His Style Vs. Hers?

Design by Oreoluwa Oderanti, Inspired Ore Home Décor
Photography by Seun Aladese
Text by Donna Rolando

A Monroe Township couple wanted a family room with comfort and coziness ingrained in its design. Instead, they had a heavy sectional with its back to the kitchen, spoiling an open floor plan that should have connected the cook to the rest of the tribe. Even TV viewing was a struggle, with a vantage point that forced this family with three young children to tilt their heads to see. They knew they needed a redesign—a year spent evaluating their newly purchased home confirmed that. But there was a problem: While both appreciate a modern, contemporary feel, the husband wanted certain colors in the space, while the wife preferred a more neutral palette.

It took an SOS to then-Irvington designer Oreoluwa “Ore” Oderanti, owner of Inspired Ore Home Décor, to overcome obstacles—and keep the stylistic peace—with a family-functional reno completed in 2024.

This sofa table is more than a handy place to showcase marble-and-brass lamps; it creates intimacy by limiting the space between twin sofas.

“I helped to bridge the gap by adding both of their interests together,” she recalls. The husband gets his pops of color from pillows and abstract art, while the dominant furniture—the Arteriors sofas—reflect a neutral beige, more to the wife’s liking, with a white oak base. Ditto for the distressed rug in monochromatic tones. This leaves center stage for the husband’s beloved orange, which Oderanti balances with brown and blue.

Instead of a domineering sectional, Oderanti created a “more intimate” setting with two sofas face to face, thus restoring the open flow to the kitchen—a bonus for entertaining. Another family-friendly feature is the two geometric barrel chairs that swivel to steer conversation toward the kitchen and maximize the openness of this space. Comfortable TV viewing was made possible by redesigning the fireplace, now conveniently electric-powered and styled with walnut acoustic slats, which balance the sound of a built-in screen.

Vivid pillows and artwork offset a neutral palette with bursts of color, while a sculptural table has a wave effect.

Layers of lighting are up to most any task, but the black in the glass-and-bronze chandelier from Lamps Plus is what grounds the space. The orb’s golden hue also ties in with the faux-shagreen nesting coffee table from Bed Bath & Beyond and its warm, gold-toned finish.

The couple loves abstracts, though not extreme ones, so Oderanti made sure to add “another layer of dimension” to the Vybe Interior artwork, which is reflected in a handforged-iron mirror above a wood accent table. This is another area where the couple could find a happy medium as long as the artwork was minimalistic, she explains.

Of course, there’s fun in functional. Thus Oderanti sprinkled lively elements throughout, such as glass-and-acrylic end tables and a caramel velvet ottoman, both near the fireplace. Velvet draperies echo modernity with acrylic and brass rods, and a sculptural table (between the chairs) introduces a wave pattern.

The upshot of all this? A true, comfy family room instead of a battle zone between competing designs. The homeowners, says Oderanti, “were really appreciative of my being able to balance their different styles and making them love their home again.”