Vellore Village Living Room Reveal

I have said it many times, a cohesive design look and plan for your entire house, can not only keep things on track, but also on budget. The design for the Vellore Village was created before any of the spaces were modified, and started being implemented stage by stage. A year later we still follow the plan to complete it. If you saw our Vellore Village Kitchen Reveal, you would’ve already seen sneak peaks of this space. If you didn’t, I urge you to take a look to better understand the design decision and how it all flows from one space to the other in this open space home.

Will go through what was kept and incorporated into the design, what was changed and what is yet to come. I wish I was better at remembering to take before shots in my own home. Since I am not, I will leave you with the only photo I could find that features one of the ‘things’ ever-present in the house: Luna. She will not miss a photo opportunity. The major change is obviously the wall colours. The orange on the walls hadn’t been changed in over 10 years, and we were just in the mood for something deeper that would create a cozy family room.

Whenever we suggest dark wall colours, our clients are always hesitant at first. I am here to hopefully change everyone’s preconception that dark walls will automatically darken the room and create a cave-like experience. The right colour, combined with the right furniture and accessories will actually create depth, comfort and just the right amount of drama.

All the furniture was existing, so I knew a dark colour will make the white pop even more, and create balance. This shows that you do not have to change everything in a room to make a difference. Little changes like paint and decor can have a huge impact. When looking for the right colour, I looked for inspiration at our collection of glass art by Romanian artist Ioan Tamaian. It has become a family tradition that we always bring a piece back whenever we visit Romania, so naturally the collection has grown over the years. The fireplace quartzite was chosen as a backdrop for the artwork, as it was the perfect way of adding texture without introducing another colour.

When looking at wall colours, Benjamin Moore’s Old Navy kept standing out. It is such a cameleon colour, and it is what set the tone for the rest of the main floor. When direct sun hits it, the blue tones really stand out, but in the evening it becomes darker, moodier. Exactly what was looking for.

TIP: I would highly recommend testing a colour in different lights, and different times of day.

The West Elm Champignon Chandelier seen above was the latest addition to the room, but feels like the one that tied everything together. Such a well made light fixture, elegant, and understated.

The accessories, such as pillows, drapery and rug were all chosen to complement the rest of the design choices. The rug is part of the Torino Collection from Dynamic Rugs. This particular model seems to be discontinued, but I have seen it occasionally at HomeSense. It is a low pile rug that is holding up extremely well, even with the cats occasionally attempting to use it a scratching post. Both the pillows, and the curtains were custom made to bring in the blues and greys that are dominant throughout the main floor.

Last, but definitely not least, lets talk about the feature wall. It has been such a controversial subject in the design world. Are feature walls a thing of the past? As usual, the options are split in half, and my advice to anyone not sure about incorporating one, is to forget about trends and opinions, and ask themselves if it’s something they see in their own home. The mural chosen here was custom made with the colour altered to match the Old Navy paint. It made such a statement in the space, but since the colour is similar, it actually blends in and brings cohesiveness to the room.

The only things left to change in the room are the tv console, the traditional columns seen between the living room and kitchen, and the armchair seen in the corner. There is nothing wrong with any of them right now, so the transition will be done in time.

How do you feel about dark walls? Let us know in the comments, or reach out to us on our Instagram.