When a kitchen addition with a dining area made the formal dining room redundant in her clients’ Westwood home, Nina Seed suggested turning it into a library. “They wanted a quiet space to read and shelves for all their books,” the designer says. Playing off the wife’s love of gardening, Seed cocooned the room in Farrow & Ball Green Smoke, a calming shade that brings the outside in. “It’s a relaxing space where everyone can stretch out to read and use the table to work or study,” Seed says.
1 Closing up a second doorway allowed Seed to create a nook for the Kelly Wearstler sofa. “The recessed sofa feels cozy and you can grab a book from above or next to you,” she says.
2 Seed commissioned a triptych by Wendy Briggs Powell through Libby Silvia Artstyle. “Wendy dipped paper into dyed water, attached them to wood panel, and finished with resin,” Silvia says.
3 The open design of the two-tone chandelier by Hudson Valley Lighting doesn’t obscure the subtle wallpaper on the ceiling. “I needed bulbs right up near the paper to maximize the metallic reflection,” Seed says.
4 The organic shape of the sconces by Martyn Lawrence Bullard for Corbett Lighting breaks up the linearity of the new custom cabinetry by Norfolk-based Hamlin Cabinet Corp.
5 Seed was drawn to the cane panels and rhythmic backs of the armchairs. “An interesting back was important,” Seed says, “since you see them as you walk into the room.”
6 Industry West chairs surround a table in the same tone as the sofa, which helps to keep the room feeling balanced. “The setup is perfect for playing board games in natural light,” Seed says.
Marni Elyse Katz is a regular contributor to the Globe Magazine. Send comments to [email protected].