A family moved from a Cambridge condo into a Belmont single-family home, and were faced with furnishing an empty formal living room. The room boasted a fireplace with a stunning wood surround, but the walls were a pale gold, which combined with original stained ceiling coffers was a bit too warm and weighty.

The family of four wanted the space to feel bright and cozy without painting the original woodwork — envisioning evenings around the fire with books and music, and afternoons with piano lessons and window-seat reading.

We centered the seating around the fireplace but chose furnishings at a scale that would still allow easy access to the generous window seat, replete with pillows for cozy after-school reading.