Flooring Expert Amy Kivell’s Favourite Room

It will come as no surprise that when Amy Kivell created her family’s eclectic living room, she took her inspiration from the flooring. She is vice-president of Under Foot Flooring Consultants in London, Ont., after all.

By Laura Bickle | 2 minute read

Aug 31

“My style is very eclectic, mostly out of necessity due to the blending of lots of treasured hand-me-downs with new finds, so making sure everything’s playing well together can be tricky.”

– Amy Kivell

What and where is your favourite room?

It would have to be our living room in our raised-ranch style home in Mount Brydges, Ont., This is where our family spends the most time together. [It’s a place where] my husband and I, our pre-teen and teenager, and two large dogs can all find comfy spots to hang out.

What was the goal behind creating the room?

I wanted to create a space that was comfortable for all family members and where we could showcase some of our favourite things. The vision for the room started with acacia hardwood flooring because of its warmth and character. Then we sort of layered from there, trying to stick to that initial theme.–

Amy accessorizes her whimsical yet cozy living room with a combination of family heirlooms and newer pieces.

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What were the challenges in creating the room?

My style is very eclectic, mostly out of necessity due to the blending of lots of treasured hand-me-downs with new finds, so making sure everything’s playing well together can be tricky. But I tend to like contrast and juxtaposition so ultimately, if we love it, the room’s a success. I’m a chronic re-arranger, too. I love the challenge of finding a new arrangement that revives the space and lets different accessories come into the foreground for a change.

What are your favourite features of the room?

We recently added the fireplace/entertainment unit, which we use to house all our photo albums. I found the perfect sized vintage suitcases to sit nicely in the two openings, which hold all sorts of loose pictures, cards and other mementos. The electric flame is a little hokey, but I really wanted some sort of fireplace and that’s the only kind the space would allow. I also love the large painting over the couch, which was painted by my step-great grandmother. It hung in the family cottage for decades until it found a home with me 20 years ago.

An entertainment unit is repurposed to house an electric fireplace and vintage suitcases that contain meaningful mementos, such as photos.

How does this room make you feel?

This is the space I come to after a long day. It lets me breathe a little deeper and slows the heart rate.

Describe a favourite moment in this room.

We’ve played lots of games here, watched some great movies and opened presents around the tree at Christmas. But I think my favourite moments are the drizzly or snowy cooler days with candles and the fireplace lit, snuggled up under blankets with kids and dogs, reading. Well, I’d be reading and our kids would more likely be enjoying some screen time … but these are some of my “little slice of heaven” moments.