“Since we were not concerned with pointing chairs and sofas toward a TV, we were able to arrange all the pieces toward the center, which also allowed for the fireplace and artwork to take center stage,” says Burnett.
When a local family first described their vision to Dave Fox Design Build Remodelers for a new and improved living room, they laid out a few challenging requests.
“The homeowners gave us an interesting challenge,” says Dave Fox Interior Design Manager Courtney Burnett, who worked with Dave Fox Design Consultant Scott Hennick on the project. “They did not want the typical built-ins flanking the fireplace, nor did they want a mantel that needed to be decorated.”
The family wanted an antique Scottish painting that they had inherited to be the focal point of the room, so the Dave Fox team worked to develop a timeless setting that fit the artwork but also reflected the family’s sophisticated, contemporary style.
Before the Renovations
“The owners wanted something that felt classic but had a dramatic effect,” Burnett says. “We knew the paneling would add a sophistication to the room, but we're not sure if the clients would like the idea of adding a rich color to the ceiling. Once we knew they were on board, we ran with finding the right navy tone.”
Working within these parameters, Burnett, Hennick and their team were able to come up with a modern, luxurious vision for the homeowners new living room.
“It took a while to create the vision during the conceptual phase,” says Burnett. “However, once the design concept was presented, we stuck with it through execution with just a few minor tweaks.”
Another interesting feature of the finished space is that it lacks a TV – somewhat rare in living rooms nowadays – but Burnett says this allowed the design team to create a unique layout for the room’s furniture.
“This room does not have a television, so it was all about enjoying conversation,” she says. “We wanted a central sitting area in the room underneath a statement chandelier.”
By far the most difficult aspect of the renovation was the maple wall paneling with poplar trim that wraps around the room, which needed to be built on-site as one large piece prior to being installed on each wall.
“The custom wall paneling is truly an art form created by our carpenters,” Burnett says. “If you could see this during installation, with all the wood joints and cuts exposed, you would really appreciate how much work goes into making this look seamless.”
After improving the lighting for a more appealing, romantic ambiance, the final task was installing the fireplace, which was custom-designed by Cambria with matte-finished quartz.
Burnett and Hennick agree that the finished project succeeded in achieving the homeowner's vision for their brand-new living space – and it would seem others agree. The project took home the National Association of the Remodeling Industry of Central Ohio’s Contractor of the Year Award for Residential Interior under $100,000.
“This room is now a reflection of the clients’ sophisticated style and has such a strong purpose,” Burnett says. “So often we have rooms we don’t know what to do with, or even use. I’m glad to see that this is a space that now gets used and appreciated all the time.”
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“The original can lighting created a utilitarian feel, lacking depth and warmth. The new decorative lighting was layered to allow the homeowners to create different moods within the room.” -Dave Fox Design Team
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“The scale of the painting was small for the room, so the paneling was done in a way to make it feel larger and more proportional to the space.” - Dave Fox Design Team
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“They wanted this room to pay tribute to (their) family's heritage as well as give it the art gallery setting it deserved.” -Dave Fox Design Team
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“We needed to come up with a minimalist design that still felt full of interesting details, and I think we nailed it,” says Burnett.
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Kendall Lindstrom is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
