Interior Vignette

Isn't this adorable?  My mom was visiting yesterday and painted this little vignette of my living room.  I think the painting looks better than the actual room.  Nice job Mom!

Paneled Living Rooms

A client recently asked me to design some paneling and a new mantel for her living room.  She and I both wanted to do something a little different from the normal colonial wainscotting with a chair rail and raised or recessed panels.  Here are some images I found which put a twist on the paneled room.  The room above is by Manuel De Santaren.  The large scale panels, muted colors and modern light fixtures give this room a modern sophistication.

This room by Van Day Treux is one of my all-time favorite rooms  I never get tired of the color scheme and the layout of the art.  I also really like, in this particular case, that the trim and walls have been painted the same color.

This slightly more formal room by Thomas Pheasant doesn't really have paneling, but he has gracefully framed the mantel with a pair of pilasters and an architrave. 

This is a beautiful living room by Katherine Newman Designs.  The paneling is very tailored and she has cleverly added both fabric and mirrors to the panels.  You can see the detail better in the photo below.  It's a beautiful detail.  I also really love how she mixes great light fixtures, and modern peices with the formal paneling.

Great art too.

This is a bedroom by Katherine Newman Designs.  But this simple fabric paneling could look really great in a living room as well.

This room by Victoria Hagan has paneling and a mantel that are very similar to what my client has now.  I really like this look, but I'm afraid it will be just a bit too casual for my client.

The overall look of this room by Barclay Butera is more beachy than we are going for.  But I like how the panels end just below the ceiling and the grass cloth continues from the wall to the ceiling.

This paneling from Martha Stewart Living is a little bit more historical looking than the others.  But I like the pilasters on either side of the mantel.  And the full wall of raised panels is a really nice look.  But I don't love this green.

This is a great mantel, aslo from Martha Steward Living.  The paneling is really secondary.  But the paint color is quite pretty and so are the light fixtures and chairs.