Many of the original characteristics of this 1920s Mediterranean Revival had been stripped away by the previous owners. When this young family of four purchased the home and moved in, they wanted to bring those details back into the design while also creating a family-friendly home.
Designer Alexandra Denburg of M&P Design Group and contractor Michael Guttilla were brought in to reintroduce the Mediterranean architecture back into the house and inject new life into the space, including this living room.
Denburg is mindful when it comes to selecting furniture shapes and how they play off each other. In this Room, a square sofa sits beside a curved one. When it comes to choosing pieces with different fabrics (or no fabrics), she thinks about functionality and aesthetics: The large sofa is fully upholstered to the floor; next to it sits a smaller upholstered sofa with visible legs, and on the other side of the wood coffee table are two armchairs with decorative metal frames. The pieces all work together to create a proper balance.
Finding the right combination of the shapes, materials, and textures within one space can create a beautiful design. “In this room, I chose woods, stones, metals, clays, and varying fabrics,” says Denburg. “Push that further, and you get to the second layer, which is to play with how these materials and textures work off each other—polished versus raw and natural stones, soft velvets juxtaposed with chunky knits, woods with varying textured surfaces, and mixed metals”
Moravian star lights hang next to strong linear beams. “I always play with furnishing styles,” says Denburg, “no matter what the aesthetic is.”
To add some of the original architecture back to the space, Denburg mounted ceiling beams. “Not only do they add visual height by elongating the sightlines of the room itself, but the beams balance the dark wood of the floor, and add contrast to a monochromatic palette,” she says. She also remodeled the fireplace. She removed the wall jut behind it to create a flush wall for the new fireplace to sit against; she also added an angled surround which adds height to the room.
“Working without a color story, I focus on other design elements: texture, shape, and material,” says Denburg. She believes texture is crucial within a monochromatic space because without it the design can feel very flat. “Layering in velvet, wool, mohair, and knits lends tactile interest.”
Get the Look
Custom Sofa / Price Available on Request, Dune Furniture
Oslo Pedestal Coffee Table / $1,995, RH, White Plains
Ashley Childers Elder Lounge Chair / Bronze, Price Available Upon Request, Global Views
Form Studies Ceramic Planter / $39-$149, West Elm, Scarsdale
Andalucia Atlantico Fez 8-3/4×10 Matte Tile / Price Varies, Walker Zanger, Port Chester
Augustus Pendant / $4,500, Lightology
Trieste Bench / Large, Price Available Upon Request, Mr. Brown London
Astral Wall Lamp / Price Available Upon Request, Mr. Brown London
One Layer Horn Scalloped Mounted Rings / Black, Price Available Upon Request, Global Views
Related: This Somers Home Redesign Infuses Comfort and Functionality Into the Space
