Maria’s Design Dilemma
This week the room-to-be-wrangled is all about modifying existing pieces with carefully selected items and accessories. Here’s Maria’s story:
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog, and I’ve liked the advice you have given others. So here’s my own design dilemma: my living room needs to be updated. I like the PB/West Elm style, and I like earth tones with silver accents including mirrors. In the picture, the things that I would like to keep are: the painting, the sofa, the loveseat and a rug which I’ve already purchased. I like the wall color but would like some coordinating tables (brown or black?) in the front and side of the sofa, and lamps. I also have this purple chair which I like, but I don’t necessarily want anything else that’s purple in the room. I hope you enjoy this challenge! -Maria
Maria has a good base to work with. It’s amazing how simply you can reinvent a space with a new color scheme and a few fabulous pieces. So without further adieu, we give you our latest mood board:
Here’s the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color palette incorporates the new dark wood tone that we’d like to bring into the room as well as the current wall color and two silvery blues that work with the whole “mirrored” look that Maria likes (plucked from her artwork above the couch).
2. This stately coffee table with two removable trays from coffeetablesgalore.com looks super chic while introducing that rich chocolate brown color into the space (and it’s marked down by over 100 bucks).
3. Two of these mirrored side tables from Target would look great on both sides of Maria’s couch to keep light bouncing around while adding a hint of glamour. They would even enhance the thin silver frame around her artwork. Each table is just $99 and never fails to receive rave reviews and from people on target.com.
4. Sometimes the devil is in the details, and exchanging the current bun feet on the couch and the loveseat as well as the birch legs of the purple chair with these dark toned, more updated mahogany versions will make all the difference. For just $7 a pop, they can completely transform a piece of furniture. And it only takes minutes to unscrew your current legs and switch them out.
5. This is the new rug that Maria already ordered, and we think it will work really well in the space. In a simple ivory tone, it will beautifully accent the coffee table’s stunning crossed frame while also working with the wood floors and the existing couches.
6. This collection of pillows from Crate & Barrel would look great on the sofa, love seat and purple chair. A wheat colored pillow would bring a neutral calm to the purple chair and compliment the existing wall color. And a few of the subdued aqua and silvery-gray silk pillows would add some mirror-like sheen to the couch and loveseat (and tie in the blues in the art while complimenting the icy purple-gray tones in the chair).
7. Two of these sleek and surprisingly affordable lamps would look great on the mirrored end tables that will flank the couch. The genius suede-like brown shades will visually connect the mirrored side tables to the deep chocolate coffee table to keep everything looking coordinated without appearing too matchy-matchy.
This layering of tones and shades that are balanced throughout the room is a fail-safe way to keep things elegant without appearing too random or overly repetitive. Some white accessories (like long breezy white curtains and a bowl of white ceramic artichokes) along with some mirrored accents on the coffee table (to connect it to the mirrored side tables) would be the icing on the cake. What do you guys think? Feel free to weigh in.
Update: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!
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Wow…I’m blown away by this one. You worked amazingly well with the items she wants to keep and put together an elegant room where everything works together!
I also have to mention that everything is so affordable. I would never have thought I could find a sleek lamp like that at Walmart.
Your suggestions would definitely update that room beautifully!
Would you keep the tree? I’ve got one in my living room to fill up a corner but I’m not sure I like it all that well.
Replacing the bun feet is totally genius! I wouldn’t have thought that was possible, but it will make a huge difference. Another home run, John and Sherry!
Hey girlies,
Glad you’re liking the latest moodboard. It was definitely a fun challenge to update the existing pieces while introducing some new colors and ideas into the space. Sarah, as for the tree, I think once Maria adds the mirrored side tables on either side of the sofa, the tree will have to go elsewhere. That being said, I’m not completely opposed to using vegetation to fill in corners, as long as it looks super real or is actually real. Real plants (in some crisp white Ikea planters) filled in a few corners at our house a while back but with the introduction of the dog they turned out to be too much trouble (lets just say he likes to dig). Since I’m a huge believer in your home being your oasis and not being a chore to maintain, ditching those plants was the best thing I did.
xo,
Sherry
I would also suggest re-framing the painting. A deeper frame that pops off of the wall will give it a more gallery style feel.
Wow, I love the new pieces that are going to be introduced to the room. I really think it will update the furniture appropriately and piece the room together a lot better. Good luck!
I just finished looking at everything and I LOVE it. LOVE IT!!! You should be a catalog designer for one of these big companies. Even though I’ve liked all your other designs, I wasn’t sure if you would pick up on the subtleties of the artwork (or the frame) in my living room. But I can say that I am honestly impressed! With this clarity, I can now get to work. I’ll send updates when I’m finished :-)
KK- Yep, you’re totally onto something with a deeper and heftier frame adding a more gallery-esque feel. Maria’s current frame would work with the new mirrored end tables, but a dark wood frame would compliment the new coffee table and lamps. Thanks for the idea girlie.
Maria- So glad you LOVE it LOVE IT!!! We’re excited to feast our eyes on your “after” pics so bu sure to send ‘em our way!
xo,
Sherry
I totally love your style! My decorating is traditional but I would like to spice it up. Our leather set is burgundy, curtains are burgundy but I would love to add color like above/bluish-green teal, soft turquoise-do you have any palettes with burgundy-??
Soft turquoise and bluish-green teal both can look awesome with burgundy! We’d recommend just adding in some accessories in those colors (art, pillows, teal lamp bases, etc) and just playing around with it until you like it. Colors like chocolate can also help “layer in” those blue accessories (for example, burgundy, chocolate, and teal could be your entire palette with pops of ivory or cream to keep things from looking too dark). Hope it helps!
xo,
s