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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Better Before or After?

{The DeMattei-Wade Living Room “Before” featured a rich, neutral color palette, tailored shapes, a framed photo by Slim Aarons of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, a sleek, lacquered cocktail table, and a glamorous crystal chandelier.}

The San Francisco home of retail executives, Dave DeMattei and Patrick Wade has appeared in House Beautiful, the San Francisco Chronicle, and on many blogs over the past couple of years, but it wasn’t until today that I came across the most recent images of their living room’s transformation. With a fresh coat of paint, some new furniture, and plenty of new blue and white accessories, they took the room from polished traditional in the city to stylish beach cottage in The Hamptons. The original look is more in line with my own style, but I couldn’t resist sharing this makeover as it shows how a few simple changes can completely change the look and feel of a space.

{The DeMattei-Wade Living Room “After” features an airy color palette of white with various hues of blue, Chinese blue and white pottery, a white Chippendale coffee table, slipcovered sofas with ikat pillows and an overall English vibe.}

Which look do you prefer—the before or the after?

 

{Image Credits: 1 | 2 }

39 comments:

Chelsea said...

Before! Hand's down. They are both great looks, though.

Lindsay said...

I much prefer the before as well...the "after" has a lil too much going on for me but that white coffee table is gorgeous!

Diogenes said...

I prefer the before.

That said, dark brown walls as a foil for white has been much used.

Unknown said...

In my opinion Absolutely before!
Take a look of my today post, is about a interior dècor house, and let me know what do you think!
Have a nice day..

(www.the-parisienne.com)

Elizabeth said...

I also prefer the first look, but I know how living with something every day can tire you out. It's cool how they changed the entire thing with accessories and paint color!
xoxo -e (modern24seven)

Bethany [at] Powell Brower Home said...

as much as I like blue and white porcelain, and i do love it, I really liked the BEFORE better :) Seems more inviting, less stuffy.

Bethany
www.PowellBrowerHome.com

Annie Vincent Interiors said...

Beautiful rooms! I also prefer the before. What a beautiful change though! I am in love with the Chippendale coffee table...

Annie

http://houseonrene.blogspot.com

Chic Coles said...

Oh no can't it be both!This is so hard but we have to go with after. Amazing designing. What fun to see both.

kristin said...

Hmmm? I like the before better for Fall and the after better for a beach house in the summer. The blue and white is a bit much and the beige is a bit dull, but they are both lovely interiors. This is definitely an interesting renovation!!

Erika said...

I'm with you...the redo is lovely, but the original do is still my fave. I wish I could change looks every five years or so to satisfy all of my interior cravings!!

Squeak said...

Both pictures are beautiful, but the first one is more my style.

Grace Ng said...

I like the second look better because I am big on Asian influences in decor.

Unknown said...

While both are lovely, I def. prefer the before!

xoxo, Emily

Wen Guehne said...

Love the look and style of the first one with colors from second.

Chimere said...

Before, definitely.

oliver thomas said...

Although the "after" is lighter n more breezy...and is totally gorgeous, i much prefer the before pic, dark n sophisticated...def more my style!! :)

Like Me Some said...

I think it would be exciting if we could fuse the two looks together! I love the zebra bench and deep moody walls in the first but also like the ikat pillows in the second and the Chippendale table.

Boo Hazard said...

I prefer the before! - although I find both rooms to be a little too cluttered for my taste. -Boo

Whitney said...

before!

Unknown said...

i probably prefer before, but i also love that they totally changed it up.

Elizabeth @ The Little Black Door said...

I like that they tried something totally different. But I prefer the before.

Design Candy said...

the before! the after is way to busy, unless its just the angle the photo was taken?

Tammy@InStitches said...

The after is pretty but the before is more "me" !

Karen said...

The before is the reason I had my great room painted chocolate brown, I'd never get tired of that room.

3 Peanuts said...

I prefer the before much more. While I like the shade of blue on the walls....all that blue and white is overdone!

Anonymous said...

Both. My only problem with the second one is that it is too heavy with small accessories. Too cluttered from that angle.

LUCY WILLIAMS said...

im a huge fan of blue and white but in this case, im not-
LOVE the brown version-so much more inviting.

Amy@eatsleepdecorate said...

I definitely prefer the before! Much more chic and classy!

Meg@OliverandRust said...

before

Anonymous said...

Generally I love color and pattern, asian influences, and blue and white in combination. But I prefer the before. Somehow even though it's glamorous it's cozier. The tartan, zebra, and chandelier stop the beige from looking overly dated. The blue room, as other have pointed out, is cluttered, and I wish they could have used a more nuanced and complex color scheme.

Unknown said...

They are both great looks, but I love blue and white!! The blue and white looks so fresh and timeless!!
And I like how light the space feels.
www.donnaviningblog.com

Splendid Sass said...

Love both, but I am on a blue kick right now.
Happy Friday.
Teresa
xoxo

lsellers said...

Definitely the before. It's warm and cozy yet sharp and high style at the same time. That's the kind of tension I love in design. The after is cold and cluttered. It's also contrived. I believe design should be grounded in a sense of place. San Francisco is not the Hamptons.

designchic said...

I often say I need several homes, because I love so many different styles. The first is gorgeous, but I'm such a fan of blue and white...I could definitely live in both!!

Amy said...

I like the before much better, the after is way too blue and white "chintzy" for my taste!

kat @ dot dot dash said...

I'm gonna unfortunately have to go with the before.
I love the clean elegance of the first design. Gorgeous dark palette and much cleaner lines
x kat

Arlene Gibbs Décor said...

I love blue and white, but prefer the Before room.

The After, feels more cluttered to me.

Also the Before room says San Francisco/sophisticated city apartment.

Not sure what the After picture says. I can't "place" the room.

Loribeth said...

Both are beautiful. But the second version is a little too busy for me. If they removed some of the accessories, I'd probably like it better. So, I guess I'd have to say I like the first version better.

Anonymous said...

Even though the "after" room is more traditional, it makes the "before" room look a little tired.