We have always felt like our living room as pretty but not functional. Thanks to a front hallway closet and the limits on the width of our house when building, this room ended up being quite small, width-wise, which didn’t allow us much room for furniture. Pair that with a grand piano (for now, this one is a non-negotiable), and there just wasn’t space to have seating for several people.
We brought our original designer sofa all the way from Vancouver when we moved. It cost us a fortune and was SUCH good quality, but it was such a deep, oversized sofa that still couldn’t seat many for its size, thanks to the fact that it wasn’t a long couch. It ate up half of the room.
The artwork was also old from Vancouver and I have hated it for years. I find a ton of colour to be stressful in our home décor, and the turquoise in that print didn’t go with anything else in the home.
For the last 5 years we have had an old dining chair sitting in the corner, hoping to create a little more of a conversation ahead but that thing had to go. It was cheaply made, super old, and NOT a living room chair.
The rug we had previously had dog stains on it and had to go.
Here are the before photos of the space:
For me, the main goal was to make this room feel COZY, to increase the amount of seating, and to create a conversation area. I have been really inspired lately by a more eclectic, curated look. Think London flats or old New York lofts.
I designed the trim work set up and Trey did all of the trim for me. I’ll have more details on the layout on my YouTube video !
We chose Sherwin Williams’ “Iron Ore” paint for the accent wall and we will soon be repainting our whole main level in a bright white (over the very pale grey) for a cleaner, more modern look. I think we are going with Benjamin Moore “Oxford White”.
The rug is the Layla Olive + Charcoal rug from Loloi Rugs. I love the warmer, deeper tones which really make the room feel cozy. These rugs are so beautiful. I love the vintage, faded look to this one and the pink in the rug matches the new chairs perfectly!
The pink chairs and new couch are all from Structube (a Canadian store). The sofa has a smaller footprint but is actually more comfortable! I chose small, marble end tables from Zara Home. The wooden coffee table we have had for years from West Elm (but they STILL SELL IT!).
I ordered some gorgeous gold wall sconces that hold candles for the accent wall but they are backordered. I’ll definitely share on Instagram when they arrive.
I mention where everything else is from in my YouTube video so definitely check it out!
I hope you love the after photos!
What is your favourite part? I can’t wait to continue the trim around the lower level and get those scones installed!