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They say everything is bigger in Texas, and for designer Shelbie Cox’s clients, that proved to be true—at least as far as their furniture went. When the couple lived in the Lone Star State, they had square footage to fill, so they bought an extra-large sofa. That was fine until they decided to move to New Jersey. Suddenly, their leather sectional barely fit in their new Tudor-style house, the back of it nearly grazing the staircase. “We ended up replacing almost everything because the scale was totally wrong,” says Cox, who was tasked with refreshing the home’s main level.
The Plan
The living room called for a breezier floor plan. The space is narrow, so Cox wanted to make sure people could move through it easily. The homeowners also wanted plenty of open floor space for play, not only for their own child but all the cousins who come over on weekends. Luckily, the room had good bones (a large fireplace, wood shutters, built-in shelves). “It just needed a little bit of jazzing up here and there to be amazing,” says Cox.
An Airy Backdrop
Cox brightened things up by swathing the walls in her go-to white paint, Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. “It has just enough warmth to it to keep it from feeling super stark,” says the designer. She swapped out the old ceiling light for a Noguchi Akari lantern. Knowing the coffee table would sit directly below it, she hung it lower than a typical flush mount.
A Music Cabinet
When Cox’s clients really thought about how they used their space, they told the designer they didn’t need a dedicated spot for a TV. “They’re big readers, plus they already have a TV in their bedroom,” she says. Instead, they swapped the screen for a large cabinet that serves as a listening station. The shelves hold all their records, and there are even integrated plugs for their stereo.
A Fireplace with Family Ties
Cox replaced the brick fireplace surround with Delft-inspired tile that felt more in tune with the home’s Tudor style and more personal for the family. She didn’t choose the hand-painted flowers at random: they reference the months each family member was born, as well as the states they’ve lived in. For the hearth, she selected tiles from Heath that matched the shade of the wood floors.
A Complete Window Treatment
While the window shutters were in good shape, Cox convinced her clients to top them off with woven wood shades for additional privacy. “They add so much functionality and visual interest,” says the designer, “especially here, where we went tonal.” The cocoa color blends right in with the surrounding trim, but adds a “whisper of texture,” according to the designer.
A Sofa That’s To-Scale
Step one to achieving a more livable living room was shrinking the sofa way down with a custom couch of her own design. Rather than turn the piece toward the fireplace like before, Cox oriented it to face the nearby playroom. That way, adults don’t have to turn their heads to see what the kids are up to. Because this space also doubles as an entry of sorts, the designer tucked a console table behind the sofa as a drop-spot for mail and keys.
A Set-Up That’s Easy to Switch Up
A vintage Jon Hjortdal armchair and wooden side table face the sofa most days. Cox wanted to keep things cozy (cue the tufted leather) but also light—literally. When play dates call for extra room to roam, the homeowners can shift the pieces out of the way. Moving the low, modern coffee table is optional. “I usually default to round coffee tables,” says the designer. “It’s softer, visually, and when we’re designing a space where lots of little kids will run around, we avoid sharp corners.” This wasn’t her first rodeo.