the idea is to keep an eye out for a nice wood desk to pair with the white desk for contrast, or continue to use the farmhouse version shown.  Billy bookcases are affordable, add necessary storage, and they’re easy to personalize – add fabric or paint to the back and crown molding to the top like we did in this playroom. The dark wood desk will stay in the space and be placed under the window or on the opposite wall next to the closet.

A pair of geometric window panels would add a welcome pattern and Brooke loves stripes so this Dash & Albert striped rug brings the look and since it’s indoor/outdoor, it cleans up easy.

With the basics in place, all Brooke needs to do is layer with more colorful and meaningful accessories like a cool lamp and some artwork.  Brooke wrote that she loves globes so I can see a collection of them up on top of the bookcases.  Add more textural accents and perhaps a few pieces in gold or antique brass for warmth and this would be one fine office! 

What say you readers?  Any ideas for Brooke you can think up to help her spruce up her space? 

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I’ve been asked a few times to recommend a “perfect gray paint” to readers and I have difficulty doing so only because there are so so many of them, and it in truth it really comes down to the style of your home, your taste, which direction your room faces in your home, its amount natural light, how paint samples look on your wall, and undertones, always undertones!

I’m contemplating repainting the small studio above our garage so I am also in search of the “perfect gray” for that space.  Gray is the de rigueur neutral right now but rightfully so because it’s a perfect backdrop for the multiple palettes you can assemble with your layers of furniture, fabrics, and accessories.  Today, I rounded up my favorites (both swatches and real paint samples) to share with you.

In my eye, gray paints fall into three different families:  1)  ‘Cement Grays’ which to me are the truest gray with little to no undertones – I can think of no other analogy than the sidewalk!  Then there are 2) ‘Warmer Grays’ which lean a little closer to taupe and can have subtle red or brown undertones, and then there are 3)  Blue/Green Grays, with blue and green undertones which I’ve used time and again in my living room, master bedroom, master bathroom, etc.

Here’s a peek at eight favorite “Cement Grays” – ones where I see little to no color in the undertones in the swatches and samples.

1.  ‘Nimbus Cloud’ by Martha Stewart;  2.  ‘Dolphin Fin’ by Behr; 3.  ‘Stonington Gray’ by Benjamin Moore; 4.  ‘Argos’ by Sherwin Williams;  5.  ‘Passive’ by Sherwin Williams; ‘Silverplate’ by Sherwin Williams; 6.  ‘Notre Dame’ by Valspar; 7.  ‘Granite Dust’ by Valspar.

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