AGH Country House: Living Room
The Living Room is a romantic room covered in wall-to-wall windows, providing endless outdoor views and sunlight from sunrise to sunset.
When we first looked at the house, the living room took our breath away. This room was actually added on to the house just about five years ago; it was previously a screened-in porch. We’re so happy it exists, and can enjoy it year-round. Aside from the kitchen, it’s where we spend nearly all of our time. Without this room, the house would be quite small— the only other rooms on the first floor are the dining room (also a walkthrough room that connects all of the rooms), the office, the front entry, a powder room and of course the kitchen.
The living room provided a unique challenge in terms of layout. Generously sized at 15’ x 19’, I arranged the room in a way that would be able to do three things: entice and encourage conversation, take advantage of the beautiful views outside (showcasing without distracting), and accommodate the television on the only small wall space (without “framing” the entire room around it). The wall-to-wall windows (sixteen to be exact) were a welcomed “challenge”— I wanted to let the expansive views shine but also bring a sense of coziness to the space. It also needed to have an easy flow to the two doorways leading to the exterior patio and interior dining room. Once nailing that down, I knew I could fit two sofas, a set of armchairs, and one or two additional seating pieces around a large coffee table with room for the extras.
For the furniture, I wanted to go classic on the main seating pieces and then add interest through some of the accent pieces.
First, a little story on this vintage rug: Back when we moved to Connecticut in 2017 and purchased the AGH Farmhouse, I began furnishing our house with 100% secondhand and vintage pieces through FB Marketplace. (In fact, there was literally not a single piece of newly purchased furniture in the house, ever). I was buying an antique accent chair from a woman and upon picking it up, I found out that she was actually getting ready to sell most of the contents of her home. She and her husband moved from home to home fixing them up (sound familiar?), and her taste was exquisite. So, we came back a month later and purchased a ton of pieces from them, including this rug. It’s one of my husband’s cherished favorites, and has come with us from house to house— it was in the dining room of the Farmhouse, the office of the Lake House, and now the living room of the Country House. She even had us over to her new fixer upper and gave us a tour. It was such an unexpected connection, and a special memory.
We started with these two timeless linen english arm sofas that have come with us from house to house. They are lived in, and we love them. When they are eventually a little too lived in, I’ll probably recover them instead of purchasing new ones (that’s how much I love them!). One is the slipcovered Carlisle Sofa and the other is a custom piece I purchased secondhand. After placing the sofas, I added these linen slipcovered armchairs. I honestly don’t know that these chairs will be here long term - I’ve have my eye on another set of armchairs that have a very similar style and silhouette, but are better quality, more substantial, and swivel - but for now these are great. The vintage coffee table was an incredible Marketplace find I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find a coffee table this large (and thought I’d have to get two smaller), but happened upon this 72” x 42” piece just a few weeks after moving in. It provides a tremendous amount of surface space— we play cards and board games on it all the time, and it’s a wonderful piece when we’re hosting. Next, two iron side tables were placed on the outer corners. Knowing that there would be at least three side tables in addition to the coffee table, I wanted to vary the material in the side tables. One is 20” with three tapered legs, and the other is a diminutive 12” cocktail table with textured legs. I searched all summer and fall for the “perfect” 36”ish vintage round side table to place in between the two sofas, with no success. In early fall, I found a beautiful french accent table with cabriole legs. I purchased it simply because I love it, but also knew that it would work perfectly fine as the in-between table while my search continued. Of course, right after these photos were taken I found the table, and it’s since taken its place. But my little french table will live on! It’s up in my bedroom for now; it’s one of those tables that will always find a home. The upholstered bench was the last piece of seating to arrive. I was originally searching for a pair upholstered ottomans, but ended up deciding on an upholstered bench as I thought two additional seating pieces would make things feel busy. I really love its natural and ivory ticking stripe. The table lamps are a favorite earthy ceramic lamp, and the floor lamp adds a little bit of whimsy with its curved feet. The overhead round pendant light is a beautifully constructed piece from CL Sterling & Son.
The drapery was the very last decision and addition. I am of the (maybe minority) mindset that not every window needs a treatment. It’s typically the last thing I decide on in any room. For me, it often comes down to the architecture in each space. The architectural details are so exquisite in this house that I’ve found beauty in restraint, minimally and selectively making decisions to fill walls, windows and empty space. In this living room, I waited until all of the furnishings were in place before making sure it was the right decision. In this case, they really do add to the space, framing each window and enhancing the view. I went with a Belgian Linen Drape in color Natural, Unlined with a Tailor Pleat. I love using Two Pages because they are the more affordable option to a quality, custom drape. Use code AGOODHOME for 17% off your order. All of the bronze curtain rods are 3/4” with a french return, and I always feel the curved detail is a more sophisticated style. Two of the sets are from Rejuvenation (my go-tos), and the other two are custom-cut from Pasos Robles Ironworks due to their size. I use Rejuvenations’ curtain rings (clips removed) and fasten the drape’s insert right onto the ring. It took me three hours start-to-finish to hang these (thank goodness for RJW Home Services’ help!).
My recommendation for achieving a balanced look when mixing old and new is a 50/50 formula (50% old, 50% new). I tend to purchase newer upholstery pieces (like sofas and armchairs) and mix in vintage pieces that have surfaces (like accent or side tables and coffee tables). Lighting and rugs can go either way and are more specific to each space; I tend to like new rugs in bedrooms and vintage rugs in every day living spaces, and I tend to like vintage overhead lights and newer table lamps.