With no need for a formal living space or another spot to watch TV, Erin Gates’s clients asked her to turn the room in the front of their Medfield home into a place where they could relax without the kids. Taking cues from the couple’s inspiration photos of Ralph Lauren-style libraries with leather sofas, Gates created a cozy den that leans traditional but feels fresh. “We’re seeing a lot of spaces going back to a classic English-inspired look with smokier palettes and more layers. But the colors are soft and saturated, not dark or depressing,” Gates says.

1 Gates chose the oak coffee table for its width — it also services a pair of wing chairs — and textural, chevron top. “Its rusticity keeps the room from feeling formal and polished,” she says.

2 The pared down armrests of the Roger + Chris sofa makes it ideal for a smaller space. “The clients were after an English library vibe,” Gates says. “This Chesterfield sofa with nailhead trim evokes masculinity.”

3 The pillows’ stylized blue florals pull in an accent color from other parts of the house, while the ochre base echoes the frames of the artwork. “It’s the perfect palette in one fabric,” Gates says.

4 Delicate botanical prints tie to the pillows, providing a quiet, feminine touch that counterbalances the symmetrical arrangement.

5 Gates started with the paint color: Farrow & Ball’s Green Smoke, a shade that doesn’t, she says, “make you think of mallards.” Bookshelves with window seats and grates with decorative cutouts imbue character, which the new-build home was missing.

6 The vintage Oushak rug from Linda’s Barn in Strafford, New Hampshire, was too small, so Gates layered it atop a neutral wool Berber carpet. “We do that often, especially if we’re using a very specific type of rug,” Gates says. “It’s very hard to find these in shades of green.”

Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.

Work at Boston Globe Media