Style Pointers
FLOORS
It’s unnecessary to forgo all practicality for comfort. Wall-to-wall berber carpet, echoing the biscuit coloring of the room and looking suitably luxurious, is very longwearing.
FURNITURE
The room is fairly simply furnished with a pair of sturdy sofas covered in a pale damask, a large fabric-covered coffee table, and a lacquered chest. Bookshelves are tucked into the fireside alcove.
WALLS
A fine striped wallpaper adorns these walls, topped with a wide paper border depicting a lavish three-dimensional effect of festooned fabric. A pale neutral or pastel paint can achieve a similar light effect. Woodwork is typically painted white or cream.
WINDOWS
The room is blessed with a huge picture window which is quite modestly but stylishly dressed with neatly pleated swags and tails and a navy blue roller blind. More flamboyantly draped, full-length curtain treatments help smaller windows live up to their illustrious surroundings.
FIREPLACE
Decorated with moldings and painted to match the woodwork, a large fireplace makes an imposing focal feature for the room.
ACCESSORIES
A glint of golden color is significantly conspicuous on a lamp base, picture frames, brass-trimmed boxes, ceramics, a clock, and candlestick. Flowers and pot plants are compatibly large and exotic.
Furnishings
Arrangement: Plenty of space, light, and airiness, or at least the impression of spaciousness, is extremely important to the image, so avoid crowding the room with furniture and accessories. Given the significance of the fireplace as a focal point, the seating and allied occasional tables tend to be ranged around the hearth.
Furniture: Quality and size count more than quantity in glamour living. Remember, this is a look that is out to bowl you over with its audacious use of deep sofas and elaborately carved and gilded console tables, commodes, or sideboards. Including the occasional delicate Louis XVI-style giltwood chair or side table underscores the magnificence of die proportions.
Pale or muted damask, moire, and jacquard fabrics figure largely in the upholstery. You can establish the basis of the look quite economically with two roomy sofas covered in crinkled cream or white washable cotton fabric.
Generally, any wood trim or wooden furniture is quite light, either limed, painted in subtle colors with touches of gilding, or veneered in golden walnut. For an absolute contrast, black lacquered wood trim on chairs and tables can look dramatic, especially when the details are accented with gilt paint or polish, although dark mahogany is too somber for the effect.
Lustrous metals, sparkling glass, and polished stones, such as marble and onyx, are three definitive elements in establishing the richness and splendor of the style. Metallic effects can range from a gentle golden gleam to the eyecatching twinkle of polished chrome. Glass appears frequently as mirrors and as table tops.
Windows: For classic, ostentatious glamour, copious amounts of fabric are poured into ceiling-to-floor length curtains and trimmed with cord and tassels. Although fully fringed swags and tails work well for the look, they’re not obligatory; brass tiebacks, goblet headings and Italian stringing are just as acceptable. However, in a fuss-free setting, you can use plain, neatly folded Roman blinds very effectively.
In keeping with the walls, floors, and furniture, curtain fabrics are generally light in color but heavy by weight and rich in texture. Interlining the curtains adds extra substance and stresses the luxurious quality of the style. A darker contrast in linings and valances is permissible as it draws more attention to prominent window treatments.
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- Glamour Living Rooms, Part 1
- Classic Living Rooms, Part 1
- Classic Living Rooms, Part 2
- Global Dining Rooms, Part 2
- Dramatic Dining Rooms, Part 1