I am so behind on posting photos of completed projects! I have several to share with you guys over the coming weeks.
First up is Joanna Goddard’s living room. I know many of you read Joanna’s blog – she is a style maven and truly one of the most lovely, genuine people I’ve ever met!
Joanna and her awesome husband, Alex, have a really great pre-war apartment in the West Village. They had some nice pieces in their space already and just needed a little help with the details and reworking a few areas.
As a side note – I’ve learned over the years that I’m really sensitive to the balance of warm and cool colors in a room. Sometimes I confuse my clients with all my talk of color ‘temperature’! In Alex and Joanna’s case, the room in it’s before state was altogether too warm – lots of oranges and reds. Rust red couch, orangey red (bare) wood floors, wooden bookcase and tv stand, yellowy cream chairs, etc.
{some before shots…}
To balance out all the warm oranges in the room, I sewed some simple, long blue linen rod-pocket panels for the windows. I found the pretty linen at a fabric warehouse for $3/yard.
Joanna needed a desk in the room, and we really scored on craigslist with this vintage sawhorse-leg stunner!
I spray painted a very inexpensive, but high-quality vintage office chair a pale gray color. I think it was Krylon’s ‘Medium Gray.’
The rug is Pottery Barn’s Tangiers rug, which we got on eBay. Joanna reported to me that the rug did shed quite a bit for the first months especially, but she just vacuumed and it wasn’t a big deal. I love the look of a Moroccan wool rug, and this one was very reasonably priced for an 8×10 and is really soft.
We painted the existing coffee table black to break up all the wood pieces in the room.
I found a campaigner chest that needed some love and painted that black too. The brass reading lamp was also a great vintage find. I love that little lamp so much.
The tv stand is one of my favorite parts of the room. Alex and Joanna had been using a old side table as a tv stand and it just wasn’t working. They wanted a new piece with open shelving. I found this really old and very beat up chest at a flea market for pennies.
The most challenging part was the ripped veneer.
I cleaned up the jagged edges with a razor and then covered the whole spot with wood filler using a putty knife.
I had to also fill in the old hardware holes and drilled new holes for simple ring pulls that I’ve used before in other projects (they’re my favorite).
After the filler was completely dry, the whole piece got a really good sanding, then primer and paint (Martha Stewart for Valspar in “Olive Oil’).
I was really happy with the color and scale of the piece. It fits the room perfectly!
Come back tomorrow for the second half of Alex and Joanna’s living room…
{PS HUGE thanks to Karen Mordechai for taking many of these photos above. Karen is a fabulously talented New York-based photographer. You should check out her portfolio, especially if you have a wedding coming up!}
Oh my ….. so gorgeous!! What an amazing Craigslist desk find – I want it!
WOW!that is cool idea,great finished of the desk,looks useful and gorgeous..love your color choices especially the Living room!thanks for sharing.
LOVE it! It's stunning! I also loved Toby's nursery, you did an amazing job, Jenny!
Love how you transformed the feel of the room with color. You just made me realize that a couple of my rooms that just aren't doing it for me are missing the cool colors. Would you recommend doing a cool color on the walls when there are lots of warm tones in the room? If so any neutral but cool wall color suggestions?
whoa. those really were some minor changes but they made a HUGE impact on the room. what a great job. one of my favorite before and afeters. ever.
such great ideas. Thank you for posting.
LOVE the legs on that desk.
I wish you could come help me with my house. I love all the work you've done and can see it all in my own house. I'm actually using a lot of your living room (with the striped curtains) as the inspiration for mine.
I do have one question….where did you get the brass ring pulls for the tv stand?
I have several PB rugs and they have all shed like crazy. So annoying to find fuzz balls everywhere! The room is beautiful. Love the blue office chair!
Let's talk wood filler: the absolutely most awesome stuff I have ever used–and I've used a lot from renovating & restoring several old houses, from Victorian to Arts & Crafts–is Abatron's WoodEpox. It's a 2-part epoxy wood filler that's literally as light as a feather, can be used for both structural or decorative purposes, sands and stains like a dream. You can cast or shape it to replace missing carvings on furniture. Etc…It's expensive but so worth it. (I'm Brittany D.'s sister, by the way, you might remember her from the MIT ward).
This looks great so far! I am keeping my fingers crossed that now that you live in the city, you will post some good indoor painting tips. I'm dying to paint my desk but I have no yard!
Perfect, Jenny! Down to the last detail. Thank you for showing us how you spruced up the desk. Love the curtains you sewed, they really added the perfect color to the room!
Great Job. You give so many ideas to those of us on a limited budget. Thank you.
You are a magic maker. Really. You can trademark that if you want. :)
xo, cassie
Stunning!! I am currently on your waiting list and can't wait to work with you!!
Gorgeous! Thanks so much for your comment regarding color "temperature"- I'm working on my family room with a similar vibe and couldn't quite figure out what wasn't working- now I know I was going way over board with the warm colors (which I tend to do!). Thanks!
Wow – You have a magic touch. Thanks for sharing love this post. Looking forward to part 2 now
I love that desk beyond words! It's fabulous!
Such minor changes but you really made the room look fantastic. I absolutely love it!
Holy Mole! I can't believe all of the great deals you found…that DESK, the brass lamp, the campaign chest, wow!! The room looks so fantastic. Can't wait to see more!!
I have the Tangier rug too, and it's a shedder! LOVE it though. It's worth it for the impact it makes in the room. Love your talk about color temperature. I've never thought about that before…
An absolutely gorgeous tranformation through minor, yet critical changes. :) This is why I totally love your blog!
Thanks for talking about color temperature. What a great way to describe a design concept that is so ineffable!
Looks really great!
I love the new tv stand…the color looks amazing!
Jenny, this is one of my favorite rooms you've done! I love how "un-decorated" it looks, which really highlights how many of the pieces were collected over time. Great work!!
MY FAVORITE ROOM EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my gosh Jenny, when you make it big I'd love to come work for you! :)
Isn't it great how a few pieces can transform a room!? This looks really pretty and thanks for the tip on the chipped laminate, I'm working on a desk with the same problem!! Can't wait to see Part 2!
Love it. So timeless. Seems modern, but not at all trendy. As always, your how to's are inspiring.
Sorry I was a little excited earlier. I came back to add more.
Jenny – the room shot at the end looks like it could be straight out of a magazine. The styling, the photography. Just fabulous. You are so inspiring. love ya!
I have been missing your amazing work! So good to have you back… and this room really is incredible.
how lovely!
I love how much brighter this space is …beautiful!
What a great makeover! I am curious about one thing though… I noticed the books on the coffee table, and they hang over the edge and to the right a little bit. I was wondering if you placed them that way on purpose, and if so, why? (I'm a recent interior design graduate, so I'm just trying learn). Thanks much!
Rachel
simonandrachel06@gmail.com
I really love the way you brought this room together, and I think you were completely spot on with the room being too "warm" color wise before the change. I never even thought about the balance of color temperature before. Genius!
By the way, my husband and I spent Labor Day weekend with John and Sherawn at your parents' place, and it was SO fun to see their home (especially your designs) in person. I don't even think the pictures do it justice, it is just stunning!
wow! I just happened upon your birth story and am AMAZED. That is incredible. I, also, am not a birth at home mom, but I do appreciate the stories. I was very surprised to read yours, but think it is amazing, none the less, and simply wanted to share. Evie certainly had an interesting way of entering this world!
Amazing job! Love how warm and low-key her home is. How exciting to meet so many great bloggers at the taping. What a fun experience!
I just started reading your blog and I think you have a lot of great ideas and you've shared a lot. I think you should be the next hgtv star :)
CB, Seattle :)
It's so helpful to see how you analyze a room and take it apart and why you choose what you choose. Your touches here are really small changes, but they make a huge impact! Beautiful job, Jenny!
Question — now that you live in the city where do you find space to do your furniture refurbishment projects? Especially, the sanding and painting which are too messy/smelly to do indoors. As an apartment dweller this is something I've struggled with (all my re-done furniture was done in my parents garage pre-move).
Love the room BTW.
Thanks for the how-to about the damaged veneer! Often we find pieces that look great but are damaged on the top and my husband will shy away from them. Just showed him your instructions and now damaged veneer will deter us no more!
i loved reading joanna's recount, and yours is even better. it's so authentically beautiful! i would move right in. can't wait to chat soon. xo
I agree with the commenters who said this was their favorite room. It's mine, too. I loved it when I saw it on Johanna's blog and I love it even more now.
That tip about color balance is brilliant.
That desk is gorgeous! What a find!
You are so talented! I love how industrious you are! Its like magic! I am awestruck by your ability to take something that looks like it could be destined for the junk yard and turn it into something beautiful. The room looks beautiful, balanced and inviting. Well done! I can't wait to see what you will do next…
It looks go beautiful Jenny!!! Love the addition of the blue/gray touches. so pretty!!
xoxo,
lauren
BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Best redo on your site!!
I lalalove Joanna's blog! And your's too! You both have such amazing taste! I would have guessed something so beautiful would come from this collaboration!
Can't wait to see what you post next!
hugs, Jennie
I love the way you describe that – color temperature! Genius! And the room needed some of the cool, you're right. Great job!
I really love this space! I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of it.
I loved this room when Joanna first posted it, but this is so fun to see the details! That's why I LOVE your BLOG!!!!! (not that I don't love Jos! Love ya girl!)
Congrats on another great makeover!
xoxoxoxo
Jenny,
You did such a wonderful job. I was thinking tonight that you just may be holding out on some of your projects because a magazine picked them up and is waiting to get published. With all of your skills I would not be surprised.
xx – CB
Can I just tell you how much I love your blog? You live downtown, right? I think I saw you walking on Murray last week with your adorable girls. It was like a scene out of a J Crew catalog. You're all gorgeous, happy and smiling! (assuming that was you??) :)
Thanks for all your wonderful tips! Your blog is my favorite, hands down!
Cherise (in Tribeca)