Meadows Project Reveal: Living Room
It's been so long since I posted a blog, you probably don't even remember who I am... Can we skip the bit where I apologise for my radio silence and give you a million excuses (they're all valid BTW) and go straight to the point where I make it up to you by announcing the launch of a brand new series on Stella + the Stars? Would that work? Yes???! Ok good, then please follow me for a very special and my first official 'Room Revamp' as I take you on a private tour of one of the most exciting projects I have been working on so far here in Dubai.
A few months ago, I got tasked with revamping a gorgeous villa in the Meadows. We started with the lounge, then gave the dining area the once-over, then the home office got the Stella + the Stars magic touch and finally the family/play room (which I have literally just finished last night).
I will be revealing the full project in separate posts to avoid it being totally overwhelming. Today, I am featuring what we did to transform the lounge... I don't use the word 'transform' lightly here, as you'll see by scrolling the images below! I don't know if I am just lucky but I seem to attract only lovely clients (every person I have help with home styling has turned out to be a dream to work with - and I am not just saying that because they might read my blog!). But for this project, I think I literally hit the jackpot - the nicest lady, a realistic budget, flexible timeframe, a drive to get things done (even if that means trekking to the old souks with me in the scorching heat to find the perfect rug), an openness to new ideas and to top it all off, she gave me essentially free reigns to revamp her lounge into a sleek, colourful, and vibrant room to entertain and relax.
This villa actually belongs to a lovely family which includes the most gorgeous little toddler but she a dedicated zone of the house (you'll have to wait to see what I have done with that room!) where she can go bananas with her creative play so we've kept the lounge totally kids paraphernalia-free... I know, how nice right?!?! We all wish...
That's for putting the project into context. Before I continue rambling, let's just have a look at the finished product, shall we? Ta-da...
How is that for statement lighting and rug? I haven't been able to stop dreaming about this Afghan vintage rug (we sourced it from Chuk Palu in Dubai's old Souk) since we spotted in the Bur Dubai store. It's the most incredible shade of turquoise and for me, just sets the tone for the whole room...
If you scroll down for the before shots, you'll notice we kept quite a few of the big furniture - because, well, the cream sofa (from The One) is simply fab and was in pristine condition, the Nagoshi table is a timeless piece, and the armchairs are family heirlooms (how perfect are they?) that added the right touch of mid-century modern. Also, and this is a first for me, the whole ground floor of the villa has lovely darkish wooden floors instead of the dreaded beige tiles. I know, I couldn't believe my eyes on the first visit! So obvs, we kept the floors...!
What we changed: the colour of the walls (Jotun's Dawn which is the perfect shade of mushroomy grey), the lighting (two words for you: French. Design.) and the artwork. The two light suspensions (or should I say works of genius!) are by Constance Guisset for Petite Friture. We sourced it here in Dubai from I Light You. They are too stunning for words. If you're not familiar with Petite Friture, may I invite you to revisit this old post I wrote about the brand... Well worth the interruption...
The artwork is a stunning piece called Rupture by French artist Marijah Bac Cam that we sourced from Saatchi Online. It was an investment piece that my clients chose - it was love at first sight.
We also added two fiddle leaf fig trees in neutral white plant pots (sourced from Planters).
Why it works: because we added several yet clear focus points to the room. And colour. You know I love colour. This is what the room looked like before I got my paws on it. You see what I mean? It was absolutely fine, it just lacked a bit of je ne sais quoi don't you think?
before shot - The lounge in its original state: pretty but missing colour and a proper scheme...
On the other side of the room, we dressed the windows with very simple white cotton curtains, fixed on brass poles. This just softens the room and allows more privacy at night.
The after shot with statement lighting and heavenly rug...
We kept the gorgeous vintage record player console from Magnavox and just accessorised it with new artwork my client chose by Spanish artist Oscar Alavarez (also sourced from Saatchi Online), a globe statement lamp from Nook Concept and a bit of greenery for good measure.
On the sofa, we kept some of the existing cushions (I loved the faux furry one!) and added a few velvety blue bargains from Zara Home to add a bit more colour and texture.
Below are more images of what the room used to look like. You know why we needed to do something about the ceiling lighting situation now! And the grey walls just make everything on the walls just pop...
Below are the inspiration boards we worked on with various options for the revamp.
So what do you think?! I'd love to know your thoughts on the revamp, what your favourite changes are, what you think I could have done better even? Does it make you want to give your own lounge a little refresh? If you have any questions about this project or want to enquire about my home styling services, just get in touch by email at emilie@stellaandthestars.net.
All the photography is by the uber talented Karen Pissara and the beautiful blooms you'll spot on various tables were kindly provided by The Gorgeous Flower Company - their delivery service across Dubai is second to none and their affordable bouquets last for days (they actually have a 5-day freshness guarantee...).