The Williamstown Project: Laidback Luxe for a Young Couple

It’s been a while since we photographed one of our design projects here at TLC Interiors. Thanks to Covid, so much of 2020 was getting home makeovers completed remotely but just not having the time to snap them at the end.

Thankfully life feels somewhat back to normal, and we got to capture our Williamstown project last week, which was decked out in a luxe monochromatic interior design style for a busy professional couple.

They were two of many clients who were patient through product delays (again, thanks Covid!), stuck it out during lockdown, and finally got to enjoy an amazing end result (even if it dragged on a little longer than we all wanted it to!).

The brief for this home, which was a new purchase, was to make it feel luxe without the bling, sophisticated without it being stuffy, and ultimately quite easy on the eye. I think we got there, if I do say so myself. And the clients love it, which really is the main thing, right? Let me show you some of the spaces we designed…

A Chic But Comfortable Living Room Was a Priority

During my initial conversations with the client it became apparent that the living room would be the main hub of the home. It’d be the spot where the couple would chill and watch TV, but also have friends gather in.

They wanted it to be chic, feel impressive, but not so formal that it lost a sense of ease and comfort. We tend to fuse that vibe into every project we do, actually: sophisticated but approachable. 

I knew I wanted the sofa to be in a light tone to keep the overall look quite crisp and ethereal, but by no means is it a precious sofa you can’t mess up. In fact, the entire thing is covered in a phenomenal easy-clean fabric. 

It’s a beauty from Molmic, which is where we get the majority of our sofas from for clients. We call it a ‘bomb proof’ material because pretty much any stain comes right out. It’s incredible.

Understated Layering Was Key

I grounded the space with a super-soft rug from Coco Republic and installed sheer curtains from Shades. The room needed layers like this to warm it up but still retain a sense of minimalism.

It was a bit of a less-is-more approach. I added a touch of luxury with the coffee tables from Globewest. I didn’t want to over-bling it, but we needed a hint of warm metallic on the leg.

Other items from this room include the armchair from Brosa, art from Urban Road, lamp from Coco Republic and side table from IKEA (I’m all about mixing and matching price points). 

A Sense of Cohesion in the Dining Room was Important

The living and dining zone on the ground floor is an open-plan layout, so it was important that the dining spoke to the living stylistically. We wanted it to have its own focal point though.

So while we placed art on the wall that very much speaks to the art in the living (that’s cohesion ticked off), we installed a pendant light above the dining table that catches your eye the moment you walk into the space.

I always tell clients that each space needs visual highs and lows; your eye invigorated in one spot, but then calmed in another. In the living, the large artwork is the visual high, with the sheers and sofa and rug your moment of rest.

As you move across to the dining room, we needed another visual high, which is why the pendant needed to be pretty impressive. We didn’t want it to fade into the background.

We Needed to Ground the Table Too

A pendant light like this also grounds the dining table and makes it a design destination. Too often people push their dining tables too close to the wall and the space looks apologetic. It also often turns into more of a corridor than a proper dining room.

So, I beg of you, pull your table away from the wall and pop a pendant over the top. It’ll dramatically improve the look of the room, I promise!

If you need tips on choosing the right pendant for your dining room, here are my tips.

Products in this room include chairs from Globewest (now discontinued) plant in pot from Into the Wild, and pendant from Lights Lights Lights (now closed).

The Clients Wanted a Master Bedroom with a Hotel Feel

The master bedroom in this home covers the entire top floor, with a bedroom/ensuite/robe in one section, and then a rumpus room attached to it. It’s a pretty generous space, and the couple wanted it to feel somewhat high-end (like going to a nice hotel) but not in a dark and moody way.

They wanted to avoid dark walls, for example (I did suggest it), so I knew we needed to take the same approach we did downstairs in the living room; add warmth and layers, but in a light and minimal way. So we decided to cover the walls with a light grey wallpaper.

Wallpaper to Add Warmth without Overwhelm

You can barely notice it in the photos, but in-person the wallpaper adds a really nice depth to the bedroom without overwhelming it. It contrasts so nicely agains the white plantation shutters too, which was a welcome bonus.

And honestly, wallpaper is not as expensive as you think, and it’s not at all garish like it used to be in decades gone by.

The headboard and bed frame was a custom order from Heatherley Designs, with the sideboard from Brosa. And can we take a moment to appreciate the real living plant and pot combo from Into the Wild?

This year I declared I was going to move away from fake plants in clients homes, and I’ve stuck to my word. Love that Boston Fern.

Other products in this room include armchair from Horgans, and bench seat at end of bed from Cafe Lighting and Living. A really nice balance of striking and soothing in this space, I must say.

Two Guest Bedrooms with a Soft and Moody Vibe

I wanted to carry the luxe monochrome design the rest of the home had into the guest bedrooms that sat on the ground floor. But I did want to push both out of a black-and-white box a little. So I did one softer, and one moodier.

Guests can then choose which one they’re most drawn to and sleep there when they stay.

One took a more light and white approach with blush accents, the other a more moody vibe with brown and grey accents. I quite like both of them for different reasons.

And yes, you’ll notice I went absolutely bonkers with the pillow and cushion count on the bed. But hey, that’s just how I style my beds. These are guest rooms; they can afford to be layered to the max!

White bedding on both is a gorgeous linen set from Lorraine Lea. Art in both rooms is from our trade supplier Lagrolla. The bed in the lighter room is from Life Interiors, while the one in the darker room is from Globewest.

If you want your home to receive some of our design magic, why not find out about our services here and book in a consult call?