Today I get to introduce you to one of my oldest clients! I started working with Esther and Taylor way back in 2021, when they reached out about furnishing their new home. Working on an entire house takes a lot of time under the best of circumstances, and all the moreso when dealing with a pandemic and supply chain issues!
Esther and Taylor’s new home had been updated and renovated beautifully by the previous owner, with a spacious kitchen and a truly incredible back yard entertaining space. Nevertheless, there were still a few quirks that made space planning tricky. Because the renovation worked off the much smaller footprint of the original home, the new layout had two slightly strange spaces: one very large open plan room incorporating the entryway and kitchen, as well as an open space with a fireplace; and a smaller, mostly enclosed room down the hall.
When I met with Esther and Taylor, they were having trouble deciding which space to use as the living room and which to use as the dining room. After talking through how they live and how they entertain, it became clear that hosting was going to be a major feature of their day to day lives, and that they love lingering over a meal with friends. For that reason, we decided to tuck a cozy living room into the smaller space down the hall, and to lean into a grand dining room in the bigger area.
This is the space they decided to use as the living room when we started out:
And here’s the room today!
It seems like in a small room, you need to either skimp on furniture or go for minimalist pieces to match the scale—but that just isn’t the case! Even though the room is small, they knew they wanted to maximize the number of people who could squeeze into the space for cozy parties, so we brought in a ton of seating. A pair of chairs, a full size sofa, and a love seat all keep company together. The space feels intimate, but not crowded—fully devoted to its purpose as a conversation group, with no wasted space.
We brought in a TV for movie nights, plenty of blankets and pillows, perches for their cats, and plants. I love how comfortable and snug this room is. If you look closely you can catch a glimpse of the dining room—which you’ll get to see next time!
Until then!
Check out the rest of Esther+Taylor's home*
*links will be added over the next few months. Check back to read the rest as they go live!