Quarantine log, Day 5: If “social distancing” has proven anything to me, it’s that I am a true introvert. And now that all of California is officially supposed to stay indoors as much as possible, I have the perfect excuse to stay right here, on this velvet couch, surrounded by vintage oil paintings, binging the new season of Outlander.
Where is “here” you might ask? Oh, nowhere. Just my INCREDIBLY COZY, LIBRARY INSPIRED, DARK & MOODY TV ROOM. It’s only the room I’ve been dreaming of my entire life. Where I can lounge, dappled in the gentle afternoon sun, reading weathered copies of Jane Austen novels until I doze off. Now if only I could find a way to make velvet sofa lounging my full time job (Emily, we can discuss my proposal in detail later).
On a more heartfelt note, Mac and I are feeling VERY lucky that we have a safe place to live during this situation. The fact that it’s also incredibly beautiful is a true gift, and one that we don’t take lightly. Thank you to everyone who came and read yesterday’s post about our living and dining room, and for all the extraordinarily sweet things your wrote in the comments. Today we’ve got one more room reveal to share with you all, plus I’m going give you a few tips on how you to can achieve optimal small space coziness. In case you have some downtime in the next few weeks and want to create your own cozy corner. So let’s get started . . . .
Determine What The Space Is Going To Be Used For
Sofa |Leather Pouf | Rug (Vintage) | Brass Table Lamp | Paint Color
Maybe you have a tiny room you’re already using as a guest bedroom, an office, dedicated cat bedroom, or even a nursery (do you put children into the smallest room of the house? I don’t have one yet, so who knows!). Do you want to make it cozier? Yes? Great, you’re done with this step, skip to the next tip.
But maybe, like me, you’ve just bought a house with a strange small room that you’re sure has a dark, secret past, and you don’t know what to do with it. First, make sure all resident spirits inhabiting the room are amicable, then think of creative ways to use that space. Mac and I realized early on that our home (built in 1921), didn’t really have a dedicated space for a TV in the living room, because apparently TVs didn’t exist in 1921. And while Mac was ready to sacrifice form for function and put a TV over our fireplace, I was ready to burn our TV if it meant ruining the beautiful layout of our living room.
Instead, I suggested we turn the small, awkwardly shaped room at the back of the house into a dedicated TV room. We also decided on some minor, but impactful floor plan alterations that would make the layout of the house work better for us. Originally the master bedroom entrance was through the kitchen, and the room this post is about was a private space with a door. We decided to make it a pass-through space, removing the door between it and the dining room, sealing off the master entrance from the kitchen, and instead putting the door to the master bedroom IN this room. Here’s a visual to help you understand, because words are confusing:
This does mean that we legally eliminated the “third” bedroom from the house, for real estate purposes at least. But the flow of the house works SO much better now. If I could go back in time, the one change I would make would be to put a pocket door between the dining room and the TV room, just so we’d have the option of a door. But things aren’t perfect, and you move on. ANYWAYS, all of that is extremely specific to my house, so let’s get back to those tips.
Don’t Be Afraid To Go Dark (And Monochromatic)
Throw | Plaid Pillow | Silk Painted Pillow | Window Treatment | Sconce | Ceiling Fixture | Back Door Hardware
I think the first thing anyone would notice about this room is that we painted it dark. And I mean, daaaaark. One of the best posts I think we’ve ever written was a design mistake titled “Painting A Small, Dark Room White.” This post has STUCK with me for some reason, and I think it’s what really convinced me that this small room needed to be something other than white.
The second thing someone might notice is that while the walls are dark, so is almost everything else. The trim, the roman shades, the sofa, the built-in bookcase. Not only did we go dark, we went monochrome. I’d seen some version of this in a few historical homes, and felt entirely inspired. It felt both bold, edgy, and modern while also feeling timeless. You’re most likely to see it done in light colored rooms, but going that route in a dark room feels like more of a statement. Well, I was ready to make a statement.
Because I wanted to go for a monochrome lewk, and because paint colors come in so many different shades and tones but furniture and fabric options aren’t as abundant, I decided to source the sofa first and choose the paint second, using the color of the sofa as a guide. I started (and ended) my sofa search at Article, and went with my old standby – the Sven sofa, this time in Pacific Blue velvet. What. A. Dream.
I also ordered a swatch of the sofa fabric so I could easily hold it up against paint samples when searching for the right color. After much swatching, I found the absolute perfect color, which turned out to be Rookwood Shutter Green by Sherwin Williams. What I love about this color is that it has a touch of blue to it, so it really plays well with the sofa, but doesn’t feel like a blue (which I really wanted to avoid). It has so much depth to it, while still being a rich, dark green and doesn’t feel cold in the slightest. Quick technical note, we used Sherwin William’s Super Paint in here and the coverage was pretty fantastic. We went with eggshell on the walls and semi-gloss for all the trim (extra technical note, only because I just learned this as we were painting our house: A flat or eggshell paint is most traditionally used on walls and ceilings, but you should use a semi-gloss on things like trim, baseboards, and shelves so that you can more easily clean them).
What makes a dark, monochrome look work in a small room? The darkness of the paint feels intentional, like a comforting sleep mask rather than a pitch black pit. We’ve got three windows in the room that all get southern light, so when the shades are up parts of the room are bathed in stunning light, while others are thrown into even deeper shadows. It’s dramatic, but still totally cozy. And using the same dark paint on the ceiling as we did on the walls actually made the room feel BIGGER, because the ceiling almost just disappears.
If You Go Dark, Bring In Moments Of Light
I’m not talking about suddenly bringing in a white sherpa rug – unless you’re into big moments of contrast. For this room I really wanted a subtle, cozy vibe. Gentle transitions for the eyes as they move around the space, while still introducing enough pops of “lightness” to keep the dark monochrome aesthetic from going full goth (which, again, isn’t bad if that’s your wheelhouse).
I’d been hoarding this vintage rug from Neon Doves for about a year. Since we’d bought the house really, and didn’t know where it was going to go. I just knew it was “me” and I would find a place for it. It’s like this room was specifically created for this rug because it’s the perfect size, it’s got the perfect hits of blue-green to tie it in with the sofa and wall, and the style is just right for a historic library theme. It’s not a bright or ultra light colored rug, but the neutral tones are lighter than anything else in the room, so it doesn’t end up feeling like a hole in the floor.
Actual lights also bring moments of light to a room (what a concept). Besides the canned lighting we installed in the ceiling, I also choose three other key sources of lighting, and had them all share one common element – brass. Both the ceiling and table lamp are from Schoolhouse Electric, and between the opaque glass shade and their brass bodies, they’re the tiny pops of happy golden color that add some life into the room. The wall sconces are perfect for creating a warm glow in the room, and were essential for keeping the room from feeling like a never-ending hallway at night. When it starts getting dark we just flip those on (light switch cleverly hidden in the bookshelves), and suddenly the back of the house is a warm cozy den, rather than a gapping, black nothing.
Bring In The Warmth
I’ve gone on and on about painting your room dark, but what if that’s just not for you? I’m offended (get on this train with me), but fine. No matter what color you paint your small room, the rest of these tips are gonna help you make it ultra cozy. One of the biggest ways you can bring warmth and coziness in is through textiles. The velvet sofa, the rug, the leather pouf – all of these really evoke those “curl up with a good book” feelings. But the window treatments (from Decorview) are a heavy woven linen, which add another touch of rich textile. Their thickness and the heavy weave of the linen feel like a call back to rugs being hung over the stone walls in castles to help keep rooms warm. These also happen to be double-lined (blackout – aka perfect for daytime movie watching), so they feel extra warm.
Oh look, it’s our mid-post intermission – A video tour of the exact room you’re reading about (…would we call that an intermission?):
LET ME TELL YOU, being on camera is very hard and awkward. Emily always makes it look so easy, but as soon as I’m in front of the camera instead of behind it my mouth makes weird noises, I do odd things with my hands, and I never know whether to look at the camera or at Emily. Oh no, I’m having filming flashbacks. QUICK, let’s get back to the post.
Don’t Overcrowd A Small Space
When it comes to small spaces, they can get crowded fast. To keep them cozy you don’t want them too empty, but like, they’re also small so don’t try and shove a whole ton of stuff in there to try and inject coziness by way of claustrophobia.
Think about what you really need in the room to function, and then get rid of ONE thing (it’s just like fashion). What’s the weakest link in your furniture? Do you really need it? Get it out of there, and feel how much bigger the room suddenly gets. Since this is a TV room, which is basically a miniature living room, we started with all the normal dressing: Sofa, side table, coffee table, rug, lamp, etc. Then thought long and hard about the layout of the space and what had to go. The thing we got rid of was the coffee table. The space between the couch and the TV is already narrow, and adding a coffee table would essentially block our walking path.
So instead we have a side table tucked into the corner, a leather pouf for putting up feet, and since the shoot we’ve moved a tiny floating table into the room which we keep near the other corner of the couch (by the back door) that we can easily move around, and use to hold our dinner plates or snacks when needed. Though, we’ve been very good about eating dinner at the dinner table recently, and have been playing board games instead of watching TV. Am I bragging or not? It’s up for interpretation.
It’s All In The Styling
At the end of the day, a room isn’t fully dressed without accessories. These are the little things that can take the tone of a room from “box with furniture” to “cozy library.” The accessories you bring in can really help you communicate the overall desired effect you want the room to have. For example, if you want a room to feel minimal and modern you could use art with minimal colors and sleek frames. Or if you want a room to feel like you’ve spent a small fortune on lint rollers and you regularly clean up vomit from all the things you love, you could add a cat.
I did not want this room to feel minimal or modern (or vomit-y for that matter). I wanted it to feel old, worn-in, and full of soul. So I finally got to use (almost) the full extent of my vintage oil painting collection. All of these pieces are personal – one of them Mac and I bought together at a flea market, one I bought right out from under Emily’s nose, another I found at a vintage store in Berlin. Mac says I have a problem, but I always tell him to look inwards (at his own DVD collection) before throwing around serious accusations like that.
Under TV Shelf | Polaroid Frames
Instead of letting the TV dominate an entire wall, we added a little floating shelf below it as a way to bring in a few more personal accessories. Like more oil paintings (and a few photos).
Brass Sconces | Rock Vase | Cement Bust Planter | Stone Book End
But now I’d like to interrupt our current post for a sidebar about my favorite part of this room, and possibly the entire house. My custom built-in bookcase. It’s one of the very first ideas I had when we moved into the house, and so it’s wild to see it in reality. It started as a very rough sketch by me. I then relied on Velinda to translated it into an actual design that I could pass along to a contractor (hit me up in my DM on Instagram if you need a good contractor in the LA area, his name is Ron and he’s a really great guy).
A quick note from Velinda that more accurately describes how this went down – “Sara showed me her awkward corner, her rough sketch, and said ‘so you can just . . . design something to stretch from one wall to the other that makes the shape of the room feel more balanced and purposeful. Something with decent storage that will feel like it belongs with the rest of the house and hides this weird corner.’ Oh, okay Sara. Easy. I’ll just do that.”
It used to be an awkward, deep corner (formerly disguised as a closet). And now it’s a beautiful bookcase up top, and a functional storage cupboard down below (which still utilizes the depth of the aforementioned awkward corner). I whisper “I love you” to it every night as I walk by it on my way to bed.
Back to styling. Because I wanted this room to feel like a library, it’s only right that the bookcase be filled with a vintage mirror, cement bust, and more oil paintings. UGH FINE, we’re basic, we put books on the bookshelves. But we also put a vintage mirror (to bounce around a bit of light in the shelves), a cement bust, and more oil paintings (because it’s a LIFESTYLE). And a few little hits of life from greenery is always going to look good in any design. I particularly love the iron urn up top with the real limb-y plant that I found at my local nursery. It, in particular, makes me very happy.
My final and most important tip when it comes to styling is to keep it personal. If you want a room to feel lived in, cozy, and inviting then it needs to feel like a human actually spends time in it. Don’t be afraid to fill bookshelves with well-worn books, frame all sorts of family photos, and show off your tchotchkes. Get weird.
Ok, that’s it. Those are all the tips I have. I AM EMPTY OF INFORMATION. But I know you want to see some satisfying “before & afters”:
That was my last reveal for a bit. Next up, we’re working on the master bedroom and closet (I have plans, and yes, they include floor to ceiling wallpaper). And with all this time at home, maybe I can get Mac to design the office/guest room . . . .
Big shoutouts to Emily Henderson – the momentum behind these beautiful projects, Velinda Hellen – Our designer, ever-present advice giver, and dear friend (who also happens to be taking on e-design clients right now, for human-contact-free design work. If you tried to contact her through her website yesterday, there was a glitch! It’s fixed now, so please try again :)), my family – who literally rebuilt this house for us, all then vendors we’ve worked with – you helped us turn this house into a home, the EHD team – YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST, and lastly to all of YOU. Thank you for following along thus far, and hopefully continuing to follow along as we keep working on our home. Giving you all internet hugs xx
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1. Window Treatment | 2. Rockwood Shutter Green by Sherwin Williams | 3. Ceiling Fixture | 4. Throw Blanket | 5. Plaid Pillow | 6. Silk Painted Pillow | 7. Brass Sconce | 8. Stone Book End | 9. Rock Vase | 10. Cement Bust Planter | 11. Polaroid Frames | 12. Under TV Shelf | 13. Back Door Hardware |14. Brass Table Lamp | 15. Leather Pouf |16. Sofa | 17. Rug (Vintage)
Catch up on all of Sara’s Makeover Takeover: Sara Buys A House Part I: Six Tips For First Time Home Buyers | The Designing Begins: A Floor Plan Design Agony | The Designing Continues: Time To Pick Furniture | The Final Design Plan | A Fireplace Design Agony | Sara’s Moody TV Room Plan | How Much It Really Costs To Work With A Designer: The Final Tally Of Sara’s Project | Sara’s Living Room & Dining Room Reveal
Design by Velinda Hellen for EHD
Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp
This is beautiful and I love it!
Thank you so much Rossie!
Paint color is lovely! I’ve been toying with painting my bathroom ceiling the same as the walls. This is good inspo
DO IT!
Amazing! I’m sure I will be referencing these photos often for my own home inspiration (living and dining reveal as well).
Thank you Renee!
Goooorgeous! To have a cozy room like this (with soundproof walls and a lock to keep my children out)… ahhh. Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh man, I have two regrets about the TV room now. A pocket door and sound proofed walls!
The mid-post video was not there for me… can anyone else see it?
Do you have any ad blockers turned on? That’s the only thing that should prevent it from displaying.
So, so gorgeous! Very inspired. This reminds of a design agony question I have about a full bathroom with no natural light. Would you recommend going with medium or dark colors in there, too?
Such a cozy little place to be! Sarah, Velinda – you NAILED it! I especially love the cord management and the built-in. I could totally see sliding a little “C” table up against the front of the sofa with snacks on snacks on snacks and hours of Netflix.
OH! A C table is a great idea.
I love it, and your living/dining room flow too! I can’t remember if it was in a previous post, but what’s the rectangular panel in the ceiling about? Secret access to the Ravenclaw common room?
I can’t believe I didn’t touch on that! It’s the door to our attic, with a drop down ladder.
So gorgeous. Such a great use of space and so many special “moments” throughout.
Thank you!
Sara, it’s stunning! No pressure but I can’t wait to see the bedroom which hopefully is next 🙂
Also, I hate to be that person, but… that perfect drinking glass from on the side table, is it vintage, or maybe for sale somewhere? Thanks!
Hahahaha it’s from Ikea, and VERY affordable!
Love the decision to go dark with this small space. Cozy and dreamy. Taking notes in painting the ceiling. I have a smallish bedroom that I used as a home office – its maybe 9×9, with high quality but dark wood paneling. My husband won’t let me paint it… so I’ve embraced the dark like you have. But the ceiling needs painting and is still white. I’ve had so many ideas – metallic? – stripes? wallpaper? I see this and think low contrast is more expanding but am not sure I can bring myself to put more brown in here… is SOOOO brown. It’s a northeast facing room in MN, so we don’t have gorgeous sunshine to work with, but I still think dark works. Anyway, going to check out this lovely paint color you’ve shared and see if that feels more right. Enjoy your home and each other and stay safe.
Years and years ago, I saw a feature in a design magazine (maybe House Beautiful, late 90s or early 00s) where almost the entire house was done in browns, and it was gorgeous! Some rooms the dark was fully embraced, in others, they used a lot of white to contrast. I decided I’d have a brown room like that someday. I did it somewhat in a master bedroom, because a dark, moody bedroom is great for sleeping. While I’m over that brown love moment, I think you could totally do a brown room well. That said, I also have a lot of dark wood (1912 Craftsman), and I painted one small room a deep pumpkin spice color. A deep orange or red color could also feel monochromatic with the wood if you get the right tone. That’s why we see so many deep burgundy libraries. Good luck with your dark moody room!
Beautiful room! And the commentary was so funny and true to life that I read several parts out loud to my husband (cats! And oil paintings as a lifestyle!). Love this and the two of you! Velinda – best of everything with your new business!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Such a beautiful space to be nestled in while watching Outlander! Love that show (and the books are Ah-mazing). I’m so glad we got to see your house reveal this week! It has been so fun to see what you’ve done. Take care and enjoy your gorgeous house:)
Thanks Lindsey xx
wow. what a room! loooooooove everything you did with it! if we didn’t need to use our technically a third bedroom for a bedroom, i would love to do this with it! and, yes, i’m regretting giving the okay to put our TV up on our fireplace. ugggg. should have fought that one.
the colors are great, the feeling in there is great. and the brass shines against all the dark in there. so good.
A bedroom can be dark too!
Absolutely love it! It’s lovely, cozy and creative. Congratulations, y’all!
Also, if you’re going to be reading Mansfield Park, I’d highly suggest reading it by Jane Austen. Jane Austin is such a copycat ;p
Edit made 😉
So gorgeous! The before and after is incredible! I love how you’ve listened to your old house and not tried to force it to be something it’s not, and you’ve definitely accomplished your goal of giving it soul (in every room you’ve shown us so far!). Your writing is so funny, too. I feel the same way about being on camera!
Thank you for reading!
Wow. What a beautiful, evocative, dreamy room! Your home is wonderful. Question… I have been considering a dark velvet couch for my south-facing great room but was told the sun would fade it terribly. 🙁 Is there some kind of treatment on the fabric – or some special type of velvet you used so that wouldn’t be a concern? Thanks for the fabulous inspiration!!
No one told us to worry about fabric fade, but then again I didn’t ask, haha. I’m sure it could fade a bit, but we also keep the shades down in there most mornings when the sun hits the sofa, just because it helps keep our bedroom dark without us having to close the door (which would either trap the cats or keep them out all night).
I have this couch and never felt like it was in particularly direct sun in my house and it is SO faded…it is very comfy but has worn terribly for my family..just wanted to share because I wish I had known.
You can purchase, at hardware stores, or online, uv blocking film for windows They come in different shadings, and the lighter ones are truly not noticeable from inside. With a number of south facing windows, which had destroyed silk curtains, we are happy to have added the film. And now the silk curtains and Prussian blue sofa are holding up perfectly
Absolutely obsessed with this gorgeous room. LOVE.
Thanks Alison!
Aaaah …. as I imagine snuggling into that impossibly sumptuous sofa to read. Wait. No. To nap with the kitty! 😉
Sara, Mac and Velinda! I am truly inspired. I don’t actually think I could summon the courage to do the dark monochromatic thang, but it’s gorgeous!
I think my fav things have to be the actual built in, the sofa aaand that unique vintage mirror (it must hold many stories).
Question: (the video didn’t quite work properly for me, so maybe it was answered in that), are the sides of the bookshelf part where the sconces are mounted, actually hidden storage?? I zoomed in to try and see if the shelves continued ‘in’ there, but couldn’t work it out. Or is it blocked out empty space behind the sconces? I’m intrigued!
So great to have this to look forward to at the end of another spiky day of new Covid-19 cases. Australia’s borders closed tonight for at least 6 months. Most cases and the actual huge spike has been … imported cases from the USA! And 35 new cases from a wedding a week ago! People, consider postponing your weddings; Grandma doesn’t wanna catch it. It seems Rita Wilson might have been a bit of a “super-spreader”, too.
Stay safe people (my brother is calling people “sheeple” as so many carry on like herds of nutcase toilet paper hoarders, following along like sheep). xxx
Hi Rusty 🙂 Glad you are staying safe and thanks always for reading and commenting. I want to personally hug all of our loyal followers and commenters right now. so much love (and no spreading) from us 🙂
I love it! Love the bookcase and the bust. The wall color is dramatic and beautiful. It’s wonderful!
Thanks so much Katy!
This took my breath away! I applaud the vision it took to transform this space. I think many of us have older not great spaces to work with and this is so inspiring. Thank you for this welcome mental break this week!
Thank you for taking the time to read!
LOVE!
Love, love, love. My mother always says that no matter how big your house is, you will always end up snuggled into the smallest room, so you’d better make that one comfortable. What a great job you did with yours! (That wooden shelf under the TV is my favorite bit.)
Moms are so smart…
Yes! So perfect. So good. I want one.
Best line ever on the blog “Or if you want a room to feel like you’ve spent a small fortune on lint rollers and you regularly clean up vomit from all the things you love, you could get a cat”.
Hahaha the sad part is it’s true
I love everything including yesterday’s reveal! Can’t wait to see the rest!
Thanks Hana!
I love how it came together. Glad you stuck with the dark. I remember you had that moment of doubt on IG, and it made me thankful that even the pros get cold feet sometimes. Glad you have a good cozy spot in this crazy time.
You might call it doubt, others may have called it a full on panic spiral, but potato, potato!
my fingers have been suspended above my keyboard for several minutes as I’ve tried to translate into words the extreme enthusiastic design joy these reveals of your home have brought/are bringing me but have not been able to squish the emotion into anything beyond: these spaces are so, so, so, so, so, sooooooooooooooooooooo gosh-darn GOOD!!!!!
OMG, Emily (amongst others) your positive comments are literally decreasing the anxiety in my blood. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I feel like the luckiest person right now to have this community. thank you thank you. xx
Thank you for doing this reveal! It is a nice break and back to design. I’ve been thinking about doing so much to my home as I’ve been locked away for the past week. This is nice to have and I always love what design advice you have to share. I’d love to see some more roundups again. Some roundups on lighting, furniture, and paint. Most of the ones you’ve done are several years old and a lot has changed since then when it comes to what retailers offer. Another thing I’d love to see again are the high, medium, and lower cost style options that you used to offer for rooms. Those were cool!
Truly , deeply, THANK YOU!
This is the first time i’ve clicked on an EHD video!! What have I been missing all this time?!!? Such a great way to see the space and each of you. Beautiful room, beautiful process, beautiful finish!!!
YAY! we just started doing original videos every day for the posts that warrant it. (they used to be just random videos – like holiday reveal in July because I didn’t know how to manage it) so now we shoot an easy fun video when appropriate and throw it into the post. THANK YOU FOR WATCHING 🙂
Just geeking trawled back to my comment here (for a weird sense of continuity) to say I love the mountain house kids Room reveal video too – really great fun and sense of space!
Do you have any close up photos of how you dealt with the transition of paint colours in doorways? I’m planning on doing dark mouldings in one room adjacent to another with white, but am unsure where to stop each colour. Any references would be great!
I painted houses back in college… We’d make the switch on door trim color based on where the door shut, so that everything visible from each room was the same color, and then the part of the trim that the door hides matches the room that the door swings into. (And if you’re painting the door, the latching edge of the door that is hidden when closed should match the trim of the room it swings into, and the hinge edge matches the room it faces into when open.)
If there’s no door, use that same dividing line but when it’s time to choose the color for that ambiguous middle bit, look at it from both rooms and decide which color would look the least weird.
…though if you can afford to pay someone to do it, definitely find someone with great references and line that up for once people are leaving their homes again (or maybe bring them in with masks and gloves?) Small businesses are really going to suffer if we don’t make the effort to keep them afloat.
<3
Derp – forgot to say they’ll know exactly where to start and stop the colors.
This room is amazing! Thank you for creating it and sharing it with us!
You created just the perfect mood in here. The colors and textures are beautiful and the styling, as ever at EHD, is impeccable. And it’s also so functional especially considering its small size and the fact that it’s a pass-through! I recently tried to watch a movie during broad daylight in my family room with a large skylight, and I would have greatly appreciated a black-out blind! Thanks for being inspiration to all of us.
I knew daytime tv watching was going to be massively important, haha
You were ahead of the curve!
Hahahaha. Who. Knew. (gulp)!
So much soul! I love it! I just want to stare at it all day and recreate that feeling. I’ve done some darker cozy rooms before, but this is so much more striking. I love the sofa color with the wall color, and the lighter elements are just enough to make everything feel so good.
Thanks Suzanne!
I can’t imagine a more perfect place to watch Outlander!!
Other than a castle in the Lakes District, I can’t either
SO gorgeous! I cannot get over this room. Seriously stunning. (And your cat roller comments made me laugh out loud.)
GOOD, laughter is good 🙂
I absolutely love it!! Also your living room and dining room yesterday. I love the contrast between the rooms. You have created such a beautiful home. Stunning.
Thank you so much Robin!
Such a magical space!
Thank you for basically designing the small-scale version of the redesign I have in my head for our den. ? Gonna go ahead and steal all these details and ideas… No, but really, blue velvet sofa, dark blue/green walls, gallery wall, brass accents, old library inspired, it’s exactly what I’ve been looking to do. Question though, our den is actually biggish, the size of an average living room with high ceilings (currently it’s white on white, white walls with white floors) – thoughts on achieving this in a larger room? Would you change your strategy or approach at all? Can’t wait to see the rest of the house, I’m loving everything so far!
This could definitely be achieved on a larger scale! So many of our inspiration images were actually Pins of much bigger spaces/higher ceilings, actually. Go for it! And please reach out if you need any virtual help! velindahellendesign.com We’re with you alllll the way in loving that dark library feel! Best of luck!
This is amazing!! Can this dark cozy, library look be done in a windowless room too?My basement will have a windowless TV room and this is the vibe I’d love to accomplish, but is it ok to do the dark color with no windows to pull in light?
I’d say “go for it.” But I’d make sure I had a lot of light sources…I like that better than one glaring light source.
Plus, every room is windowless at night when the curtains/blinds are drawn! I’d go for that vibe. ?
Agreed, Paula! Good lighting makes a room… but especially a dark one!
Yesterday’s reveal was wonderful and this one is even better. Love the all-over dark paint and furnishings. But my favorite favorite part are your vintage paintings and other accessories. Everything is just right. Makes me sigh, wishing for that same styling ability to creatively use the things that we love.
Stunning! I love the paintings you’ve acquired, the colors look so rich when contrasted with the wall color.
This is absolutely my favorite room in the house! But, then, my middle name should be “dark and moody.” I love your little oil paintings…I also have a number of them. I got started collecting Gladys Duckworth’s tiny 6″ x 6″ oils when I bought a still life of pink roses in a blue vase in Ventura. The signature was “Verne of Hollywood,” but her most common signature was “Verne of Laguna Beach” from back in the day when LB was a real artist’s colony. Interesting lady.
I also adore your Victorian blouse. Is it vintage?
Lastly, those “small” structural changes make all the difference in the world to the flow of the house. The whole package is stunning.
I fell in love with that couch but my husband said no, so we went with the camel leather version for our front room. Seeing it in your room makes me wish we had bought it!! But I have some plans to bring that color in through pillows or something. 🙂
Oh, I forgot to mention that I love the dark switch plates…little things like that can have huge effect.
I love this so much. I have a living room/great room with the same green blue color. I have an old Turkish rug and mid century bureau and sofa, etc.
Were you able to refinish the wood floors? I can’t remember from the photos.
The sofa in the library/tv/den is gorgeous! And, you and the kitty. What a lovely photo of you. I can’t wait to see the rest of you and your beau’s home. Your parents must be so proud of you.
Seriously so so amazing! I love all the rooms we’ve seen so far but this room gets all the heart eyes and inspiration pins!!
This is so unbelievable. Crave-worthy and inspiring. And I could watch the time lapse of the awkward corner to built in 1000x.
Really incredible use of a non-usable room!! The built-in is absolutely gorgeous and I love the dark, cozy color…so perfect with a good coffee on a rainy day or a nice glass of wine on a super-hot So Cal summer day!! And it can always be turned back into a bedroom with a simple daybed. LOVE IT.
So, so, beautiful and inspiring! Great job everyone involved. I want to try something like this in my small study and wonder if I have enough space to pull it off. Do you mind sharing the room size/dimensions in feet?miche
I just love it. The dark moodiness is so good! I don’t know what else to say except that I LOVE IT.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I adore this room. It’s the cocoon I’ve been searching for all my life. I’ve made some attempts along the way, but never had the courage to go all in like this. Love, love, love it.
I am and forever will be obsessed with this room
Be still, my heart!!! What a GORGEOUS room — brava, Velinda, Sara (and Mac!), and everyone else involved. I have seen many stunning rooms on this blog for the last 8 years, but I think this might be one that actually will change how I’m designing my current home. The colors!!! The richness and texture. I love, love, love it. One million starry-eyed emojis over here.
Love it! Your house looks awesome. Can’t wait to see what you do with the rest.
This was the bright spot in my day. I love this room SO much!
I just bought a house and i’ve been allocated a room for me, by books and records. I’ve been toying with either a blue velvet couch from wayfair or even the sven in the gold. If you went with the gold, would you have gone with a blue?
Velinda and Sara, this is beautiful! Can I come over? 🙂
Sara, this room is stunning! I actually have a similar small, awkward room at the back of my very old house. I’ve been thinking about painting it dark but was concerned that it might feel disconnected or chopped off from the rest of the house because everything else is light and bright. It looks like you have a similar situation – is that something you thought about? How does it feel now that it’s done?
So so beautiful!
Oh my goodness, I love this! I have the perfect room in my house to copy this exactly… unfortunately it is currently occupied by my 9-year-old… but just wait until he goes to college! Mwa ha ha!
The posts.
They are getting longer.
This is GORGEOUS. You nailed it. Bravo!
Just like the rest of you, I love this room too. I have dark stained oak trim, floors and doors in my house and this room is inspiring me to paint up the trim and embrace my beautiful dark oak doors. Also, Sara, you rock that hat!!
LOVE it! You are an amazing writer, and this was my favorite paragraph: At the end of the day, a room isn’t fully dressed without accessories. These are the little things that can take the tone of a room from “box with furniture” to “cozy library.” The accessories you bring in can really help you communicate the overall desired effect you want the room to have. For example, if you want a room to feel minimal and modern you could use art with minimal colors and sleek frames. Or if you want a room to feel like you’ve spent a small fortune on lint rollers and you regularly clean up vomit from all the things you love, you could add a cat.
All I can say is Oh My God. Of all the before/afters on this entire blog, this one is my absolute all time favourite. It is so beautiful. What a lovely room to self-isolate in!
Lovely room!
Lovely room!!
Top five favorite EHD rooms of all time. I LUUUUURVE IT.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I want to move in!
I love the idea of monochromatic dark providing a sense of coziness. My bravest dark painting was the ceiling of my bathroom; a chocolate brown with dark moss green walls.
I fell in love with “the thing in your body”! Can you share who makes your field jacket? I promise not to wear itat the same time you do!
Please, pretty please. Tell me the dimensions/size in feet of this gorgeous room!
Please….
I love the blue couch and wall color together!! Couldn’t be better!!
Love the look of this room! The color is stunning. My question has to deal with the transition of one room to another, light to dark. In Emily’s LA home, she painted, what is now the Kids’ play room, a dark color and had lighter colors in the foyer. She hated it and instructed against using a darker color from a lighter room so it doesn’t feel like a black hole pulling you in. Has this changed? Don’t get me wrong, I love the room, but I’ve been very careful in my own home about going light to dark without a medium in between. This is because of Emily’s advice and I tend to agree, but is that my own thoughts or because of her? IDK. What is the thought here?
So, so beautiful!!! I’ve been slowly reading/looking at the photos so I can absorb them over the last few days and finally finished. You have done a tremendous amount of work with tremendous results in this house. I hope you get to stay and enjoy it for years to come! I’m worried for future-you about resale value after dropping to 2 bedrooms- hopefully when the time comes you can easily stick a closet in or something. But that’s not really what I came to say 🙂 It’s just so good!!
I live in a sunny SoCal 1400 sq ft home with large windows and bright rooms for the most part – only my daughters’ shared room is truly dim with one medium-small north facing window. I’ve also always secretly longed for one moody, cozy library-esque room in the home… I’ve painted a dark green headboard wall for them and the rest a mid greenish-beige putty color but it doesn’t quite scratch the itch for me! They are 4 and 7 now, and I’m simmering ideas for putting a bit more effort into their room next year, as they are getting past the destruction of all things stage. But do two little girls really want to have a cozy dark room? They mostly play elsewhere… I’m torn!
I adore this room! : ) Great job, everyone!
Does anyone know how Sara was able to hide all her TV wires? This is exactly what I want to do with our TV (wall-hung with a shelf beneath), but all the tutorials I’m finding use those plastic sleeves or come out further down the wall to hide behind a piece of furniture . . .
I also have an awkward wall that would be beautiful and functional if I made it into built ins. Who do you hire for this? A carpenter? A designer? I don’t think it’s something I could design myself.