Erika Ward Interiors transforms a bland great room into a colorful welcoming place for family and friends.
THE SEDUCTION OF A MODEL HOME
Each week I receive an email from a reader needing help with their two story great room. Rooms like these are very common in the Atlanta area, especially in new construction. When potential buyers visit model homes they are instantly captivated with the decor and the soaring ceilings.
THE BLANK CANVAS
What buyers sometimes forget is that their new home will look more like this (below) and require more of this ($$$$$). The blank canvas they purchase requires work and often times professional help to become the showplace they fell in love with.
THE FINAL RESULT
My client was not home the day I installed her job so I was on “pins” until I got her call that afternoon when she returned home. I took a few shot of the space before I left…
BEFORE -VIEW #2
Her husband, usually very opinionated, was firm about his only request. He wanted his clock and television mounted above the fireplace.
THE MOCKUP – VIEW #2
Here’s a view of the fireplace with the necessary request from the “Mister.”
THE FINAL RESULT
Here is an aerial view of the family room taken from the second floor. Notice the ample moldings and coffered ceiling…gorgeous!
Have you had challenges in decorating a tall space? Do you have a two story family room that needs some expert attention? Please share your story in the comments section…
Are you looking to greatly improve the look and feel of your home? Need quality home furnishings that outlast current trends? Contact me to schedule an online or in-home design consultation.
September 30, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Outstanding! These spaces are really hard to decorate and you are so right about the scale, it has to be big to work. Love the window treatments, art, it all brings warmth to the space. And those ceilings are amazing, now the room lives up to them. Great job! Janell
September 30, 2010 at 12:27 pm
What an outstanding job! The big sofa intimidated me in the before pic but now everything flows and is welcoming. I love the ceilings and the fireplace. Nice work.
September 30, 2010 at 12:33 pm
This is really great! I love it you really transformed their space. I of course like how you used some of their old furnisher and accessories. @caramelglam
September 30, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Great job! You really warmed up that room. Your use of scale is great too. Your client must be thrilled!
September 30, 2010 at 1:39 pm
I looove the way you did those mock-ups, GREAT idea!
September 30, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Wonderful Erika! You are so talented! The drapery is dramatic and valances really fit the room. Thanks for sharing!
September 30, 2010 at 3:14 pm
The windows treatments look great!
September 30, 2010 at 5:38 pm
Wow, you made it look SOOOOO much better. WOW! Fantastic! I bet they were both THRILLED!
September 30, 2010 at 6:39 pm
You are truly talented. You did a wonderful job with adding a few simple touches. Please continue to share more of your projects. It is truly inspiring.
September 30, 2010 at 8:19 pm
Such a design challenge, working with those sky-high ceilings!!! There's only so many things you can do to create a homier, cozier atmosphere!! You've done a great job – your clients must be thrilled!!! And your renderings? Fabulous!
September 30, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Love it, Erika…Great Post! ~ xx KC
October 1, 2010 at 12:39 pm
You're a genius!
I'm glad to be back visiting my favorite sites.
Great post Erika.
October 2, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Love the way the ceiling is painted! And the clock above the TV works! Great job girl!
October 3, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Fantastic! I love the color you picked, and the area rug is a piece of art in itself. It looks so much warmer and more "liveable" after you waved your magic wand
xo Linda
October 4, 2010 at 8:23 am
I really love the artwork and rug. The space feels so sophisticated, but still comfortable.
October 20, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Yeah..I noticed that. I’ve been there and even looked for a room which resembles a typical New York apartment. Rental/short term contracts were feasible for me because I was just a student then, and I could not afford these classy two-level houses. I ended up visiting seven houses (and exploring them), and got amazed by different interior design motifs. Though my plan was thwarted, that day was a great experience.
The next day, after few tries, I finally had my short-term apartment rental!(New York City -inspired!)
What’s the reason behind Atlanta’s artistic two-story houses?
January 19, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Simply beautiful!
January 19, 2011 at 8:15 pm
Beautiful Makeover! Shakira
March 7, 2011 at 2:06 am
The room is already elegant before it was renovated. After the makeover, the room became more beautiful and more elegant than ever. Did you change the wall color? Or just the lighting? Either of the two can enhance the beauty of a room. Likewise, there is an apartment for rent in Key West that has also the same beauty like this room. Apartments for rent (Key West, FL) are not like the typical apartments, they have class and great style.
March 16, 2011 at 3:55 am
This apartment looks so vibrant and elegant! No wonder why the owners love living in this kind of home. My mother and I used to live together in an apartment too when my father died. But when I got married and had my own family, my mother decided to stay at an assisted living program here in San Antonio, Texas. At first, I thought that she will not be happy there, but when I visited her in the assisted living in San Antonio, TX, I can see it in her eyes that she's truly happy and that she's being taken cared of there. Although I missed her so much, seeing her that way makes me happy and relieved as well.
February 2, 2012 at 5:23 pm
Wow Thank you for this post! I love it, you have inspired me. I was one of ‘those’ people lured by the model home and then discouraged and overwhelmed once I moved in.
February 21, 2012 at 9:13 pm
How’s it going now?? I’d love to post advice for you on the blog.
January 12, 2013 at 3:44 pm
Thank you for providing inspiration. We bought a home with a two-story great room this summer. I hate tvs on the wall, but I loved the idea of a large piece of art over the mantle with a clock above it. We had a large antique-look world map sitting rolled up in the box. We finally had it dry mounted and framed to hang above the mantle, and will hang a 30″ diameter clock above that later today. The map looks so great, and I can’t wait to see it with the clock above. Clock and map – time and place. And the extra bonus is that the kids will have a geography lesson always close at hand!
January 14, 2013 at 7:36 am
Time and place! I like that Jennifer. It’s wonderful that your double duty decor can also serve as a teach tool. Talk about getting bang for your buck. Awesome!