Interior designer Ashli Mizell tried something different with this Gladwyne living room. “I’d usually do a chair in leather, not an entire sofa,” she says.
The client loved the leather sectional. “He’s a bachelor who wanted a place that was extremely comfortable—a place where he could relax and entertain,” she says.
Instead of traditional brown or black leather, Mizell went for a deep olive green. “That color became the cornerstone to the palette of the entire space,” she says.
Situated on the banks of the Schuylkill River, the home’s natural surroundings were also an inspiration. The sectional is paired with a 1940s club chair upholstered in gold silk velvet. Shelves are filled with books that reflect the owner’s interests—photography, music and art. “He gave us a good set of tools to work with, in that regard,” she says. “Our goal was to create a space that would highlight those interesting objects and allow them to have personality, as well.”
Walls are covered in a hand-woven horsehair wallpaper, which also finds its way into the adjoining dining room. Layered with up to four different colors, the wallpaper brings a tremendous depth to the space. “We were careful that nothing was too loud or too splashy and that everything you interact with has a high-level tactile experience associated with it,” Mizell says.
