A Living Room For All Ages

A $5,000 room makeover. 300+ contestants. 3 winners. Our Room Redo Contest brought a west elm Design Crew makeover to three lucky winners, including the Clark Family!

Who:

The Clark Family

Design Crew:

Jon Wheat, west elm LA

Where:

Los Angeles, CA

What:

Living Room

Kate and Ryan Clark moved into their LA home right before their daughter Coco was born. With a baby on the way, they repurposed existing furniture from when they first got married. A couple years later, their living room felt a bit outdated, worse for the wear and not reflective of their personal style or new family needs.

"We need more functionality to adapt to our new living situation," says Ryan.

Their wish list:

Functionality: Places to neatly store Coco's toys and Ryan's robust record collection, while keeping them accessible.
Versatility: A better use of their common space to serve different needs at different times—from Coco's playtime to Ryan's jam sessions.
Family-Friendly Style: A happy medium between baby-friendly and grownup style, standing up to spills yet still conducive to entertaining.

"We want a space that our friends can be comfortable in," says Ryan. "We don't want them to sit on a toy and only think about how a baby lives here."

Jon Wheat, Lead Designer at west elm LA, knew how to get the job done.

before

after

"Ryan and Kate's oversized sofa was too big and bulky for the space," Jon says. "We took a streamlined approach, allowing for an open view and better flow."

From there, Jon zoned the space for different uses, like a conversation nook and a music area.

His 3 key overhauls:

More storage allows for a cleaner and more open space. Lighter colors and thinner furniture brighten it up.
More versatility, like storage ottomans and lightweight chairs (easy to move around), are conducive to different kinds of hangouts.
More personality better reflects the Clarks and what they love—from framed sheet music, record album art and instruments to a gallery wall of family photos.

"Working with Jon has been a dream come true for us," Ryan says. "We instantly clicked."

"Jon and his Design Crew team nailed it. The new space is so perfect—and so us." - Kate Clark