By the end of the day on Friday, especially after a long week, we always only want three things: sweatpants, comfort food, and a nice glass of wine. There’s no better way to decompress!

For Havenly client Joy L, before she can unwind, she makes the commute from her New York City apartment to her home in Long Island for the weekend. With the help of her designer, Joy was able to turn her weekend house into more than just a home – it became her relaxing escape from city chaos.

The Beginning

Joy had used a designer years ago for her city apartment, but turned to Havenly while she was in the midst of her Long Island home renovation.

Deciding to begin with her living/dining room, she shared her desires for the space with her designer, Casey:

• Establishing the right style: Joy was drawn to “French country, shabby chic, rustic, and a bit industrial too” – but wanted one unified look
• Finding a color scheme to work for both the living and the dining space
• Integrating the fireplace into the design
• Maximizing the limited and narrow space – correctly choosing sofas and a dining room table

From there, Casey and Joy hopped on the phone for an introduction, and to align on likes/dislikes. They immediately hit it off, and agreed that the direction for the living room should be “French Country, with classic symmetry” – and Casey got to work!

The Mood Boards

Casey sent over four mood boards for Joy to review, and she loved what Casey provided, “Wow love them all! You’re certainly in the right direction – difficult choice… Let me get back tonight Casey. Thanks!”

Joy ended up liking different pieces from all four rooms: a rug from one, art from another – and with that direction, Casey was able to incorporate the pieces Joy was drawn to when designing the concepts. For the dining room, Casey also included a Restoration Hardware dining table that Joy already owned (a design perk of Havenly – we love incorporating pre-existing pieces!)

The Concepts

To “Love It”

From “Like It”

With the concepts, Casey added more rustic lamps and decorative items, and a stone fireplace mantle to give Joy a visual for the future of the fireplace.

Casey also suggested “a light gray washed stone, with a ornate stone mantle,” for the fireplace, to really enhance the French country vibe.

And since the home renovation was still in progress when Joy began working with Casey, she was also able suggest paint colors that would really bring everything together – and suggest where outlets should be wired to best suit the design.

Final Designs

Using the “Love It” board to guide her final designs, Casey also added some pops of color in the dining area with two fiddle leaf fig trees, and tall vases by the fireplace for citrus fruits.

She originally chose a bench for the dining table, but due to budget and style, the final result was eight dining chairs instead.

Furniture wise, the addition of a weathered credenza, curio cabinet against the right half wall in the living area was placed to display Joy’s teacup collection.

Casey and Joy continued to chat during the entire design process, to ensure that the final result was exactly what Joy envisioned for her city escape.

The Final Product

We can’t get over how well this room turned out!

The makeover of the fireplace, plus the new paint colors, does wonders for the room, and the neutral colors make the room look especially clean with all the natural light.

“I discussed with Casey all my ideas, what I liked in each, and she interpreted and put it all together in one unified look. Every weekend I would look forward to traveling to Long Island to see the house being completed and each time was really exciting as I would plan the interiors with and take measurements to provide Casey. She was just as excited as I was designing my new home. And when I was happy with the outcome of the living-dining area, we moved next to the family area, and then the bedrooms. Before I knew it Casey was designing practically my entire new home! All along, Casey was very accommodating and willing to experiment with the ideas that I’d throw at her. She gave sound advice and options. We worked really well together!” – Joy

 Casey’s recommendations were spot on for Joy’s initial vision, and all the different pieces tied together well from the initial Mood Boards, to the Concepts, to the final Designs. With Casey’s help, Joy’s Long Island home became just the getaway she needed!