Room We Love: A Kid-Friendly, Not Kid-Centric, Living Area

With two children under age three, Cheryl Luckett’s clients wanted a kid-friendly, yet polished living room in their First Ward brownstone. They needed space for toys and books, but they wanted the room to reflect their style as well. “A home should tell the story of the people who live there, even if there are no photos on display,” Luckett says. “They obviously have kids, and if you have kids, that’s a part of your story.”

Use What You’ve Got

Luckett used the homeowner’s existing leather chairs, bookshelves, and media console to anchor the room. She found the sofa and coffee table at Row Furniture and the lantern chandelier at Currey & Company. The couple already had the Juan Logan print above the piano, so Luckett found the large abstract painting at an antique store to complement it. “It really drove color scheme,” she says. “If they have things that are working, I work them in. It gives it a homey, curated feel.”

Photos by Laura Sumrak

Make it Function

The homeowner wanted the kids to be able to reach their toys and books, so Luckett found wire baskets at At Home and stacked them on the three lowest bookshelves for easy access. She chose a coffee table ottoman with no sharp edges, and had cushions upholstered in a Revolution performance fabric for the window seats. “You can store things inside, and they can provide extra seating in a pinch,” she says.

Photos by Laura Sumrak

Light it Up

The piano was a new purchase, and the homeowners wanted to highlight their love of music. Luckett added a floor lamp beside it and a picture light over the piano to elevate those two pieces. “Lighting has ability to shift the space, and create a mood,” she says. “In this space I feel like they had good foundational pieces, and the impact comes through the color, the geometric prints on the shades, the pillows, and the abstract art. It really says something about them.”