Project Babbling Brook

Living Room Reveal

When Dave and I were imagining the Babbling Brook spec home, we wanted to be able to offer more than a nice shell. We wanted to offer potential home owners the option to “take a home to the finish”, if they wished.

That’s why today I’m sharing the living room, which was given the full designer treatment. Almost everything I’m sharing *exists and can be bought as an add-on to this home.

Why would you purchase furniture from a designer instead of a large retail store? I handle the not-so-fun parts of the process (paperwork, fit, damages, and freight) so you don’t have to. There is quality control and a cohesive look at the end. I have worked hard over the last decade to partner with high-end, custom furniture manufacturers that can support my creative vision. You can see an entire room put together from start to finish..there won’t be any question what it will look like. And every detail will be thought of to support your lifestyle.

Project Babbling Brook has a tiny living room, but I wanted to max out the seating. I put in a large sofa. It’s super clean-lined so it doesn’t overpower the room (no huge rolled arms here). The sofa and chairs are upholstered in performance fabric for easy living in Wyoming.

The ottomans are covered in full-grain leather for easy wiping (they will get handled a lot!), and they can double as seats if a crowd comes over. I love the flexibility they provide.

The rug in this rendering is an affordable one and could certainly be swapped. As a designer I would put a custom cut carpet underneath the oriental rug to get all of the furniture legs on carpet, but I chose to stick in an affordable rug for now and price the room that way.

The table in between those two sculpted armchairs is marble, which carries the peaceful white rhythm through the space. Here’s a mood board (furniture shown in different fabrics/finishes) to help you see each individual piece better.

The investment for this room will be $16,500.00. It includes everything except the television and flowers. The artwork is priced as a custom abstract from my studio.

*I always have to note that products I pick can expire at any time. I don’t have any say whether a manufacturer axes a fabric or product. In the event that this occurs (and it happens all the time) a suitable replacement will be found.

After having a blog for a decade, I can sense some of the questions popping up. “Tawna, I want a new living room. My max budget is $10,000.00. Can you make that work?”

The short answer is “No.” Not if you want quality furnishings. Did you notice this living room has no windows? If you needed window coverings, you’d need even more money. When working with a designer, you’ll be able to get the room you want starting at $20-$25K. This gets you nice furniture, in the options you want, with all of the services provided above. I think people forget our work is a nuts-to-bolt service. When you hire us, you’re not simply buying furniture.

If that isn’t in your cards, I do offer “sofa makeovers.” I would say budget around $5-$6K for a standard fabric sofa (leather sofas are more). Reach out if you have any questions.

Now, just for fun, I’m going to show you the rendering of the kitchen again. The living room is open to the kitchen, and it’s always fun to imagine them together.

Until next time friends!