08/18/2026
Same sofas. Same art. Same coffee table. Completely different house. Swipe to the end for the before.
We're known for taking homes from "studs to sofa." This one asked for something different. The bones were beautiful, so the construction was minimal - refinished floors, and beams lightened from heavy walnut to a lighter white oak. That alone updated the feel of the whole room.
Then we edited. And what we added back was deliberate, with a few specific new pieces doing all the heavy lifting:
→ A chaise low enough to add real seating without ever blocking the ocean views
→ A sculptural velvet chair that blends traditional lines with contemporary detail, to anchor the fireplace
→ Lamps we repurposed from another room in the house — more sculptural, more contemporary, and already theirs
→ New pillows to add color, detail, and a softer, cooler palette
→ A woven, organic mirror over the mantel in place of the gilt one - the single biggest shift toward transitional in the room
→ Accessories with a cooler and more organic personality
The gallery wall came down to one hero painting with its own light, giving it room to breathe. We removed the shelving unit and small accessories to create a cozy corner with one amazing painting and a statement chair. Here's the best part: the room has more furniture than it did before, and eight people can now sit down and actually talk to each other - yet it feels lighter and more open than it ever did. Warm, interesting, layered, and anything but typical.
Collected, not decorated. Personal, lived-in, and a good bit more eclectic than "coastal."
This home was being readied for the market, but you don't have to be selling to want this. The right furnishings change how a room looks, how it feels, and how it actually functions. It's the clearest proof we have of something we tell clients all the time: furnishings aren't the finishing touch. Sometimes they're the entire strategy.
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Photography I
Renovation I McAneny Builders
