Traditional with a Twist

Interior designer Rebecca Builder created this soothing living space for a young couple in downtown’s Delaney Park neighborhood.

1-WALL COLOR 
Builder chose Benjamin Moore “Woodlawn Blue” for this room. The homeowner already owned the white slipcovered sofa, so “I selected a color to saturate the room and make the furnishings pop,” says Builder. “When I use a dramatic color on the walls, I typically choose neutrals for the furnishings, including draperies and rugs. I only repeat the color on pillows and accessories.” 

2-LIGHT FIXTURE
“Because this is an older home, there are no recessed lights and very few places for table lamps,” Builder says. “The ceiling fixture was a necessity.” She chose a burlap barrel shade because it was a short enough profile to accommodate the nine-foot ceilings and wide enough to add substance. “Anything smaller would have looked out of place.”

3-SOFA AND CHAIRS
Working with the existing sofa, Builder ordered matching chairs in coordinating white slipcovers. “In a smaller space, I love matching all the upholstery,” she says. “It gives the room a modern, classic look. Too many patterns can look fussy. The slipcovers were a necessity as the homeowners have a young child and a dog. If you purchase a well-made slipcover in a dense fabric, it will wash and wear beautifully.” 

4-COFFEE TABLE
The waterfall shape of the coffee table was chosen to add another more modern touch to the room. “The faux shagreen material of the coffee table offers a really fun texture and a little pattern to the room,” adds Builder. “It is slightly oversized for the narrow space, but the light color helps mask that.”

5-RUG 
The chevron-patterned rug gives a more casual element to an otherwise traditional space. “The homeowners are a young professional couple, and they wanted their living room to look and feel fresh and modern,” says Builder. She chose to use two of the same rug to define and separate the seating areas. And because the room is an irregular size, it saved the homeowners money to use two standard-sized rugs instead of one large custom-made rug.  

6-ACCESSORIES
Accessories are the “jewelry” of a room. Builder says she tends to choose 3 or 4 colors and repeat them throughout a room. “I always add a metallic element. In this room, it is the mercury glass globes. I love the way they reflect light, much like a diamond.” +

-Based in Orlando, Rebecca Builder Interiors focuses on residential and commercial interior design. rebeccabuilderinteriors.com