Six Ideas to Update the Living Room

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Looking through pictures upon pictures of my own home brings to the forefront of my mind all of the changes I want to make!  Don't get me wrong, we've come a long way since we first purchased our home.  However, I'm ready to add the finishing touches to our space.

First Stop:  Living Room.

#1 Shoji White by Sherwin Williams / #2 Safi Rug, West Elm / #3 Ivory Velvet Drape, Pottery Barn / #4 Cleo Table Lamp, Crate and Barrel / #5 Modern Art via

Our basics are in place: seating, media table, side tables, and ottoman.  We also have a lot of pillow and throw options available (I just shop from other areas of my house).  So here are several ideas I've considered to create a finished look for our living room.

#1 Change Floor Plan:  This change is already done.  We recently removed the TV from above the fireplace and placed it on the opposite wall.  Hurray, the tv is no longer the first thing you see upon walking into our house!  This change also allowed us to group our sofa, ottoman, and chairs closer together and closer to the fireplace for a cozy feel.

#2 Paint:

I can not wait to re-paint our living room.  The current grey color was all wrong from the start.  I feel like I walk into a cloudy day every time I enter this room.  Ironically, we get a lot of sunlight in that room with all of its windows.  I'm not against grey as a wall color for a room.  I'm against this shade of grey for this room.

#3 Drapes: 

Drapery is a recent - and sorely needed - addition to our living room.  I'm loving tone on tone walls and drapery, if you can't tell from all of these images I've pinned (follow me!):

Home of Keri Russel via

via

via ??

via La Dolce Vita

I've already purchased and returned two sets of drapery for this room.  PLEASE DON'T JUDGE.  :)  This is not unusual behavior for me.  I purchased three wedding dresses before I settled on the one.  No joke. 

Anyway, the first two sets of draperies didn't feel right to me because of the color and sheen.  SOOO...today I broke down and purchased the Ivory Velvet Drapes from Pottery Barn (30% off sale with an additional 15% off online purchase)!  We had these velvet drapes (in chocolate) in our condo and I loved them. Creature of habit, much?  So there.  Done. 

I love the light and airy feel of the ivory panels on ivory walls, but I also love that the other elements of the room become center stage with this look:

via

This navy tufted couch and bright colorful rug are eye catching in this space and don't compete for attention because of the neutral background.

In order to pull this look off, I need to make sure I add interest to the rest of the room through textiles and accessories, leading me to my next three updates.... 

#4 Rug:

Hopefully this change is in my near future.  We have a basic, dark grey rug, cut and bound to the odd size we desired (13' x 15') when we moved into the house.  I still want a large scale rug for this room, but finding something interesting, neutral, and sizable could be pricey.  Any suggestions where to look?  I am considering using two smaller size rugs together to get the large look. 

We have two little boys running around here - with peanut butter fingers among other things - hence the decision to go dark in the first place.  So we will see if this change comes to fruition.  For now, I'm loving the Safi Rug from West Elm, the rug on the left.  The rug on the right, Marquis Rug, is also not a bad neutral option if you crave more pattern, but would still like a calm feel. 

#5 Lighting:

We need several accent lights in this space, and this light, the Cleo Table Lamp from Crate and Barrel, is kind of perfect.  Sculptural.  Not too heavy.  Gold.  Love.  Probably more than I want to spend at $319, though.  I will look for a cheaper alternative since ideally I would like two table lamps and one floor lamp in our living room.

#6 Art:

 Modern Art via



via Suzanne Gibbs Studio

I've talked extensively about my ideas to add art and interest to the walls here and here.  For this room, I'm on the hunt for a large scale piece of modern or abstract art.  I'm not sure what direction I will go; will it seamlessly blend with the colors in the room or a stand out statement piece like we had in our condo:

Hopefully I will know it when I see it! 



This list is certainly not an all encompassing list for finishing a space, but this is where I'm starting with each of my rooms!  How about you, what room updates do you have planned for 2013?  Have you posted any tips for updating a space?  Share the link below!

Linking at: Liz Marie Blog / Flaunt it Friday / Stone Gable / Cozy Little House