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Home > Design & Decor > Decorating Tips > Drab to Fab: Casaza Designers Transform a Reader’s Living Room

Drab to Fab: Casaza Designers Transform a Reader’s Living Room

We asked three designers from Casaza.com, Drew and Jonathan’s design-inspiration platform, to work their magic and transform a reader’s least favorite spot.

black and white living room before remodel

The Challenge

After 17 years and lots of renovations on their Villa City, Florida, home, the Howard family still can’t figure out what to do with their large, cathedral-ceilinged living room. “We replaced the built-ins with floating shelves, raised the doors, and changed the furniture, but it’s still not working!” says Julie Howard. To help them, Reveal called on three talented Casaza designers to turn this challenging space into a cohesive, functional family space. (All products available at casaza.com.)

Meet the Experts

galey alix gravenstein headshot

Galey Alix Gravenstein

Working full time in finance and spending her weekends transforming spaces in 48 hours—she’s overhauled 70+ in the past year—Ft. Lauderdale–based Galey Alix has a design style that’s coastal, cozy, and clean.

keia mcswain headshot

Keia McSwain

Principal designer at Denver-based Kimberly + Cameron Interiors and president of the Black Interior Designers Network, Keia creates functional spaces with a playful mix of pattern and color.

tyler wisler headshot

Tyler Wisler

With an impressive client list under his belt, Tyler’s currently a judge on the design competition show The Apartment (you can watch it on Netflix) and splits his time between the U.S. and Southeast Asia.


elegant black and neutrals living room

Galey Alix Gravenstein

“Any time you start with vaulted ceilings and a built-in fireplace, you’ve already hit the architectural jackpot,” says Galey Alix. She whitewashed the fireplace to make it pop, then used floating shelves with track lighting on either side to draw the eye up.

Next, she added arched doorways to mimic the curves of the vaulted ceiling, as well as accents in her signature neutral-and-natural palette. “Arched doorways are so romantic,” she says. “They soften any room.”


natural bright living room with warm accents

Keia McSwain

“This space needed to feel more like a spot you’d want to hang out in for hours, not just a room you pass through to get somewhere else,” says Keia. To create a peaceful place to relax, she chose lots of natural elements and a calming palette of blues, greens, and neutrals. A pair of acai wood end tables, twin ceramic table lamps, and framed art provide balance and cohesion that was missing before.

“To make the room feel warmer it needed more texture, so I added the woven pendant light, rattan baskets, and shibori wallpaper to round it out,” says Keia. “Now it feels like a welcoming family hangout they can really enjoy!”

cozy teal and pink living room

Tyler Wisler

For a cozier feel in this room, Tyler started by bringing the seating to the center to allow for circulation around its perimeter and create a more intimate setup for conversation and entertaining. “When I was picking furniture, I went with pieces that felt relaxed while still refined,” says the designer. “I also love playing with different materials next to each other— leather, concrete, rattan, and linen all live in this space and work harmoniously together.”

Next, he brought in varying wood tones, like the timber ceiling and oak doors, and layered patterned area rugs to warm up the large room and add more texture. The end result? A cozy, well-curated living room just begging for everyone to congregate here!


Shop the Looks

Get a little help for your least favorite room. Email casaza@revealmagazine.com and submit a photo for a chance to have our designers give it a digital redo!

Renderings by Michael Panov | Product images courtesy of Casaza | Galey Alix Gravenstein headshot by Freedom Wynn, Keia McSwain headshot by OWP Photography, Tyler Wisley headshot by Jeff Ellingson

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