If there’s one room in the house that has seen the most number of changes throughout the years it’s our living room. Between rugs, furniture, the TV moving, decor…the living room has been ever-evolving. It’s taken me a while to really nail down my style, but I think I’ve finally figured it out. It’s modern, but with a touch of traditional and a touch of industrial.
This is what the space looked like when we moved in…
Eventually I painted the fireplace white and the walls a cool gray with two of the walls a blue. Part of me still loves the blue but part of me wants to explore something else. We went through a couple different rugs, got some tables and eventually the living room came to look like this for the next couple of years.
The tan couch was mine from college that I had bought used from Craigslist. It was a great couch that served its purpose for several years, but it needed to be replaced. I wanted to find a new sleeper sofa that was more modern with clean lines without spending a fortune. I came across Joybird and instantly fell in love with a couple of their styles. However, the prices were more than I was willing to spend at the time. I continued to search for a YEAR for the perfect couch but just kept going back to those Joybird options. I waited for the next sale (they often have 20% off sales) and bit the bullet.
I am so happy with my purchase! Yes it was more than I originally was wanting to spend, but the pros far outweighed the cons. I selected the Korver style for several reasons, but the bench seat and no back cushions is what sealed the deal. Our dog always sat on the back cushions of our previous couch and practically ruined them. I also loved that I was able to select from a ton of different fabrics (we went with the pet + kid friendly Taylor Felt Gray), the stain of the wood legs and the mattress. It also comes with free shipping + delivery and a 1 year return policy if we aren’t happy with it. Even though I had to wait 2 months to get my sofa, I would still recommend Joybird hands down.
Getting a new couch prompted getting a new rug. The new couch and old rug were too close in color and it wasn’t jiving for me. This also took a ton of searching. I new I wanted something lighter and in a different style, but I just didn’t know what specifically. I ended up ordering this rug from Rugs USA. (They always have great sales with free shipping.) I was a little nervous of getting such a light color, but Scotchgard has been my friend.
About this time was when I also decided I ready for some new art to be hung above my vintage trunk. This also took a lot of looking. I wanted a different style altogether with moodier colors. I ordered two from Minted and one from Clare Elsaesser. I’ve been a fan of Clare Elsaesser for quite some time and wanted a print for the nursery, but didn’t have the space for it. So instead I ordered one for the living room! I used Framebridge to frame the Clare print and loved using the service! I will be going that route again if needing something professional framed down the road. I hung the art in a gallery style, which can be tough with different sizes and shapes. I really like the result!
And finally the fireplace.
The fireplace is a main feature in our small front room. It’s a working, wood-burning fireplace, though we’ve never used it. (And probably won’t ever) The brick was painted white years ago and it’s been that way ever since. I’ve always wanted a mantel for it and finally got it this winter! Here’s a whole post dedicated to it, but I’ll just say that I’m pretty smitten with it. Of course adding a mantel also meant a new mirror. I selected this one from AllModern and am so happy with it.
The living room has been a whole series of “one thing leads to another” and I can’t say I’m mad about it. Quite happy, actually. However, the ONE decor-related item that’s left on the list for the living/dining room…a new light fixture above the table. I have one picked out that I’m in love with, I just need to convince Tim it’s worth patching some holes in the ceiling. The living room and dining room are connected, so needs to feel like one cohesive space. Our current light fixture above the table doesn’t do that.
It took several attempts and years to finally get the living room in a place where I’m super happy. Let’s keep it this way for a while!
–m.