We have no idea what our future living room will actually look like, but today this is what I’m loving:
- Soft gray walls (like Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter) with crisp glossy white trim
- A huge comfy sectional (with washable covers- score) in a gray-brown hue. The fact that this baby is $848 has me permasmiling.
- Some sort of woven round ottomans (like these) that can be moved around for casual texture that can double as extra seating in a pinch.
- This sleek TV stand in high gloss gray from Ikea (we figure a room that’s big enough for a large sectional will probably dwarf our current TV stand, so we might need to go a bit bigger).
- A lovely wool rug like this one with a gray and lime green modern design- although the price for an 8 x 10 (which we’d need with a large sectional) has us sweating a little. Maybe it’ll go on sale?
- This cool white deer head hanging above a fireplace or even above a nice wide doorway (it would look so great with our exotic animal-inspired lime and caramel colored zebra pillows).
- These aforementioned pillows.
- Some bold green curtains like these (which we could DIY with fabric and hem tape, just like the ones we made for Clara’s nursery).
So there you have it. All the items that are floating around in my head for our future living room- at least at this moment. I’m so friggin’ impatient. I’m like that kid in the back seat asking “are we there yet?” every two seconds.
Love the mood board! Just out of curiosity, your last few mood boards have implied that you’re going to start from scratch in terms of furnishing and decorating. What are you planning to do with your current furnishings and decor? Sell them with the house? Put them in storage? I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would buy your house fully furnished!
Hey Sarah,
We plan to work with whatever we can (you know we love making do with what we have) depending on the new house’s layout, and then we’ll craigslist/barter/donate what we can’t use (since a lot of our furnishings were scored on the cheap anyway). Of course some things (like our bed frame and the bedside built-ins in our master) are conveying with the house, along with nearly all the curtains and light fixtures. Can’t wait to hunt down fun new things while working with some of our existing stuff for a whole new look!
xo,
s
Hey Sophie (or anyone with faded Ikea covers) you should check out Bemz! They sell covers for Ikea sofas and chairs, even discontinued models. I just wish they sold one for my couch (the Manstad)
Loving the grey/green combo. I actually just painted the dining room a warm grey and love it, but I have to ask about the deer head.
I’m not trying to be snarky, but it seems a little themey on an otherwise polished room. And it just seems to bling more than anything else on the board… Okay enough with my untutored opinion, maybe I’m just over the faux trophies.
Otherwise, I am now seriously considering adding the green accents to my dining room instead of the gold colors I was considering. Thanks for the ideas!
I definitely can acknowledge that not everyone loves ceramic animal bling as you call it! I’m just sharing the items that are bouncing around in my head and getting me all hot and bothered. I totally know I’m weird and that things like that big deer bust are totally a personal preference item.
xo,
s
Ooh I want that sectional!
Check Target for similar curtains. They are the Room Essentials brand and only cost $8 a panel! I have the cream ones in our living room and they don’t look cheap at all.
I love everything, but with today’s chilly, wet weather, it looks a little too cool-toned for me. (It’s not;I’m just letting my cold dictate today.)
I saw someone else ask a color-scheme question, so I will throw mine out there – I have a small guest bathroom that I want to do yellow and gray with a bird theme. Last night I thought of doing a light gray with a bright yellow (similar to the front door color of John’s sister’s house) medallion stencil for a bold graphic wallpaper-like look. We have white trim and a white pedestal sink and toilet and a neutral light brown ceramic tile floor – what color should I do the hand towel in? More yellow? A pewter gray? (I would like to layer different shades of grey and yellow in accessories and knick-knacks).
Something in a cool mocha might be nice to tie into the floor, or the pewter gray you mention could be nice. Good luck!
xo,
s
I <3 gray paint! We have a gun-metal gray paint in our guest bedroom and I love it so much I want to incorporate it in other rooms… like the kinda rooms we actually hang out in haha!
This is very similar to what I am doing in my living room but I went with chocolate brown on a sofa, chair, otto combo and alittle warmer greyish beige on the wall. But the feel and the accent green are spot on for what I’m going for. I’m throwing in some black too because as you have an obssesion with white ceramic animals I have an obssesion with black furniture. I’m currently on the hunt for a small accent chair, it’s proving to be a challange.
I love the deer head, if I can find a place where I can put him one may come to live with us. I think my country boy hubby might get a kick out of him.
I had to laugh. I read the post and thought it must be Sherry who wrote it because of the WHITE DEER HEAD. Scrolled up to the top…..Yep, Sherry. I have been reading YHL way to long. Susan
Another rave for the Ikea sofas. We’ve had the Ektorp sofa and loveseat sofabed for almost 10 years now, and they’re still going strong – every couple years we get new slipcovers for them to keep things interesting. And last year when we moved into our new house we went back and got the chaise too (which I’d been drooling over for years waiting for somewhere to put it!). Love them! Our bedroom set is Ikea also, and it’s nearing the 10 year mark, having survived 4 moves now. So far, so good, although it will probably make its way into the guest room soon, once we decide to treat ourselves to the PB farmhouse bed!
I have a kivik and love it! Really wanted the sectional
that you pictured and have spent many an hour rolling over the
at ikea. But got lucky and found a show model regular sofa
in the as is section for 250 and a cover for 10. I can’t complain :)
You should check out target’s rug section for some gray/green
rugs..new selection with lots of modern prints and excellent prices.
Grey is very popular in our house :)
I know exactly what you mean about being impatient. It took us over 5 months of tedious house hunting to find our new place. We’ve only got a short (1 month) settlement, but it feels like it’s taking forever. I just want to get it there and make it my own!
I don’t know why I’m even bothering to say it, but I love the mood board! Looks great…as if all the other comments didn’t say the same thing! I wish you would make a kitchen one because we are about to build a house and I have no idea where to start!
Hey Audrey,
Click that tab up near our header that says “mood boards” to see a bunch of kitchen ones (we have them categorized by room or by color, so you can peruse just kitchen ones). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I want a gray sofa sooo bad!! My husband doesn’t one a white one and we have a beige one right now…so gray was a good neutral change.
Ohh, I like these preview mood boards almost as much as I like the peaks you show of the houses you’ve scouted. It is one of my all-time favorite things to decorate in my head different housing options. It’s like you’re living my daydreaming out on your blog!
Please! More!
The price is a little steep, but that couch is fantastic =)
xoXOxo
Jenn
I love Young House Love! I have been reading it now a little over a year. I always enjoy the decor tips. I was wondering, are you guys into fashion, too, or just interior design? If yes, what’s your style?
Keep it up!
x
http://fashionista-to-garmento.blogspot.com/
We’re definitely not creative or even remotely interesting when it comes to fashion. I like classic/basic shapes and lots of black, and John likes casually tailored things from Gap/Banana/J Crew. Nearly every item that we buy is on clearance. I guess one similarity among our decor and clothing sensibilities is that we love a deal. Haha.
xo,
s
question about that paint color:
would it ‘go’ with brown floor?? We recently installed a travertine-looking carmelly colored 20 by 20 porcelain tile, which has a warm feel. I wonder if gray would clash…? I would love to do gray walls.
It should definitely work since both colors are such a neutral. Just bring home the swatch to see how it looks in your lighting situation. Good luck!
xo,
s
So many things to say about this post! First of all, I totally get the impatience! Our house (a cute little ranch built in 1957!) has been on the market for almost 10 months. I’ve got all sorts of ideas rolling around in my head for what we’ll do in our next house, but can’t do a darn thing about it! Also, LOVE gray walls! And that’s the sofa I’m dreaming about for our next living room! I sat on, and laid down on :), one a few weeks ago, and it’s quite comfy! Oh, and one more thing, my husband is a deer hunter, and I refuse to let him hang a dead animal in my home. Maybe a white ceramic one will do the trick?!
Saw this and thought of you :)
http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Apartment/In+Charge+Wall+Mount
Holy cow, that’s one huuuuuge white rhino. Love it!
xo,
s
Haha, copy cats!! I decided on grey for our kitchen months ago…this mood board makes me think I should carry it into our loungeroom…hmmmm :)
Loving this color scheme. It’s similar to our living room, and in fact I just blogged last week about my entry chair with a green zebra cushion!
Suzy xxx
This is my first comment and I just wanted to say that I completely love reading your blog. You’ve completely inspired me to start my own (http://notsocountry.blogspot.com/) and inspired my parnter and I to not settle on the first house we see. The mood board that you posted today is exactly what I want in my living room hence I couldn’t just read and run.
Just thought I would say a quick hi and I can’t wait to keep reading your blog, I love what you’re doing and so can’t wait to see what you do with your new house when you find it – thanks so much!
Love the color scheme!!!
And you will adore the Kivik… it’s the most comfortable sofa I’ve ever sat on (in fact so comfortable, I’ve slept on it for a good month whilst waiting for my new bed to arrive and have never gotten such a good night’s sleep as on the Kivik before!)
I love the blog and the style you guys have, but I’m so waiting for the day when you flip and paint something orange or red! (Or maybe I’m just jealous that there’s no way I’d ever be able to get a sofa that size in my lounge! Stupid small english houses!)
Something about these made me think of you guys! (Sorry, I don’t know how to make it be a live link…oh, technology :-/)
http://www.edenhome.com/p-413-fire-light-recycled-glassware-recycled-glass-place-setting.aspx
Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Curious… why do you call them mood boards? I’ve heard ‘story board’, ‘color board’, but never mood board.
It’s just another common term like color board, story board, concept board, or inspiration board. We both worked in advertising so we called them “mood boards” on the job (we’d make collage boards to depict the look of the commercial or print ad that we were going for to help us find the right photographer/director and to help pitch our idea to the client).
xo,
s
i love the couch. i am wondering…we have dogs and cats, which fabric would be best for durability? not just for this couch but in general. i was thinking leather would be, but i am wondering what you guys think.
thanks,
barb
That’s definitely a highly debated topic. We love washable duck (or another strong cotton) slipcover. With our pooch (who loves mud) and our new baby (who can best be described as “messy”) they work really well, even in very light colors. Others would definitely say leather- although I’ve heard cats can ruin leather with their smaller claws. Anyone have advice for Barb?
xo,
s
Hi, I randomly came across your blog one bored afternoon sitting in my office in rainy London. My guilty pleasure is interior design/ crafting things (despite not actually owning a house)
I love reading up on your projects, looking at the houses you have been viewing etc. I loved the old fashioned glass bottles for drinks was inspired (an idea i have shared with many) And teh date/ pictures framed that you did.
I do have one question though, what is craigslist?
Kisses, Cole
Hey Nicole,
It’s a cool service here in the states called craigslist.org (we think it’s out your way in London too). It’s basically a site that allows people to barter or sell items very inexpensively to locals, so there are lots of cheap treasures to be found!
xo,
s
I’m trying to learn about the whole house mood board from y’all (love them!) but here’s where I’m stuck — would you use one of the brighter colors from the palette for wall color in an office/bedroom? Or are the brighter colors best as chairs/accessories? And THANKS for introducing me to Vol. 25 — I’m going to use the coupon! Molly in Fla.
Hey Molly P-H,
We love bright colors on the walls with neutral furnishings like these (maybe select a more neutral rug and curtains so as not to overload the room) or bright pops of colors in the accessories (like we’ve done here in the rug and curtains while the walls are more neutral for balance). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Barb–I have a leather ottoman in my living room that was snagged big time by the claws of my mother-in-law’s cat that I was keeping for a few days. So I suppose leather would be okay if your cats are declawed, but wouldn’t recommend it if they’re not!
Looks like a good start, but definately BLAH! Add some fun accessories, please!!!!
Barb –
As an owner of a cat and a dog myself, I can definitely attest that leather is great for keeping couches clean and hair-free. However, both of our pets have scratched the leather from time-to-time. The only solution to repairing this is re-upholstering the cushions (leather repair kits do not work). Although we love the look of leather, we will probably look into microfiber or a like material in the future because of the scratching. Just my two cents!
I’m so glad you put BM’s light pewter on this mood board. I was going to send you a note asking your opinion about a BM gray for a basement (turning modern man-cave). Light Pewter was on my list, I can’t wait to test it on the walls. I’m planning to put it with a dark brown leather couch and some pops of red for my Red Sox “boys”.
We have two active dogs and a leather couch. I think it has held up very well (we’ve had it 3.5 years) and I’m not sure how happy I would be with something I would feel compelled to wash every time they jumped on it. We don’t have a cat, though, so I can’t advise on that. :D
I just wanted to mention that I think this is my favorite mood board yet. It really feels like you are stepping slightly outside your comfort zone while still maintaining your personal style. It’s great! I cannot wait to see what you are going to do with the new house.
love it!!
i just bought a couch almost identical to this with lime/green/lt. brown accent pillows. i am moving in a couple weeks and was still trying to decide on how to decorate and incorporate my dark brown furniture(ottoman and tv table) until i saw this post!!
you guys are like my personal psychic today!
Love the mood board! I love love the couch. Quick question, on Ikea’s website, it says that the cover is dry clean only, so would you wash it still or would you dry clean? Just wondering if you have any experience with those kinds of things. Don’t ask me how we ended up with a light creamy beige couch(with a big dog no less), but we did. It’s also from Ikea & I love the color, but it’s dry clean only too..debating whether I should risk it or not.
Oooh good question! We’re not sure. I guess we’d do what you’re doing and try to hunt down people (online by googling) who have it and see if they wash it or dry clean it. Maybe washing on delicate and air drying things would work? Anyone know?
xo,
s
Has anyone been able to buy the kivik in gray-brown? I’ve looked on ikea.com and it seems to be out of stock everywhere!
Oh no, that’s heartbreaking! Maybe they just have to get some new ones in?
xo,
s
Love your inspiration thoughts for your new LR. I actually just picked up curtains from IKEA in a little bit of a lighter lime green then you have in the mood board, but they are nice too. ;) Love the lime green with the gray.
This may or may not be the case with the Ikea slipcovers but I had some curtains from World Market that I tried to gentle cycle and then low heat dry and they shrunk anyway. I wouldn’t risk it, but if you don’t want to take it somewhere you can always get one of those dryel kits.
For the record, I’m totally not against ceramic animal bling. I have a small obsession with owls… Just not feeling the head :).
No worries! There are many “breeds” of ceramic animals for sure. Haha.
xo,
s
Love the look, but be warned! Kids and rattan/rush/woven furniture do not mix very well. I love our rush bottom chairs, but once a piece gets broken it seems irresistible to little fingers. I’m drawn to the texture, but no it would not be a wise choice for us.
Barb..you have to go with leather! I’ll never go back since we bought our frist leather couch 6 years ago! Now with 2 dogs that shed like CRAZY! and a toddler EVERYONE comments on how our couches always look brand new! Try plummers…they’re me favorite for price and selection. We boughts ours for under 1000 and we LOVE it! and BTW…we own this deer head from z gallerie…and it rocks above our fireplace :)
I laughed when I saw this today. I posted some $1 Modern Lodge Art I made for my bedroom that looks as if it were created for your “to-be” living room. Check it out and tell me what you think. i guess you have good taste… but I already knew that.
http://readysetplan.blogspot.com/2010/11/1-project-modern-lodge-art.html
Love it!
xo,
s
carrie,
what is plummers? do you have a link for me on the sofa that worked so good for you? also what do ppl think about getting a tuffted one instead of smooth? thanks everyone
We think tufted is a great way to add detail. It doesn’t read as casual and clean (more traditional and classic) but it’s still a lovely look.
xo,
s
i really like the changes, your current decor is very light and airy, I think having some darker pieces will be a fun change for you two.
I love the green and gray combo! In my next place, I’d love to do citrus colors with grays as the perfect neutral!
Did you check out the materials the sofa is made from? It looks great, but the materials are not going to hold up to children. That’s why it’s so cheap, but if you end up replacing it sooner, it’s not a bargain. Just my 2 cents.
We definitely weigh quality and cost so we don’t end up with something that doesn’t last!
xo,
s
We’re in the midst of looking for a new sofa — something modern-ish and probably gray and good for little ones (we have a 7 mo. old and 19 mo. old). I like the Ikea one you posted about, however, we just moved to Boone, NC, not far from tons of furniture oulets in Hickory and Highpoint, NC, and I’m wondering if we could find something high quality for a bargain there. Has anyone shopped around there for sofas (or any other furniture pieces)? Any advice or recommendations? John and Sherry — could you do a field trip there and report on what you find?!? :) I did check out Hickory Furniture Mart with both babies in tow. Lots of awesome stuff (especially the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams outlet), but there weren’t many kid-proof fabrics, plus b/c most of it was so high-end to begin with, the marked-down prices were still somewhat high. I guess a lot of it has all the bells and whistles b/c it was used in photo shoots and such, at least that’s what one store clerk told me.
We’ve gotten so many good ideas from you guys! Love the blog! Thanks!
I was actually going to recommend the Mitchell Gold Bob Williams outlet! They have lots of slipcovered versions that we thought would be awesome for babies/dogs! We have two slipcovered Rowe sofas and they’re great for kids/pups. They were close to 1K each, but sofas are where you usually have to spend to get lasting quality. Hope it helps!
xo,
s