This Designer Used Vintage Finds to Create a Lively Multifunctional Room—Here's How

Gone are the ultra-formal living rooms of decades past and here to stay are multifunctional spaces that can serve a range of functions for busy families. Rachel Alcorn, the owner and principal at Two Hands Interiors, explains how her clients were eager to transform an unused room into a destination space ideal for entertaining guests, enjoying a family game night, and much more.

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• Rachel Alcorn is the owner and principal at Two Hands Interiors.

During the design process, Alcorn chose to divide the living room into three distinct zones, allowing for plenty of spaces in which to lounge, read, and dine or play. All the while, she skillfully ensured that the space artfully flowed together and was a welcoming room in which to gather.

Upon walking into the living room, visitors are greeted with a vintage black table with a glass top that makes a sophisticated statement and is flanked by two x-benches. On a day-to-day basis, the piece serves as an elegant surface to display decorative objects including plants and books. However, it can also house food and drinks when the residents are entertaining if they wish to designate a central spot for refreshments.

To the left of the table sits a seating area featuring four lounge chairs, which are thoughtfully positioned to encourage cozy conversation. The right side of the room contains a chaise for relaxing as well as a banquette and round plaster table, which is ideal for both dining and game playing depending on the family's needs on a particular day.

"I adore how calm and bright it is," Alcorn says of the finished living space.

Drenched in neutrals, the living room makes up for what it lacks in bold color with plenty of warmth. "Natural spaces require lots of layers and contrast," Alcorn says.

Tip

When designing a space rooted in neutrals, it is important to incorporate layers and contrast for a warm, welcoming effect.

She opted to paint the vintage entry table black to add some edginess to the room and also carried the hue over into some of the picture frames and fabrics. Brass tones always add a bright touch, so when Alcorn's client brought an heirloom secretary desk with her, it was the perfect wooden piece to instantly warm up the room.

"It highlights the importance of their family collection of vintage, antique, and collected, global pieces," Alcorn says of the secretary desk. She explains how the piece also serves as a spot to style seasonal vignettes or display various accessory collections as desired.

The designer opted for neutral but warm fabric as well as soft velvets for the banquette and x-benches in the space to balance out the white armchairs and drapery. She also laid a custom seagrass rug on the floor to bring in more textures.

While she was originally inspired to incorporate traditional Persian rugs in the room, she changed her mind after seeing her client gravitate towards a neutral and slightly Southern look—the seagrass material was the perfect balance.

"Having the rug basically cut to look like a bound carpet with just a slight reveal of the wood floors around the perimeter helps to make the long, narrow space feel connected with its different zones," Alcorn says.

A lover of all things vintage, Alcorn's client was happy to spend a day visiting some of the designer's favorite secondhand haunts to source statement finds for the revamped living room.

"The addition of rattan and vintage art grounds the space in history and avoids the 'room in a bag' vibe,'" Alcorn says, referencing the well-known designer faux pas that is purchasing all of a space's pieces from one store only.

Don't be afraid to shop your own home when searching for art to display as part of a gallery wall—you never know what you have on hand that might just fit perfectly into another room. In this instance, the art hanging over the banquette is a mixture of pieces the client owned already, along with both vintage and contemporary finds.

Piecing together a gallery wall may require a bit of trial and error, which is a normal part of the design process.

"It took us a minute to land on the right collection of artwork to display—it was a true collaboration with the homeowner," Alcorn says.

In this space, the designer utilized both black and gold frames on the various walls within the room, demonstrating that it is more than acceptable to mix things up a bit rather than purchase one set of uniform frames.

"Eclectic framing styles work when there is a balance of medium, palette, and contrast," Alcorn says of the gallery wall setup, where pieces vary in size, style, and color. "Achieving the right layout for the space is really an artistic process: It’s like building a sculpture, balancing volumes and intensity."

"Achieving the right layout for the space is really an artistic process: It’s like building a sculpture, balancing volumes and intensity." — Rachel Alcorn, owner and principal of Two Hands Interiors

Practicality and versatility within the space were a top priority during the design process. Alcorn chose to incorporate an assortment of side tables that would be easy to pick up and move around as needed while entertaining, she says. For example, the chosen entry table can also function as an additional dining area when guests are over.

Though the room is naturally quite bright and airy, the designer was still mindful of lighting choices in the space, prioritizing both task lighting—utilized within the lounge area, by the games table, and beside the chaise lounge—as well as statement fixtures all throughout.

"You need ample light for reading and gathering," she says.

In the center of the room, a dazzling chandelier makes an artful statement and draws the eye upward immediately.

"The dramatic chandelier is light and airy, so it doesn’t overwhelm the space, but isn’t short on drama either," Alcorn says.

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Read the original article on The Spruce.