House Milk BEFORE & AFTER: Living Space Redesign by Emily Henderson

If you recall, in August I posted that I’d been working with designers Emily Henderson and Melanie Burstin on my living and dining area and the time has come to share the results!

First of all, I want to express that this process was exciting, fun, crazy, and a learning experience. However, as much fun as it was, I’m equally glad it’s over with so I can enjoy my new space! Let me refresh your memory of what the space looked like before (*cringe*):

And here are the final design concepts that Emily and Melanie provided:

Living Room final concept design

Dining Room final concept design

And, here are the “after” pics!

The end design turned out to be more pastel-ly (millennial pink, anyone?) and Scandinavian than I had expected, which is why I like that we balanced that Scandinavian color palette and clean lines with the graphic black and white stripes, the modern chandelier, and the farmhouse table. My taste is very eclectic and so it was important to me to not stick to any specific textbook aesthetic…the space really needed to reflect my personality. Working with Emily’s team was awesome – they were super flexible and put up with my pickiness and fickle attitude. It feels… airy and fresh.

The Blu Dot Dang credenza was the piece that this entire room redesign started with. I had my eye on it for over a year, and finally decided to bite the bullet and get one. Emily’s team convinced me that the walnut was the way to go, but I could easily have gotten gray, white or blue – they’re all gorgeous. We love that the side cabinets are perforated for our audio equipment and the shelving allows enough space for our record collection.

Our new puppy, Chicken, even made a cameo!

We already had Hunter Douglas Designer Roller Shades installed by Decorview a few years back and so we called Decorview again because we loved our experience with them. I worked with a local designer, who came to my house and gave me a free consultation. We worked together to create custom drapery for the space.

This spot is where I draw, so I needed a big task lamp, but also a cozy space where I can curl up with my sketchbook.

It was also important to me to have some local art and design pieces in the space, so I bought a piece from designer and ceramicist Bari Ziperstein (BZippy) (below) and also got a beautiful mini planter from Boyce Studio, and also a piece from Ben Medansky (see dining room pics below)—all local LA designer/makers. Also local to me are Kelly Wearstler and Consort Design.

Emily’s team introduced me to Armadillo & Co., a rug company that makes beautiful modern rugs, but also creates custom designs. When we (and by “we” I really mean “I”!) were having a hard time picking a rug for the dining room, we called them to see if they’d work with us on a custom color way and size. Although the custom design took longer than a stocked piece, it was worth the wait because the rug is perfect—see below:

Emily also respected that I wished to keep my black dining table, which was one of the first pieces I bought when we moved in. I think she did an awesome job making the dark, heavy table feel lighter in the space.

Glassware by Felicia Ferrone.

The Hoffmann dining chairs, designed by Josef Hoffmann in the 1920s, were on backorder, but our patience paid off because we love them—they’re so comfortable, too. They bring warmth and texture to the space.

So that’s a wrap, folks. Wanna know where everything is from? Emily put together this useful graphic and we’ve linked all the products below. Happy shopping!

1. Sofa | 2. Coffee Table (similar) | 3. Black and White Stripe Chair | 4. Gold Cube Side Table | 5. Charcoal Rug | 6. Black and White Pillow | 7. Mint Linen Pillow (similar) | 8. Diamond Pillow | 9. Black Floor Lamp | 10. Black Round Side Table | 11. Geometric Color Block Pillow | 12. Palm Pillow | 13. Pink Pillow | 14. Foot Paperweight | 15. Mini Jack | 16. Pink Tray | 17. Rope Bowl | 18. Walnut Console | 19. Pink Bookends | 20. Copper and Blush Vases | 21. Color Block Throw Blanket | 22. Candle Holders | 23. Brass Circle Frame | 24. Small Pink Tray | 25. Brass ‘X’ Coasters | 26. Tray | 27. Wood Side Table | 28. Gold Picture Frame | 29. Black Box | 30. Angles Vase | 31. Small Teal Vase | 32. Marble Coasters (similar) | 33. Brass Geometric Tray | 34. Print | 35. Chandelier | 36. White Rectangle Dish | 37. Gold Tray | 38. Black Sculpture (similar) (actual is an art piece by Ben Medansky) | 39. Black and White Throw Blanket (similar) (actual is by Matt W. Moore) | 40. Teal Planter (similar) | 41. Black Succelent Planter | 42. Black and White Vases | 43. Curtain Rod | 44. Curtains (Carole Fabrics: Prophet Pattern in Cameo) | 45. Dining Armchairs | 46. Dining Chairs | 47. Dining Table | 48. Black Planter (similar) | 49. Color Block Rug (custom)

“After” photos by Tessa Neustadt.

Read more over on Emily’s blog.