Re: LIVING ROOM

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Enjoyed your analysis, @manny2 !

QVCisFun · ‎03-31-2010

I think the living room is really nice, but lacks warmth and cheerfulness. I think it is because of Studio McGee's color choices and lack of window coverings, as the mood of the room feels gloomy and overcast , which I love for weather but not usually for interior design.

If some of the same furniture and decor were in warmer neutrals and more color, it would feel more inviting.

It's like Studio McGee didn't follow their own advice. On the main page of their website is a link to "4 Ways to Elevate Your Home with Fall Trends" and one of those ways they mentioned was using Rich Color Palettes (#4 on their list). They say "one of the best ways to infuse warmth into your space is through palette in many ways, it establishes the tone of the room . . ." and they went on to say they are "loving rich muted reds, warm-toned neutrals, and deep greens." Yet this room doesn't appear to have any reds, and the warm-toned neutrals are overwhelmed and silenced by the grays and other cool-neutrals.

Some of the other projects shown on their website have the same feel. They seem to play it safe with their design choices, maybe because they sell items that they use to decorate with, and are trying to keep the options broadly neutral/generic to maximize sales? Just a thought.

The photograph on the mantel is a perfect match to the coloration of the room. It was fun to notice that the room has a floating couch.

@Oznell An example of a room that I find happy is from an older thread you posted titled "old movie star house" - the living room of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner designed by Peter Dunham (I had wanted to post on that thread but didn't manage to get it done). That is a cheerful, warm, cozy, comfortable room.

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Love the way you're making me examine my perceptions, @QVCisFun , even when I don't necessarily agree! Yours is a thoughtful approach to design.

Personally, I do think they follow their own credo of infusing warmth through color palette-- that gorgeous olive green on the couch, the warm-toned plaids on the chairs, the checks, the terra cottas in the mantel photo and mantel pottery, the wicker vase, the earth-toned rug, the creamy beige travertine on the coffee table, etc. So I do believe they fulfill that mandate.

You and others have convinced me about the windows (lack of!) treatments. I love bare windows aesthetically, (even though personally I must have shades of some kind, but minimal), but this room would benefit from some unobtrusive treatment there. I don't find the room gloomy-- the outside is admittedly filtered by all the greenery and trees around the house.

Your example is interesting. That early Ben Affleck house was cute, and I loved the way it presented an unpretentious alternative to the chilly Aaron Spelling entry. Yet, in its own way, I believe the interiors played it more safe, i.e. "cuddly cottage", than the McGee living room.

Thanks to you and others who responded comprehensively for taking the time to analyze in-depth, and present your very defensible views, @QVCisFun ! It's fascinating what each of us takes away from a space, and I always learn something from the exchange of ideas we get to have in the Home Forum.

QVCisFun · ‎03-31-2010

@Oznell , I agree with you that all the objects you mentioned infuse warmth into that room, and I like many of them. But to my eyes the warmth is over-ridden by the cool-tones so that when viewing the room as a whole it comes across to me as grayish overcast just like in that photograph over the mantel, the warmth is too subtle for me in the photos. I had noticed that the bricks in the fireplace are red, but somehow that didn't help warm up the room much either. It is interesting how we perceive it differently. As I said, I do like the room. And I do think it would be a pleasant and comfortable room to spend time in as it is; maybe in person the warmth is more apparent as the colors and details would be closer and more noticeable than how it's coming across in the photos.

You mentioned the Aaron Spelling entry that was in the same thread as the Ben Affleck/Jennifer Garner cozy living room house, to show as a contrast. I agree the Spelling entry is chilly, but it didn't bother me. It brought out the kid in me - that long entry hallway could accommodate a slip-and-slide water slide. Could ride on a mattress down those stairs. Or play catch indoors. And the outdoor areas, room enough for a baseball game or all kinds of other outdoor activities. Just getting from room to room or one part of that large property to another would keep one in shape.

That is sad you no longer have your green velvet couch. I hope you got a nice set of drapes or dress out of it . . . Just kidding. My grandmother had a beautiful green velvet couch with a very substantial poofy single-seat cushion that you sunk into when you sat on it, and as I recall it had wood trim along the arms, backbone, and wood legs. I loved that couch, it was gorgeous. I love green, I love velvet, and I love green velvet.

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

Ha, ha, @QVCisFun , that image, among others, of a mattress racketing down those monumental Aaron Spelling stairs, that definitely opens up an intriguing potential for that cavernous space!