London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025

The Landing Zone: How Emilie Munroe Made a 700-Square-Foot Living Room Feel Cozy

The Landing Zone: How Emilie Munroe Made a 700-Square-Foot Living Room Feel Cozy

A variety of colorful seating areas make a cavernous space feel insanely inviting.

Everything really is bigger in Texas. Clocking in at a cavernous 700 square feet, the living room at our 2021 Whole Home (originally conceived of as a combined living and dining room) features a 20-foot-high vaulted ceiling and a whole wall of glass doors leading to the patio.

Undeterred, Emilie Munroe of San Francisco firm Studio Munroe set about making the massive space and adjoining vestibule more warm and inviting. “I thought, Let’s be bold, let’s be colorful, let’s be vibrant and forward-thinking and create a magical environment for welcoming people into this home,” she recalls. Grounding colors set the tone: a deep sea blue on the walls, with inky black for the brick fireplace. On either side of the hearth is a multicolored wallcovering depicting clouds during a dramatic sunrise, a color scheme that’s replicated in the ombré print in the entryway—and the rest of the room’s furnishings. Back-to-back tuxedo sofas feature stripes in two directions, while pops of sunny yellow, lavender, and fuchsia are peppered throughout in pillows, side tables, and accessories. Two subtle color-blocked rugs define and anchor the two conversation areas. “When I design with lots of colors, I like to think of it like a dinner party. You want to have a mix of personalities, but they all get along,” Munroe says. “And no one commands too much attention.”


Inspired by the sunrise, Munroe created a custom wallcovering mural that showcases a prismatic color scheme and functions as art. Coffee table: Croft House. Rattan stools: Article. Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries. Chandeliers: Circa Lighting. Paint: Farrow & Ball. Rattan side tables: Serena & Lily. Chairs: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Drinks tables: Design Within Reach. Mirror: Croft House. Sofas: Evan Spencer.

Entryway


A collection of nine botanical prints over an ombré wallcovering sets the tone. Bench: Serena & Lily. Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries. Pendants: Circa Lighting. Pillows and throw: Anthropologie. Art: Simon Breitbard Fine Arts. Tile: Granada Tile.


The opposite side of the foyer provides storage and a mirror to check your lipstick (this is Texas!) before exiting. Credenza: Croft House. Mirror: Anthropologie. Vases: Design Within Reach. Planter: Eclectic Home.

Sitting Area


Sling chairs in a whimsical watercolor print sit in a colorful corner near the fireplace. Chairs: Croft House. Upholstery fabric: CW Stockwell x Voutsa. Vases: Serena & Lily.

Living Room

An extra-long rod allows drapes to be drawn across all the windows.


To personalize the enormous room, Munroe skipped a sectional in favor of two separate conversation areas: one for fireside convos and the other for playing games or patiently waiting on dinner from the adjoining kitchen. Paint: Farrow & Ball. Sofa: Evan Spencer, in Fabricut fabric. Woven tables: Serena & Lily. Coffee tables: Arhaus (gray), Croft House (yellow). Rugs: The Rug Company. Console table: custom, Caesarstone. Lighting: Circa Lighting. Drapery: The Shade Store. Door handle: Schlage. HVAC: Trane.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Proposes Land Concessions to End Ukraine War
New Road Safety Measures Proposed in the UK: Focus on Eye Tests and Stricter Drink-Driving Limits
Viktor Orbán Criticizes EU's Financial Support for Ukraine Amid Economic Concerns
South Korea's Military Shrinks by 20% Amid Declining Birthrate
US Postal Service Targets Unregulated Vape Distributors in Crackdown
Duluth International Airport Running on Tech Older Than Your Grandmother's Vinyl Player
RFK Jr. Announces HHS Investigation into Big Pharma Incentives to Doctors
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Security flaws in a carmaker’s web portal let one hacker remotely unlock cars from anywhere
Street justice isn’t pretty but how else do you deal with this kind of insanity? Sometimes someone needs to standup and say something
Armenia and Azerbaijan sign U.S.-brokered accord at White House outlining transit link via southern Armenia
Barcelona Resolves Captaincy Issue with Marc-André ter Stegen
US Justice Department Seeks Release of Epstein and Maxwell Grand Jury Exhibits Amid Legal and Victim Challenges
Trump Urges Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to Resign Over Alleged Chinese Business Ties
Scotland’s First Minister Meets Trump Amid Visit Highlighting Whisky Tariffs, Gaza Crisis and Heritage Links
Trump Administration Increases Reward for Arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro to Fifty Million Dollars
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
OpenAI Launches GPT‑5, Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet
Embarrassment in Britain: Homelessness Minister Evicted Tenants and Forced to Resign
President Trump nominated Stephen Miran, his top economic adviser and a critic of the Federal Reserve, to temporarily fill an open Fed seat
The AI-Powered Education Revolution: Market Potential and Transformative Impact
Chikungunya Virus Outbreak in Southern China: Over 7,000 Hospitalized
French wine makers have seen catastrophic damage to vines that were almost ready to be harvested after the worst fires in more than 70 years burned through the south of the country
US Lawmaker Probes Intel CEO’s China Ties Amid National Security Concerns
Brazilian President Lula says he’ll contact the leaders of BRICS states to propose a unified response to U.S. tariffs
Trump Open to Meeting Putin as Soon as Next Week, with Possible Trilateral Summit Including Zelenskiy
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau spark dating rumors, joining high stakes world of celeb-politician romances
US envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow to seek a breakthrough in the Ukraine war ahead of President Trump’s peace deadline
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Karol Nawrocki Inaugurated as Poland’s President, Setting Stage for Clash with Tusk Government
Trump Signals JD Vance as ‘Most Likely’ MAGA Successor for 2028
US Charges Two Chinese Nationals for Illegal Nvidia AI Chip Exports
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
U.S. Tariff Policy Triggers Market Volatility Amid Growing Global Trade Tensions
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
Representative Greene Urges H-1B Visa Cuts Amid U.S.-India Trade Tensions
U.S. House Committee Subpoenas Clintons and Senior Officials in Epstein Investigation
Sydney Sweeney Registered as Republican as Controversial American Eagle Ad Sparks Debate
Trump Accuses Major Banks of Politically Motivated Account Denials and Prepares Executive Order
TikTok Removes Huda Kattan Video Over Anti-Israel Conspiracy Claims
Trump Threatens Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports
German Finance Minister Criticizes Trump’s Attacks on Institutions
U.S. Proposes Visa Bond of Up to $15,000 for Some Applicants
U.S. Farmers Increase Lobbying Amid Immigration Crackdown
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
×