Gold to Cream Living & Dining Room — Harrison, TN

When we arrived at this Harrison home, the living room walls were a heavy mustard gold that made the space feel smaller than it is. The long wall behind the piano needed real work first: dozens of dings and old hanger holes were filled and sanded, with the piano wrapped in plastic and the carpet covered by drop cloths. We cut in a clean line at the crown molding, then brought the room to a soft, warm cream that brightens the plantation shutters and wide doorway.

Through that doorway, the dining room now sits in a pale, cool gray. It complements the weathered-wood plank accent wall and the framed panel below the chair rail, which we kept crisp in white. Fresh white trim on the crown, baseboards and window casings ties both rooms together, so the view from the sofa to the dining table reads as one calm, finished space.