The den of Sharon and Steve Bryant’s seven-year-old home didn’t really need a makeover. But with the last child going to college, they decided to dress up the room with more sophisticated furniture and brighter colors. Pam Plowden Rawson, ASID, of Pulliam Morris Interiors, began with linen sofa pillows from Jim Thompson Fabrics. This inspired the red sofa and muted lime-green chairs, with accents of aqua and brown for interest. Intense colors and an eclectic mix of furnishings and artwork create a lively combination. The whole family, when together, can enjoy entertaining friends with a game of pool or relax in comfortable seating while watching television or reading.
Sallie and Frank Manning’s traditional, rustic-style den is the perfect room for a family gathering. The neutral wall color by Benjamin Moore gives the den a cozy, warm feeling. “Being a realtor, I have seen many beautiful dens and bring ideas home daily,” she says. She mixed different textures of fabrics, including the sofa — a subtle herringbone by Valdese — that is also child and pet friendly. The window panels are by Kravet while the club chair, wing-back and rocking chair are family pieces that have been recovered. The burlap ottoman has a great shelf below for holding the children’s toys and books. Lowcountry landscape art mixed with special family pieces, such as a framed portrait of their family farmhouse in Marlboro County, dress the walls. Sallie loves the natural light in the afternoon that streams through the den. On a chilly fall night, the Manning family can often be found crowded around the fireplace watching football.
Caroline and Jeremy Reeves wanted an elegant but not too fussy den because of their busy lifestyle with their two young children, Elliot and Harper. With the help of Designer Joe Stuart of Prive’/Meeting Street Interiors, they chose a neutral color palate of cool greys and gold with crisp white trim to play up the European-style architecture of the home. The room is accented with turquoise that is echoed in the surrounding art and accessories. Beautiful hand colored prints from Florence, Italy finished in black suede with gilded frames were brought in, as well as many accessories from Europe and all over the world. The youthful couple love traditional style but added more modern elements to breathe a little life in what would otherwise be very traditional-style furnishings.
