Abby Manor: Living Room & Entryway

Jan 24, 2024

Build by Jensen + Sons Construction | Photos by Lacey Alexander

We’re excited to continue the tour of another key part of the house: the entryway and living room. If you’ve missed it, view the previous reveal – The Kitchen and Dining Room, everything in this great room is seamlessly connected. Of course, we will highlight all the details and personal touches, feature stunning photos, and list vendors so you can get inspired for your home!

Entryway

Starting with the entryway – the introduction to the home. We wanted to make a lasting impression with personal and unique details. One of our initial challenges while designing this home is that it’s located in a development that requires contemporary and modern exteriors, but our client loves traditional and farmhouse elements. We set out to blend these two worlds in the entryway, as it’s the perfect transition between the exterior and interior of the house.

The entryway flooring differs from the living room flooring to act as a landing spot before continuing to the rest of the home. We incorporated patterned brick to bring in natural material, dial down the modern feel, and add farmhouse charm. Our client adores shiplap, so we went for wide, horizontal paneling to give it a farmhouse-meets-contemporary style. We added subtle details with the trim color and shape and selected hardware with soft lines and curves to pair well with the family’s detailed accessories, such as the console and artwork, to help the overall space feel calm and balanced.

We love using ceiling details as they draw your eyes upward. Beams are an excellent way to introduce texture and architectural character. We wanted the beams to look natural and structurally accurate, with softer edges and a less crisp, cut look. As for the light fixtures, we kept the fans subtle, while the light fixtures serve as statement pieces.

Living Room

Let’s talk about the living room. With the breathtaking view as the main focus, the tall, butted glass windows make it bright and open. To help the room feel cozy, we designed the custom grand fireplace using the same warm stone as the exterior. We personalized the fireplace dimensions to match the family’s lifestyle: the raised hearth allows you to lean against it comfortably or sit on top, and the mantel shelf is deeper, perfect for holiday decor. There is also a metal lining on the bottom to shield the TV from the heat of the fire. To better facilitate conversation and gathering, we chose a Frame TV to complement the space and not distract.

For the living room furniture, we selected a soft-colored sofa with heathered material to combine a contemporary style with comfort. We then introduced darker wood tones with the console and coffee table to balance out the light furniture and walls. Built by Axios Studio, both pieces were customized to align with the sofa and fireplace. When designing, our inspiration came from other beloved antique pieces, giving them an original look. Lastly, we brought in color with this beautiful hand-knotted rug from Surya. It pulls the blue from the kitchen and features a playful pattern with subtle hints of Asian influences and design.

You can’t miss the numerous antique and sentimental pieces, including oriental art and accessories, which hold deep significance to the family. We made sure to incorporate them into the home’s central area and help them stand out. To achieve this, we sourced calm furniture with subtle Asian undertones, such as the rug, entryway bench, and dining room chairs.