Back to foamcore
If you ditch the beveled edge of the mirrors for starters....keep the damn couch because it's comfortable and that says buckets. Try the foamcore idea and play with positioning it until you lose the edge of the patio railing. Is that a grass cloth wall in your your office/work space? Envious, I am.....wonderful collection I spy
KarinHazel
Mark, I think one of the...
Mark, I think one of the issues in the room in purity. There is no one guiding idea. There are pieces of various styles that work against each other. The mirrors are highly dated and in my opinion, have no place in a living room. Making the space feel more intimate may not be so bad. I find the mirrors distracting and unsightly to be quite frank. It would probably be best to take this one step at a time. Once you remove the mirrors and paint the wall (white I hope), you will have a better idea of how the room feels without them and how that wall can be utilized in harmony with your furniture. As of now, you have a few lovely pieces that could make for a great setup. The platner chair in orange is lovely. The womb chair in red (hopsack?) is also a beauty, as is the richard sapper floor lamp. The barcelona coffee table is also very nice (not my favorite, but could be very elegant with the two chairs).
To put it in simple terms, you have two powerful colors in two great pieces. Ditch both carpets for white carpets. Ditch the sofa, the table lamps in your dining room and move the table lamp out of the living room. Think about something fun for the sofa or something very crisp that speaks of modernism. I think a Florence Knoll sofa in bright blue, Arne jacobsen Swan sofa in a contrasting color, or Saarinen womb sofa in a contrasting color would be superb with the platner and womb chairs.
Also think about your wall colors. You have grayish green it seems in the dining part of the space. Why not make the whole room white and pure? Why not remove the moulding from the fireplace? Why not simplify the space and show off a few magnificent pieces?
Some inspiration:
For starters
I agree with the previous opinions about the sofa and furniture placement. I think one of the main issues with the room is actually the sofa. The style and scale is working against the nice collection of iconic pieces ie. the Platner, Womb Chair and Knoll tables. Those pieces have a lightness that the sofa is lacking. It's just too bulky and heavy. Something more streamlined would be far more complimentary. Perhaps a Knoll, George Nelson or Milo Baughman style sofa. I feel a Le Corbusier sofa would be a little too heavy next to your existing pieces. Additionally, I find the placement of all that furniture against the mirrored wall to be problematic. Floating a new sofa in front of the window with the back towards the dining room makes the most sense to me, provided you have the space. The pic that spanky posted could work. I would say to start with that and then see how you feel about the mirror. While it may feel slightly dated, I actually don't mind it and think that it could be made to work. Those are just initial thoughts. I am sure more will come.
.
I very much appreciate all the wonderful advice that you all have offered. You folks are simply wonderful. It looks as though the mirrored wall will be history, and I will start shopping for a sofa. White walls all around it shall be.
Best,
Aunt Mark
ps I'm too old to wear board shorts, those were Lilly P. bermudas. bahahahaha!
Yes, you need a non private...
Yes, you need a non private folder in Photobucket.
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David and artsnot,
I thank you both for such detailed ideas. As previously mentioned, the mirrored wall be soon be white/all crown moldings removed. I really like the idea of the fireplace wall being simplified. I will have it painted the same shade of white, and will have the mantle-piece painted the same white shade (except in a semi gloss finish)..to make it disappear and/or blend with the surroundings. Of all of the sofas suggested, I would like the Florence Knoll 3-seat sofa in a cloth textile. I would also like to upgrade the table lamp on the end of the sofa. I know the lamp that I want, but I can't seem to remember the designers name. Starline, thank you much for the images. The bottom room is stunning. Hazel, you are just a sweetie pie. Onno, I'm sorry for mis-behaving yesterday, and I appreciate you bringing me into line. I need therapy.
All the best,
Lucky Mark
ps I saw an interesting black leather framed mirror at the local Palm Beach church charity that was priced affordably. I will try and stop after lunch and take a picture...hoping for an honest opinion, or two. However, there is a mirror over the fireplace (which brings light into the windowless space), so artwork might be a better choice.
pss Thank you all again for taking the time to help me solve my decor problems. I wish that we could all meet for dinner...on my tab. I'd be honored.
stylistic assurance
pubpat,
I was born with savoir-faire (your stylistic assurance) and the means (your crude reference to money) to accomplish my goals. I also got the "good manners" not to criticize a person who asks for help.
I usually leave such things to my long forgotten friend "The Ark", but I would suggest that you go screw yourself and stop with the nasty Mark posts. I like Mark (Lilly, Gucci, and Louis).
Mark - how about the Charles Pfister, sofa for Knoll Studio done in some nice Spinneybeck leather (my favorite) and a Philippe Starck, Caadre floor mirror for Fiam.
Also another request of photos showing you cruising Worth Avenue.
Man Starline...
The bottom picture doesn't look too bad, but that top picture looks like vomit with mold growing over it. It's even forming all over the sputnik lamp, and mirror. You almost need a respirator just to look at it. I sure hope those light bulbs don't run in series.
Honey, a bulbs out...
NOOOOOOOO...!!!!!! Tell the guys I can't make it Friday.
But it's only Monday.
I know.
I hate to see
a friend bullied into submission by the Modernist Police. White box, classic furniture icons, bright solid colors. Sigh. Does there have to be such a pat formula for living la vie Moderne . . . ?
There really is a reason for that mirrored wall. Look at what's outside the glass: A terrific panorama of shoreline, sea, and sky. Imagine how the mirror doubles the view ! Think of a storm, a sunset, a brilliant day. I'd be tempted to have some mirror near the glass on BOTH walls. And, the room is a tunnel; let it expand into a friendlier and more luxurious shape at its climax.
At night this would be magical, as well. One size does not fit all. Architecture is about responding to the unique conditions of time, place, client.
Below is a bit of mirror inserted between a partition and the glass, neatly filling in a void and extending the size of the space. (I thought at first the glass overhead was mirror, too -- but I think not, as you don't see a reflection of the clerestory mullion. This is a device used by R Schindler, to share light and space between rooms. The house illustrated is from 1946, in LA, designed by A Quincy Jones and partner.) Even a foot of mirror begins to work; each additional foot adds to it. Mark could stop the mirror on each wall at 4 feet, say, or whatever size is convenient. No seams, no bevels. Yay !
Palm Beach can take a little glitz, can't it ? C'mon . . . live a little. (How about a Jack Larson casement fabric on that glass wall ?)
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