My Bay Inspired Home - Stumbling Past the Entry

Looking at the entry to my home, I am reminded of another time where my entrance was not so grand.  My husband and I were invited to an evening event honoring the Houston Ballet.  The event was held at a client’s home.  I was excited and looking forward to dusting off the little black dress and heels.   That evening, thanks to Houston traffic, we were running late.  When we entered the home, we were escorted to the living room.  The furniture had been removed and chairs were placed in rows facing a musician playing the piano.  The room was filled with guests listening intently to the music.  We were entering from the side, so walking in totally unnoticed was not going to happen, but I was hopeful that the entertainment would divert the seated guests’ attention.    I was thrilled to see two vacant chairs at the end of a row about midway back.  With my shoulders back and chin up, channeling my inner Audrey Hepburn, I walked gracefully toward the seats.   Maybe my chin was up a little too high because I failed to notice that it was a sunken living room.  You guessed it.  I missed the two steps down. I  propelled forward, stumbling headfirst toward a wide-eyed Asian gentleman’s lap. 😳 Oh yes, I was.  I don’t know if it was fear or excitement on his face.  Moments before landing on my hands and knees in front of him, I was able to grab hold of the vacant chair beside him, twist to the side and plop, rather abruptly into the seat.  It wasn’t pretty, but I nailed the landing.    I looked at the man smiled, rather awkwardly and could swear there was a little disappointment on his face.  He smiled, nodded his head in greeting, and returned to look at the pianist.

I do not know why but that channeling thing never works for me.  Somehow my inner Lucy rules.  I learned something about designing that day.  I do not like sunken living rooms.  Let’s see what I can do with my own coastal living and dining room.

Living Conditions

My open concept living, and dining area is a relatively small space.   Large indoor living spaces are not as important on the coast as the outdoor space.   In order to get as much seating as possible, I chose to go with a sectional.  This suits our lifestyle, squeeze as many people and animals on the sofa as possible.  Because our dogs are family members, keeping them off the sofa was not an option.  The challenge was to find a fabric that worked with that in mind.  One option was the slipcovered furniture we carry that is available in performance fabrics.  The slipcovers can be removed and washed whenever necessary.  Unfortunately, as much as I loved the idea of a crisp white slipcover, the idea of washing it every day weighed heavily against that option.

I opted for the forgiving nature of leather.  I searched for a gray leather with natural markings and a weathered look in hopes that it would help to conceal scratches and wear from dogs, children, and husbands (this by no means represents the order of importance).

I liked the transitional and symmetrical style of the Germain sectional from Bernhardt.  It’s smaller in scale therefore it fit nicely in my space.  I even had room to add a chair.

Oh, how I love this Seaford chair made of woven water hyacinth.  It’s from Lexington Furniture’s Oyster Bay Collection.  I agonized over selecting the custom upholstery.  I wanted it to have a coastal vibe but not too loud.  I needed to keep within my monochromatic comfort zone.  This palm fabric, from the Tommy Bahama collection was perfect!  Sophisticated coastal.

The Vernay console multi-tasks.  The polished silver, white marble top gives me a spot to place a unique box for remotes, coasters and reading glasses and a landing for the obtrusive cable box.  We have not “cut the cord” so it was a necessity.   Two ottomans tuck nicely in the space below.

The Wheatly Ottomans have swivel casters allowing them to move about giving us both additional seating and a place to put our feet up while relaxing and watching tv.  I chose this striking silver embossed leather upholstery with matching nail head trim. I can’t help but love the drama.

For lighting I decided on a more organic, earthy element, this driftwood floor lamp.

This Rochelle Octagonal Storage Table has a silver leaf finish and a touch latch door that opens revealing much needed extra storage.

Finally, the otherwise rather boring jute rug needed a little pizazz, so I topped it with a black and white cowhide rug.  May be over the top for some, but I can handle it.

Dining Options

Here in lies the place where most guests and family gather.   When we are not outside, we are in this room.  We have a large family so the bigger the table the better.  This stunning Montauk dining table again, from Lexington’s Oyster Bay Collection, fit the bill.  (You may be beginning to see the matchy-matchy side of me I mentioned). This beautiful and elegant trestle table can sit up to 10 guests comfortably.

The bench from the entry, also part of the same collection, can be pulled over to the table to add the additional seating if needed. This keeps me from having to store additional chairs. Once again, I chose to layer with a cowhide rug in a zebra print.  The height of the bamboo poles balances the room with the driftwood lamp in the opposing corner of the living room.

This heartwarming phrase is written on linen and framed using a recycled European window.  We order these signs from a family owned business in Tomball, Texas.

The capiz shell chandelier from Aidan Gray adds a touch of coastal elegance.

These Merrick Swivel Bar Stools with hand woven rush seats are simply stunning.

Entertain in style with serving pieces from Beatriz Ball.  Handmade by artisans one at a time.  Bake, serve and chill in these pieces that never need polishing.  We have a wide selection of coastal designs in our store and can special order anything from her line.

Occasionally, we like to ditch the insulated cups and have a “glass” of wine.  We carry quality glassware etched with unique patterns and designs.  Stemmed or stemless, mermaids, palm trees or herons, your choice.  Other designs and patterns can be ordered as well.

I hope you enjoyed the living/dining room design.  It’s a bit unusual for the coast, but its what fits our lifestyle and makes me happy.  Next week I hope you will join me as we visit the bedrooms, baths and office before heading downstairs.