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Zebras on the run
I had so much fun working with a client on designing her new living room, which she lovingly refers to as her "Hemingway Room". The room started out with a few pieces that she already owned and liked: the red chair with coordinating ottoman, the antique wooden chair with the leopard pillow, the media cabinet, and the picture that she had purchased on a safari vacation in Kenya of the three Masai women. My client asked me to incorporate those pieces to create a comfortable living room that reflects her love for exploring different cultures.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
The pièce de résistance of this living room design is the zebra wallpaper in the signature Masai red from Scalamandre. This iconic zebra pattern once graced the walls of the late, lamented Gino's Restaurant in New York City. My client loved this paper from the moment I showed it to her. It is hand printed on grasscloth, which gives it an artisan feel and provides lots of texture. Given the large scale of the print and strong color of this wallpaper, we elected to apply it to a single accent wall. Applying this wallpaper to the entire room would have been too overwhelming. By wallpapering just one wall, your eyes are immediately drawn to it.
The coffee table was custom made for us out of solid walnut by a talented woodcrafter in Kansas. I like how the table showcases the beauty of the wood grain and the table lines are reminiscent of an Asian Ming table. A large area rug with red accents, a comfortable sectional sofa in a neutral color with lots of throw pillows, and some additional accessories complete the look.
  ["After" Photos by Randy Gross]
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Color changes everything!
When designing a room, it is important to pay attention to the color of the walls. By choosing the correct color, you can set the tone and emotion for the room. I like to see color on walls, whether it is a subtle shade of taupe or a rich shade of orange. I find that having some color on the walls (other than white) gives the room more interest. If you are lucky enough to have crown moldings and other trim details in your home, it better highlights them, which I tend to have painted in white or off-white.
Below is an example of a client's living room wall: the original white painted wall gave a cool and modern feeling. My client wanted a warm and cozy feeling, which we achieved by painting the walls with Benjamin Moore's AF-230 "Buttered Yam" paint:  
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