Room makeover, a before & after: Making the inside as lovely as the outside

A client recently called me with a challenge: She was tired of the layout of her family room/dining room, which had essentially been the same for 20 years.

The challenge: The room was already quite nice, with beautiful furniture and a fine layout. Its water view along an entire wall didn't hurt either.

But I did see a few ways to improve the room. Notice how boxy and square the furniture arrangements were, both in the living area and the dining area in the "before" photo? I put the dining table at an angle to add some interest.

And I place the sofas opposite one another. This not only adds furniture on the water side (the room was a bit furniture heavy on the non-water side before), but now you get a direct view of the fireplace as you walk in the room.

Overall, the arrangement really opens up the room, giving you an expansive feeling, similar to what you get when you look out the windows at all that water.

The room also felt too brown before. I borrowed red accents and accessories from other rooms to add splashes of color.

Finally, I created a third use for the large room. The table that used to be behind the sofa is now in a corner, where it can serve as a desk or a spot to play a game...or stare at that view...