Calm at Home with Black, Beige, and Bourbon tones

We are excited to share how we pulled together our family room design for this year’s Aspire House in McLean!  You can find more information about how to visit the designer show house now through September 14 at aspireshowhouse.com.

When considering our design direction, we first looked to the architecture of the home to be our guide.  The modern Palladian Villa’s family room features a planked oak ceiling with clearstory windows, wide stacking doors that open to the outdoor porch, and a sleek black marble fireplace.  We embraced these features and the space’s inherent symmetry, painting the walls a soft white to create a crisp black and white base for our neutral palette.  We then layered the room with more natural stones, mixed-metals, and wood tones to evoke warmth and calm in an inviting mix. 

 We built the design over a hand-knotted wool carpet with a subtle over-scaled geometric pattern that has a great blend of warm neutrals: beiges, taupes, and grays.  Sofas from Mr. and Mrs. Howard are upholstered in a pale caramel fabric with a soft tonal pattern. Striking geometric fabrics from F. Schumacher add interest as accent pillows and enhance the sharp lines on a pair of mid-century Jens Risom chairs.  The seating group centers on a large-scale, architectural cocktail table from Hickory White and a bold, brass-framed mirror that captures attention above the fireplace.

On the left side of the fireplace, we transformed an early 19th century French Potting Table into an “Old Fashioned Bar” in keeping with the bourbon tones placed throughout the room. On the opposite side, a custom cabinet by John Fawcett in a beautiful natural wood tone features geometric gold hardware.  Above both hang a pair of eye-catching abstract paintings by Amy Allison that help bring the room to life with their warm layered color tones. By combining both old and new furnishings and custom designs by creative artisans, we’ve fashioned a perfect place to relax and unwind with the family.