Susan’s Design Dilemma
Susan’s living room is ready to be transformed. Here’s her letter:
I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am about this! My sister-in-law thinks you’re fabulous and this was an early birthday present from her. Yay! To be honest, I don’t even know where to begin with my living room. I guess I am looking for a “Pottery Barn” type space. I’m trying to get the look and still keeping in mind the ages of my young children. The entertainment center is brand new and has to stay. I would like to recover the big chair. It doesn’t go with anything. My couch is comfy and we thought it would be okay to keep it for now because the kids are so young but I was thinking of purchasing a new L shaped sectional so ideas for a later purchase would be helpful. The paint color will have to stay for now but it’s a neutral color so it should be easy to work with. The space is turning into a toy room so any ideas for toy storage are welcome! Three issues I have are: 1). What kind of curtains do I get for these windows? 2.) Where to hang pictures/art? 3.) We need a better fireplace mantel (we bought a cheap one from Lowe’s, but it was too short and we felt not thick enough). Thanks sooo much for the help! -Susan
This space is primed for a major makeover. Here’s the plan.
And now for the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color palette will be sophisticated and welcoming with rich chocolates, wheaty tans, soft beiges and pops of vibrant teal to wake everything up and keep Susan’s large living room feeling dimensional and interesting.
2. We dug up this amazingly affordable upholstery fabric for the existing armchair that Susan would like to recover. At around $5 a yard this yarn-dyed 100% cotton fabric will add texture and ambiance to the whole room and give the existing armchair a whole new life. And speaking of the armchair, we’d love to see it placed on the other side of the fireplace so it faces the media cabinet (for easier TV viewing) while the toy area is moved to where the armchair used to live.
3. This amazing printed ottoman shot me straight through the heart when I first saw it and I’ve been itching to use it in a mood board ever since. And oh happy day… this space is perfect for it! The new sectional that Susan will be introducing will pair perfectly with it for something kid-friendly (no pointy wood corners) and effortlessly chic (plus that pattern will graciously hide any stains that may arise).
4. When it comes to the walls, Susan requested a weightier mantel and we think bringing in a longer one that’s a bit thicker and deeper in tone will add presence to the mantel and create a place to lean an amazing mirror like this to bounce lots of light around the room. We’d also love to see these two tall teal vases on one side of the mantel for a bit of chic asymmetry that’s simple yet undeniably impactful. Then as for adding interest to the long blank wall seen above the existing sofa, we’d love to see two of these gorgeous teal panels (just $14.99 each!) framed on top of each other (only about four inches apart) for some chic repeated pattern and style in the room.
5. This basket not only adds texture and more of that sandy tan tone to the space, it’ll also become an important part of our new toy storage area that will live to the left of the fireplace (as you face it). Stay tuned for more details a little later in the breakdown…
6. Here’s the new beige slipcovered sectional that will totally transform Susan’s layout… and the best part is the price. Maybe Susan won’t even have to wait very long to make the upgrade! Ikea’s Ektorp series is their best selling sofa line and we’ve heard nothing but amazing things about their durability and quality (and most importantly, their ability to survive small children). Gotta love washable slipcovers and affordable seating for a growing family.
7. This rich 8 x 10 rug might just be our new favorite thing in the world (well, it’s tied with the ottoman that still has us drooling). The braided chocolate texture is reminiscent of a luxurious cashmere sweater and we really think it’ll break up all the lighter neutrals in the room (the sofa, the carpet, the walls, the new curtains) for a dimensional and layered look. We always love a spacious area rug in a large room (even one with wall to wall carpeting) to define the seating area and add tons of polish and inviting ambiance.
Oh and as for the placement of the new sectional and area rug, we’d love to see the rug floating in the middle of the room with the front legs of the entire L-shaped sectional sitting on the it for a room-within-a-room effect. With the sectional positioned so it faces the fireplace (the room’s focal point) and the wall to the left of the fireplace (to facilitate some TV viewing from the same angle as the existing sofa) it’ll create a totally new room full of function and form in an instant. Pulling items of furniture away from the wall is always a great way to create a sense of balance and fullness in a large and lofty space.
8. Let’s revisit the toy area that Susan will be creating in the corner to the left of the fireplace. We’d love to see two of these storage benches placed in an L in the corner and filled with these baskets that we mentioned above (see #5). The rich finish on the benches will tie into the existing media cabinet (and the new fireplace mantel) for a chic yet totally functional toy station that doesn’t take anything away from the rest of the room.
9. We love how these vibrant patterned and solid pillows will add more pops of teal to the sectional and the soon-to-be upholstered armchair that will live to the right of the fireplace. Layered in with the exotic art, the printed ottoman and the textured rug, this room will be full of character, interest and style to spare.
10. Here are the billowy beige curtains that we’d love to see hung on either side of every window in the room at the same height (above the first transom window). They should drape down to about a quarter of an inch off the floor (keeping them from pooling makes them more kid-friendly). And being sure that all the windows are treated in the same way at the same height keeps everything cohesive and will add a finished feeling to the room (and help bring down those super high ceilings for a more intimate and cozy feel).
So there you have it. A lovely living room full of inviting style. We can’t wait to see what you guys think!
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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Love the colors on this design board! Great adult design with functional kid friendly theme on a easy budget. Love the vases on the mantel and that artwork! Missed on what they would do to add to the entertainment center? My first thought would be family pictures and some smaller teal glass pieces.
Another job well done!
Hey Cindy,
Glad you’re digging Susan’s mood board. We totally agree with using teal along with other colors from our scheme to decorate the entertainment center (tan woven baskets, cream and chocolate hardcover books, teal vases or candle holders, natural linen picture frames, etc). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love that ottoman!
That looks great! I was wondering if the colors that you picked out had names. I am trying to do the same kind of color scheme in my basement and am wanting to do the painting only once.
Hey Tracie,
Glad you like it! Check out number one on our mood board breakdown to see our color scheme rundown (included below for your convenience):
Our color palette will be sophisticated and welcoming with rich chocolates, wheaty tans, soft beiges and pops of vibrant teal to wake everything up and keep Susan’s large living room feeling dimensional and interesting.
xo,
s
Oh, I hate to say anything negative but that fabric is not appropriate for upholstery! LOVE the rest :)
Hey Laurie,
Thanks for chiming in! The fabric is listed in the site’s “upholstery fabric” category so we assume that it’s upholstery grade. A lot of times we link to fabric for the texture/color and our clients visit a local fabric store to actually purchase something similar (where they can double check that it’s thick enough by asking the fabric pros there). We’re hardly fabric gurus, so it’s always something that we encourage people to double check. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks for this. I’m doing pops of teal in my living room, and love the accessories you chose for this board!
Lauren
Love this mood board. Teal is one of my favorite colors, and that ottoman is awesome. :-) This will be a nice space that will still be uber functional.
I love the rug! It’s nice that it’s natural, but in a deeper chocolate color. And that Van Gogh print is one of my favorites. I hope we get to see the after!
Love it! I am so bummed we don’t have an ikea in KC…. we need a new sectional in our basement and that one would be perfect.
I love that the sectional has washable covers. At first, I thought a cream colored sofa wasn’t very practical for someone with kids, but with removable covers the problem is solved.
Love the color combination, textures and patterns. The ottoman fabric is especially beautiful. Love the bold graphics.
I have a (brick) fireplace in similar tones with large windows on either side and I’ve been trying to decide on colors to go along with it (between that and painting it). That makes for a great contrasting pop! Thanks.
I’m also digging the ottoman and color scheme. I hope Susan updates us soon!
Hello YHL’s……..this is a fabulous mood board. I love these colors and everything you chose here. We too have a pop of turquoise *a bit lighter, more dusty* in our living room. We love the brighter too though, may throw some of that in, like couch pillow’s, etc. ;-) Thanks again, for showing us another great design. I love you guys!!!
Curious, what type of rod/hanging system would you recommend for the curtains? The top of the transoms seem to run right into the fireplace rock, without much room, if any for a curtain rod mount.
Hey Lisa,
Good question! We usually like curtains high and wide, but due to the tiny amount of space between the windows near the fireplace, we’d recommend very thin oil-rubbed bronze or black rods mounted right into the trim above the first set of dormers. It sounds strange, but once the curtains are up it will look more polished and intentional, and the fabric panels will soften all of those sharp corners and lines for a cozy and warm room, even with those super high ceilings. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
What a fabulous mood board! I was trying to guess which accent color you would use and I was so happy to see TEAL! LOVE it… and once this room is finished it will be so EASY for them to pick up pieces here and there to continue the theme into the dining room and entry/stair area. I hope they have a Home Goods in their area (or Tuesday morning, or some great ‘junque’ shops, etc) so they can continue to add texture and color throughout.
I love the mood board as always! I check here all the time and love what you do. We also have a two-story family room and I’ve been perplexed what to do about the curtains, so I was excited for her dilemma. I wanted to make sure that I understand your suggestion for Susan. She is to hang curtains above the first transom window. Are the transom windows the highest windows? Are you treating the two levels of windows separately, or both as one gigantic window with the panel from the top to the bottom? Thanks!
Hey Chelsea,
Transom windows are those little windows above the normal ground-level windows, so we’re recommending that she leave the second tier of windows unobscured for an open feeling, while adding a soft cozy vibe with curtains hung at the height of the fireplace around the entire room (just above the first set of transom windows that are connected to the larger main windows in the room). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi there! I just found your blog and read up on your beautiful wedding. I live about 50 miles North of Richmond, and my sister is getting married this Sunday. It’s probably too late for her to change plans, but I know she’ll love to read about your beautiful ceremony and reception. ;) We have a Ukrop’s in town, and I always buy my kids’ birthday cakes there. :) Delicious! Great blog!!
I am loving the colors you guys picked out. I am a big fan of teal…it’s such a soothing color :)
Hey there,
just wanted to add sthg which is not mentioned in the painting description :
since VanGogh wanted to offer a painting for the first son of his brother, he chose to paint an almond tree, the first to bloom in spring in the south part of France he was living at the time.
cute symbol worth being known.
That’s why I often choose this painting in particular for first newborns, or any unprecedented event.
well done guys.
S&J
Have y’all ever thought about doing a “Our Favorite Top 10 Design Dilemmas/Reader Re-designs” post? Maybe even keep us on our toes by stretching the countdown over a week or two? I love those kinds of posts! This room looks like it’ll be a great makeover!
Amanda V
Great idea Amanda! We’re coming up on our two year blogiversary so we’ll see if we can’t work something like that into the fun!
xo,
s
Hi guys,
I love your blog and have been inspired by your many, many, many ideas for home decor and organization. I’ve implemented many of them in our home and my husband wonders how I’ve gained so much creativity and design ideas!
Anyways, love this mood board. We are about to remove our brick fireplace in our family room (huge fireplace in a very small room) and re-do the entire decorating scheme. I was planning essentially the same color scheme as this mood board but with a robin’s egg blue vs. teal. Now that I’ve seen this though may change to teal. I’ll send the before and after when we’re done!
Thanks so much for all of your inspiration!
K
Beautiful mood board, as always. I too love teal. My living room is dark red, black, and gold/camel, and I added some touches of teal. I have a suggestion for decorative vases for the entertainment center: Ikea came out with a turquoise color for its popular Salong vases: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30153138
I have the set and they are gorgeous.
Sherry, can you explain how I can tell if a natural fiber rug is going to be reasonably soft or not? I am shopping for a rug like the one in this post, but need to make sure it’s soft enough for bare feet and the occasional toddler guest. Is this a scratchy rug? I know that the 100% sisal rugs are too scratchy, but can you tell me what blend I should be looking for?
Hey Mary-Beth,
Good question! For anyone who really wants a plush natural fiber rug, the best way is to meet it in the flesh, er, fiber and feel it! We don’t mind a semi-textured weave since we think it reminds us of Bali or another exotic locale, but for anyone with kids who play on the floor or who otherwise might want something softer, ordering it blindly off the internet isn’t the way to go. Unless you want to invest in a plush blanket to toss down for kids to play on- which we’ve heard works wonders. As for what blend you should look for, anything braided (like a braided jute rug) tends to be softer and more cushy underfoot. Especially from quality retailers like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn. That being said we snagged the big braided jute rug in our den from Lowe’s on clearance for $60 and it’s soft and amazing. We love it!
xo,
s
This has to be one of my favorite mood boards. I think I may have said that before, but you continue to come up with such lovely ideas. The colors make me happy. It’s fresh, inviting, and definitely has the Pottery Barn vibe. I would love to come home to that room everyday. Awesome job!
We just had our annual Street of Dreams, which was different this year and for the first time made in downtown condo’s/penthouse, on the 16th floors. Variety of styles, decorations, remodeling; some interesting stuff. Take a look
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristytsirk/
Great mood board! Just wanted to say that you hit it right on the money with the molger benches and baskets for storage. I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old in a very open floor plan house. We have two molger benches with branas baskets and the kids are now experts at getting the baskets in and out and putting their toys away. We just set the bigger toys on top of the bench and the baskets on the lower shelf. Just ordered two more benches with baskets for my daughter’s room, you can’t beat the price and they look great. Great call! I hope the homeowner’s appreciate that idea. I’d love to see pics of how it turns out.
Loving the mood board! The pop of teal is awesome. I feel the gravitional pull towards the “design advice”! LOL
I love all your designs. I’ve bookmarked more than one of them. Do you do mood boards for new houses?
In other words, work from a floor plan to help me figure out what would go where in each room so that I know before we start building where I might need elect. plug ins for lamps, and whwre a door won’t work, etc.?
Hey Kathy,
Good question! Planning for the placement of doors, outlets, and other electrical fixture boxes is a bit more of an architecture/space planning task while we like to focus on the fun decorating stuff (working with what you have, reconfiguring a floor plan, creating color schemes and shopping or furnishings & accessories). I wonder if you could hire an architect on an hourly basis to sketch out the room of your dreams? There are also online space planning sites where you can input the dimensions of the room and play around with where your furnishings can go (which will help you find out where to put doorways and outlets, etc). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
My local Target has had a grey/white rug very similar to this one on sale for a few weeks now. It has that same chunky, heavy, knit sweater-y texture to it. I really love it and have almost bought it several times, but I’m afraid that it may be prone to snagging. As in, that the individual fibers might get caught on things and pull up, never to lay down again. Does anybody have a rug like this? Has it been a problem for you?
Love the ottoman! I’ve been coveting it on Target.com for months!
I love the rug and the ottoman. The room will have a cozy / natural vibe and be very family friendly! I’m not sure if the sectional will fit as it looks like there is a large doorway on the left of the couch. Did Susan provide other pictures and/or measurements so you would know it would fit there? Regardless, I am looking forward to seeing the transformation!
Hey Julia,
We actually get a ton more pictures and info than we share on the blog (we try to pare things down for you guys so it’s not too overwhelming) so we’re confident that the sectional will fit perfectly in the space and ground such a lofty room (we love bringing furniture away from the walls in open spaces like this for a cozier feeling). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Love love love this mood board. Have my eye on that couch for my basement as well! Other than the descriptions of the paint chips, can you say what the lightest colored chip is named? Thanks for all you guys do. Amazing!
Hey Carol S,
Something similar to the lightest paint chip in our mood board above would be Benjamin Moore’s Tapestry Beige. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Great find on the Target ottoman.
Hmmm…not sure about these white sofas you keep recommending for families with children. Otherwise—yum!
Hey Sarah,
Since we don’t have kids we have to rely on super moms everywhere to tell us what works, and we’ve received dozens of raving emails about Ikea’s Ektorp sofas being fabulous for children since they’re slipcovered and durable. We actually chose a tan slipcover for this board, but parents also sing the praises of the white ones as well (since they can be tossed in the wash just as easily). Apparently “jelly hands are no match for a white slipcovered Ektorp sofa” (that’s an actual quote from a mother of three little ones). And we figure a tan one will hide even more until the next wash. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Haha I have Almond Blossoms (and another similar one in more blue-greys) on my wall right now – gotta love Allposter’s 4.98 sale!
And I think I need to lay off the IKEA for a while, because I totally recognized the basket, curtains, and sofa!