Thom Ficilia and Carson Kressley Are Showing Us the Value of a Chic, Modern Sofa

On this week’s episode of Get a Room with Carson and Thom (tune in Fridays at 10/9c!), design team Thom Filicia and Carson Kressley had their hands full with a unique room makeover request from a couple in New Jersey. Homeowners Laurie and Jeff, anticipating the time when their kids would be off to college and out of the house, had their sights set on turning their living room into a deluxe Vegas lounge — yeah, some of us just want an extra guest room, but to each his own. The space just so happened to come equipped with a massive aquarium housed in a bar-height counter so they were already halfway there. “Casino chic!” erupted Thom at the request. “Never happened before, but I’m interested!”

The challenge for Thom and Carson was to fulfill their client’s clubby desires while still keeping things tasteful — so no stripper poles (though it was briefly suggested!). “The fish tank bar is like 80,000 pounds, it is wrapped in the heaviest marble,” said Carson. “We have to embrace it.” 

After a little dustup with Laurie over dramatic fish wallpaper and a brief existential breakdown by Thom, the team pulled it together with a spectacular overhaul of the space. The genius stroke was adding a stunning modern sofa to counterbalance the gigantic aquarium, which gave the space a lounge feel. Tom and Laurie (and their collection of dogs) were completely floored by the design reboot. 

And we have to admit it looked pretty darn good. Inspired, we sussed out a few sofas that could make the same impactful statement in any space.