Whitney wrote me about a small wall in her living room that acts as a pass-through to other parts of her home. She feels like she’s missing an opportunity to do something really pretty in this spot—and I agree.
What I’d take away from this space. . .
The console she’s using in that spot is the perfect size—not too deep for a busy area. (Important side note: she has two boys.) But, the mirror is too small for the wall (as also noted by Whitney in her email, I might add). I don’t think it’s necessary to fill the entire wall, but I’d like to see something taller to balance out the armoire in the room.
Here’s a quick look at the rest of the space. I noticed she already has several blue accents so I went along with that idea when making my suggestions.
What I’d give to this space. . .
I like the idea of a mirror to open up the space and something tall will balance out the armoire on the adjacent wall. The arched shape of the pagoda frame would also help with softening all of the hard angles. I would also use a runner to define this spot as more of a “pass-through”. (It’s okay for the runner to continue into the next room. Also, the one I recommended got great reviews for durability.) A small skirted ottoman would be a nice way to soften the space and could be pulled over next to the piano, if needed. Whitney doesn’t need many accessories on this small table, but some colorful flowers would be a happy touch.
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Love your recommendations! I would also recommend taking the pottery off he top of the armoire. She has many accessories in the room and it will reduce the height of the armoir– especially if she increases the size of the mirror.
Thanks for your comments! What isn’t visible in the photo is that on the right is a two story stone fireplace. The pottery on the armoire helps offset the height of the fireplace, which is hard to decorate around since the room is a rectangle with the fireplace on the long outside wall. The fireplace came with the house so I have to work with it! I think increasing the size of the mirror will help with the armoire and the fireplace, so Emily made a great suggestion!
Emily, Emily, Emily! How do you always manage to pick the perfect things?
I love Whitney’s sofas.
I know you love a pagoda, but if one wasn’t up for that choice, what sort of mirror would you suggest for this space Emily?
Good question. I would still do something with an arch top. (Maybe similar to this one.)
Emily, Great work as always! Where did you find the half-round table pictured above?
Thank you!
Love your tips, the change of flowers can freshen it up over and over. Would Whitney mind
sharing her wall paint color? love it!
Hi! This room is painted Sherwin-Williams Nomadic Desert. In our master bath, we used Kilim Beige, which is a shade lighter on the same strip–I actually like the lighter tan better. Even though I chose Nomadic Desert for this room and it’s a good color which works with the stone fireplace, it doesn’t feel quite right to me. The rest of the rooms on this floor are painted gray (Repose Gray is in the hall you can just see in the first photo), and we are happy with the grays (I love grays; my very first couch was gray 20 plus years ago). Since this room is two-story though, I was afraid gray would look too cold in the larger space. But so much tan seems too much. Still I can’t imagine a color on the walls here instead of a neutral. Almost every day I wonder if another color would look better in here! Sometimes a just right color seems elusive.
Thanks for taking the time to write! Your home looks beautiful and i really like the warmth of the color – and it’s such a nice neutral. I’ve been procrastinating for 2 Years and i think i have found my color, but i definitely will check out the whole strip.
I have a similar situation. Do you have a source for a similar table? I was hoping there would be one on the “like it to know it. I love the traditional look of the table and the finish is perfect.
Thank you,
Shelley
I don’t. I just pulled it from Google images since she already owned it. Try searching by demilune console.
Emily, I’m so excited that you picked my wall for your Give and Take! I so appreciate your thoughtful ideas. I like the idea of a taller mirror. I had been thinking wider to take up more room on the wall, but taller should look better in the room as a whole. I hadn’t considered a rug there, but I bet it would make the area feel warmer. I will let you know how it all turns out!
Thank you so very much. I have been following your blog for years, and it’s one of my favorites. Your blog posts always have a keeper plus they are visually lovely and just enjoyable to read.
P.S. GO CATS!
Hi Whitney–so glad you saw and liked it :) Good luck with the space!
I like the mirror you offered as a suggestion – it makes you look a little harder at the space. The one that is currently in place is much too simple and understated, If Whitney is looking for the simple and yet not so obvious one, choosing one with the Williamsburg look can be a consideration. I find the Williamsburg range of mirrors theming with the colonial appeal, rich in woody color and yet aesthetic in design. Thanks for sharing Emily.
that mirror is a standout! worth saving for.
I love your suggestions Emily! I have a question about space/proportions. How high is the wall? The mirror is beautiful but will it really work well over the table? The description says it is 58-60″ high. Assuming the table is about 30″ high, it appears that another 60″ above it would bring the top of the mirror close to the crown molding. What are the ideal distances between the top of the table and bottom of the mirror and the top of the mirror and the crown molding? Thanks!
Good question. info: This wall is 9 feet high, including the 5″ molding. So subtracting the molding, that leaves 103″ to work with. The table is 32″ tall. So that leaves 71″ of space above it before the molding.
One wall color that she could consider is the Ben Moore Edgecomb Gray. It has warm undertones and can look, depending on your light, of course, like beach sand. So the gray undertones is great with it too! I love that color! (Love your room!)
This was such a fun post! Can I ask where Whitney’s sofas are from??
Hi! We ordered these from Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams. It is the London sofa in gray linen; I don’t know if they are still making this model. They are about 5 years old and have held up very well even with two boys. We find Mitchell Gold furniture to be very well made, and their customer service to be excellent. We are lucky to have a store in our city–the after Christmas sale is awesome if you can get there early!
A large round mirror would be great to offset all the rectangular and square edges.
I love your suggested look for the wall and it would look lovely in room. Great job (again)!