Chocolate-brown upper walls

bring a cozy feel to the dining

room,

above.

“The colour is

deep enough and the

perimeter of the room sort of

goes away,” Melissa says.

Touches of pink unify the

adjacent living and dining

rooms,

above right

, and take

off the formal edge.

the starting point for decorating the living room. “It was a given,” she

says. “I built the room around the clock.” Rather than coat the space in

turquoise, however, she used it to wake up a basic neutral palette of warm

browns and creams. “When it’s your favourite colour, I think it’s better to

use it as an accent so you appreciate it more,” Melissa says. “In tiny pieces

and small splashes, it remains special.”

The clock also meets Melissa’s self-imposed rule to surround herself

with things that have meaning, such as old books from her collector

father, silver pieces from her grandmother, and the flea market

discoveries from her own journeys. “Everything in this room has a story,”

Melissa says. “To me, being authentic and putting your personality out

there is the most important part of decorating.”

Also high on her list: making a formal living room livable. Melissa hung

a flat-panel TV and brought in two cushy sofas, creating a new family

hang-out. “I think a living room is a great retreat,” she says. Colourful

stools ensure everyone has a place to sit when Melissa hosts her book

club. On Sunday mornings, the Gulleys lounge in their pyjamas on the

sofas with a newspaper, book, or laptop. “I’m at peace here,” Melissa says.

“This room is totally me.” ■