Our Living Room Updates So Far

Our living room has come such a long way in a year and a half. We started by painting the walls white (best decision ever), added a board and batten trim detail to our tv nook, took down the old tile fireplace on a whim with absolutely zero plan in place, and turned it into the focal point of our home. When it came to all the rest of the details, we kept the existing furniture, sprinkled in some new decor, a few pieces of art, and called it a day.

With our quick, let's finish this, finishing touches we hadn't put much thought into the final details. Sometimes long DIY projects can take the wind out of your sails for the final push, and that's precisely what happened here. It felt a lot like baking a delicious cake for hours and leaving off the best part..the icing and sprinkles. (I'm a sprinkle gal)

With that unfinished feeling, we decided it was time to think through all the details and make some updates. This space is still a work in progress, but I'm excited to share everything we've done until now and the plans we have moving forward.

New curtains were up first. We decided to play off the sofa and balance out the room with Mist Grey curtains from Barn and Willow in Euro pleat style. It was our first time using custom curtians; we went with a Belgian Flax Linen, and what a difference! Linen is by far my favorite material, and the curtains give our living room that finished look. The curtains are beautiful, weighted at the bottom, and there is nothing like typing in dimensions on a website and having the perfect size delivered to your doorstep ready to go.

Next on the list was a sofa. This decision was more for comfort than anything else. We needed something with a firmer seat and in the process, decided to try a light grey instead of the charcoal. I love the color, actually I loved our dark charcoal one too (grey is my thing) but the lighter grey is a nice change, and the new sofa size is a better fit for the space.

The jury is still out for the sofa. We went with a chaise, and I'm just not 100% sold on it yet. Some days I like it, and other days I'm over it. We decided to go with a budget-friendly option and dive into the whys in another post all about sofas.

Now for the artwork situation. We had a very light textured paper artwork on the wall next to the blue chairs, and I did love it, but it just got lost in the corner. The trouble with this corner is its location right next to the fireplace. I didn't want the art that was there to become the focal point. At the same time, I also wanted to balance the room with the tv nook to the right of the fireplace. So I started to consider alternate options and on a whim picked up a bookshelf. I love the bookshelf idea, and this corner is definitely headed in the right direction but is still in need of some tweaking, which we'll revisit soon.

Our fireplace has been a whole other challenge — Partially because our mantel is 4.5" deep. The depth leaves little to no room for styling, and you guys know me. I love styling spaces. The small details are what help finish a space. So I went on a hunt for some pottery pieces that were narrow but felt substantial on the mantel. I lucked out with a few from Hobby Lobby. The texture helps add interest to the fireplace.

The mirror above the fireplace is temporary and is an excellent base for holiday decor. But I've been looking for that WOW piece and you guys I think we found it. I am keeping my lips sealed until it's here and can not wait to show you.

The last part of our living room to touch on is the wall next to our sofa. This wall is where I am second-guessing our chaise sofa. I liked having a bench here, and it rounded out the space nicely. Without it, I have the challenge of balancing an off-center focal point. The chair helps to balance the sofa, and I just found a new one that is a much better option for this corner. I have a few more ideas for this wall that I can't wait to try out.

This room has gone through a considerable transformation, and I am excited to try out our ideas and see what we can come up with for the rest of the finishing touches. Home doesn't happen overnight, it’s a continual work in progress. It takes time and hard work but, it's always worth the wait and so fulfilling to find that perfect piece!