Gathering Place: Designer Transforms Hilltop Family Room Into Social Hotspot

Located on a hilltop overlooking an expansive backyard, the bright, sunlit family room — with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides — of a Silver Lake center hall colonial already had a lot going for it. But the homeowners wanted to make the transitional space at the back of the house more of a focal point for social gatherings. To reinvigorate it, they recruited interior designer Becky Harrell of Chez-Del Interiors, who previously redesigned their bedrooms, dining area and formal living room.

“Every year, they have this amazing Christmas party with up to 80 people in their home,” says Harrell. “They invite all walks of life, from the very staunch to the really fun. So, we really wanted to maximize that living space.”

Harrell didn’t need to reinvent the entire makeup of the room. Instead, she focused on creating functional flow by opening the space, lightening up the area and maximizing seating.

Hosting Hues

“Even though there are all those windows, that room sometimes gets really dark because of an overhang and the way the house sits,” says Harrell. So she started her redesign from the ground up. Soft, charcoal blue carpeting provides depth to an already spacious room. An Oriental area rug sits off-kilter, popping with blues, tans and red-orange tones. Blue accents run like a river through the entire space, from soft-hued pillows to decorative bowls and ballooned glass vases.

Central Space

Harrell pulled the furniture toward the middle of the room. A midnight-blue Wesley Hall ottoman floats like an island at the center, surrounded by a large cream sectional. A baby blue-and-white-striped swivel chair accents this centerpiece while providing a rotational 360-degree perspective. Behind the couch, a champagne-colored shelving unit — with a gypsum stone top — seamlessly blends in. “You never want to see the back of a sofa when you walk into a room like that, so those shelves camouflage,” says Harrell. “We had to float the furniture because we didn’t want to obstruct the beauty of that outdoor space.”

In the Mix

When you play host to a variety of guests, it helps to diversify your options. An industrial-size brew pub table anchors one corner of the room, complete with floating barstools and a decorative bird cage filled with a variety of textured, yellow ornaments. Even in natural lighting, they appear to glow, capturing the eye. Two blue-and-white checkered love seats form a more intimate gathering spot nearby.

Striking Function

A three-door, 6-foot-long Sanctuary Bien Ame buffet from Hooker Furniture acts as dynamic storage and tabling in the corner for guests to use while they eat, drink and make merry. Decorative black and gold floral hardware stands out on this piece, where the wood has been purposely distressed to reveal a soft, honey tone patina. Across the room, a four-drawer, aquamarine console from Hooker Furniture showcases the same worn-down, old-world charm. “Each of these pieces look like an antique,” says Harrell. “They take a tool and rub out the finish so the natural brown of the wood really comes through.”