In the living room, the fireplace is flanked by a beautifully milled mantel with a natural wood finish and dark stain. The homeowners had chosen this wall for an accent wall. This was a great idea, but the color chosen did not bring out the true beauty of the mantel. When the ladies at DesignSmith came in, their first task was to choose a color that set off the mantel. The Grays had chosen a pale blue color; this was quickly covered with a rich, dark blue that had enough color to showcase the mantel.

Another thing the ladies at DesignSmith noticed was inconsistencies with the light fixtures. Upon entering the Gray home there is a lovely wrought iron caged chandelier. Other original light fixtures in the living room and garden niche were brass and copper. So, in an effort to create continuity and have the light fixtures be in keeping with the home, the ladies had the sconces and other lights replaced with wrought iron light fixtures.

As mentioned earlier there are many windows throughout the home to showcase the beautiful water view. Unfortunately, the two windows on either side of the fireplace showcased the carport. To block the view of the carport and still allow ample light into the room, white plantation shutters were added to the bottom half of the windows. If the shutters are opened slightly, even more light will flow into the room, while still distorting the carport view.

When entering the Gray home, the theme of the living room was Americana. Before the remodel, blue leather furniture was adorned with Americana needlework pillows and in the middle of the room was a small dhurrie rug woven with flags throughout. When Donna and Angelo came to DesignSmith they were given many different fabrics to choose from. The fabric palate that they chose still gives a country chic feel, without the bombardment of flags. The patterns chosen ranged from toile to checked and the colors from red to blue. This created a warm and inviting feel. The small dhurrie rug was replaced by a large rug that filled the space and tied in all of the various color palates.

We all want our living space to be our own, but who knew that hiring someone to help meet this goal can make it even more attainable, affordable, and timely. One of the main aspects of this remodel was that the clients were the ones to make all of the decisions. The ladies at DesignSmith worked very carefully to guide Donna and Angelo in their decision making, while still allowing them to be the decision makers. The end result was not a living room that must be treated as a museum, but a living room that the Grays feel comfortable living in. The furnishings and fixtures highlight the homeowners? taste, not the designers?, and that is what made this project so successful.