Nickey Kehoe Breaks the Rules in a Narrow Living Room With Clever Zoning
For living room with a slightly narrow footprint, Nickey Kehoe made the most of smaller moments, from a round games table, plush window banquettes, and a cluster of plump club chairs
Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe are no strangers to Los Feliz. It was in this hilly enclave that Nickey Kehoe – the bicoastal studio and store that’s become an arbiter of warmth in interior design – had an ‘aha’ moment for their signature aesthetic during an early commission. When it came time to create a home for Sarah Hindsgaul and Matt Duffer, co-creator of Stranger Things, the pair had plenty of experience with the area’s rich architectural palette.
And thus there was plenty of character to work with in the 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival home, which all comes together in the living room.
It’s a great room, undeniably, in the sense that it’s quite large. But the scale was slightly unusual: it’s long and narrow. For Nickey and Kehoe, it was less of a problem than a prompt, and ultimately helped them shape the space. 'It certainly provoked us to think about usability and how to beautifully orient the furnishings,' says Kehoe.
From furniture selection (like ditching the expected living room couch) to clever circulation and architectural cues, the narrow space led to big picture thinking. And the success, according to Amy Kehoe, rests in an interior scheme that invites conversation and intimacy – all with the studio’s lived-in, layered look.
The Sofa-less Living Room
Large rooms call for large furniture – it’s just part of the formula. But in this Los Feliz home, Nickey and Kehoe took a different approach to scale. While the living room is generous, there were concerns with proportions: a short staircase empties directly into the space, and the footprint isn’t terribly wide. 'It would have felt very tight to use sofas in the center,' says Kehoe of the conventional choice.
Rather than forcing smaller loveseats in front of the fireplace just for the sake of it (and potentially creating a stubborn layout), Nickey and Kehoe configured the room as a series of intimate vignettes. 'The spaces within the space visually encourage a conversation with the numerous seating groups, all consisting of smaller pieces: chairs and loveseats versus sofas,/ says Kehoe.
Anchoring the narrowing living room, a group of four club chairs, designed by Nickey Kehoe, encircle a tall vintage cocktail table beneath a Porto Romano chandelier. The upholstered club chairs, with their autonomy of space and smaller scale, create a looser flow while keeping the room visually light. The result is a living room that feels conversational and inviting, yet never weighed down by its own furniture.
Banquettes Broaden the Picture
While there are just four club chairs in the middle, the living room doesn’t feel short on seating. Nickey and Kehoe made the most of the footprint by activating the perimeter, placing deep banquette seating along the wall and on either side of the fireplace.
'The banquettes face in and are close to the central seating, allowing for more seating if needed,' says Kehoe. The placement leans into the ‘social’ flow the studio had in mind. Rounded out with floating coffee tables, the additional seating areas stand their own ground. But the banquettes also allow for multiple conversations simultaneously in the same space (say, during a party) while close enough to the center to stay connected.
The choice also helped broaden the perception of the space itself, lending the room a more generous, loft-like quality; it helps that the studio picked a backless banquette, allowing the furniture to hug the walls as if part of the architecture. 'The banquettes also very beautifully flank the fireplace and feel like an extension of the fireplace itself – all in an effort to expand what felt narrow,' adds Kehoe.
Stimulating Architecture
One reason the room works, according to Kehoe, is that key elements ‘stimulate’ the space. There’s a certain rhythm to how your eye moves about the long living room – it’s not static. And while distinct seating areas oriented throughout the footprint enhance the flow, much of the eye-catching character was inherited.
On one end, a series of arched openings lead to a games room. In the center, a staircase descends into the space, centered on a large fireplace with a sloped wall. On the other end, a raised level – up a different set of stairs – creates yet another zone. Overhead, exposed wood beams aren’t to be missed, yet another part of the room’s layered charm.
All in all, it was easy to lean into the lively setting. 'Though the walls are white and the palette soft, there’s a lot of traveling for the eye to do in order to appreciate it all, explains Kehoe. It’s those architectural elements, plus a central seating area with rounded furniture, that help stimulate the senses.
A Serious Games Room
The original living room started out smaller. A series of arches at one end featured glass doors, creating a separate room altogether. One of the family’s non-negotiables was a ‘game room,’ and it was the perfect spot for it – save for a few adjustments.
'While pretty, they sealed the space, making the game room less desirable to use,' says Kehoe of the glass doors. 'Once the doors came off, the rooms became one, more light spilled into the main area and the overall living room extended.' Now more inviting and part of the room’s flow, it was important to get this space right, because it wasn’t a casual request. 'I had never seen nor heard of such a collection of board games prior to this project,' says Kehoe. 'These are games that can last days or longer so making the room a truly enjoyable space for these extended games was vital.'
To make that happen, and to connect the newly open space with the main space, Nickey and Kehoe brought some of the more romantic elements of the main living room – plants, velvet-lined shelves, vintage iron lighting – to deepen the connection. Four chairs of their own design complete the picture, while a Mitchell Denburg area rug grounds the room.
A Surprise Bar
Returning to the idea of ‘usability’ for the space, a simple vignette along the wall – composed of a cabinet beneath an antiqued mirror – works overtime. 'This cabinet is actually a dry home bar that services the whole room,' says Kehoe.
When the curved doors are open, the unit, made by Howe, puts all the bottles and barware on display. It makes the space more adaptable, changing the vibe depending on whether the cabinet is open or closed; surely a delight for guests who didn’t know it was there to begin with.
The placement also created a new surface for Nickey and Kehoe to incorporate items that would decorate the space even when the bar is closed. 'Mirrors are always nice to cast light, especially in this narrow room,' says Kehoe of the tall antiqued mirror hanging above the unit. 'This particular mirror made by Rupert Bevans mimics the series of arches, and feels like an extension of the architecture.'
The Edit
With an especially deep seat, Nickey Kehoe’s own version of the classic 1930s Parisian Club Chair rivals the comfort of a deep couch. A group of these chairs, with their curved backs and gently sloping arms, can ease into a variety of interior styles.
Especially if you have a narrow room, mirrors can help create an illusion of space. And the right profile can also nod to its surroundings. 'This particular mirror made by Rupert Bevan mimics the series of arches, and feels like an extension of the architecture,' says Kehoe.
This backless bench, complete with a plush cushion, is an alternative to a larger banquette if you're tight on space. It can tuck along the wall – or, thanks to its low profile, beneath a window – and offer additional seating in living areas.
This redesign of the classic game chair is a smart pick thanks to its cushioned seat and back, not to mention its sloping arms. It's the right, comfortable chair for staying alert during potentially hours-long game sessions.
As Nickey Kehoe opted to skip a normal living room sofa, they chose additional and smaller options – like this tall upholstered ottoman, which can double as a stool – that pepper the space.
With gentle curved doors, this cabinet is a space-saving alternative to a larger credenza while still offering storage, and an additional surface for placing tabletop decor – whether a ceramic vase with dried botanicals or a stack of books, like those found atop the bar cabinet in Nickey Kehoe's Los Feliz project.
Design DNA is the Homes & Gardens series that breaks down beautiful rooms into their essential elements. Each installment dissects one interior and shows readers exactly what makes it work, from the anchor furniture and layout choices to color, lighting, and styling details.
