Living Room- Mood Boards and The Plan
Several months ago I shared the before photos of the living room here.
Since then a few things have happened in this room such as...
- adding a coffee table (you can also see the new recliners we added in this post)
- and then you can see how the room looked at Christmas here.
We've definitely made a lot of progress from where we started, but this room still has a LONG way to go. I thought it was time to formulate a plan and do a mood board (or three), nothing gets me set on the right track faster than a mood board.
Have you ever been working on a room and you find something you love, buy it, and then get it home and realize it doesn't work with everything else you have? I think that's a common problem and it's because there's no overall plan. I talk about this on Instagram a lot, but I call myself a style chameleon because I love so many different styles. I currently identify with the grandmillenial style (granny antiques with modern fresh touches), but I love minimalism, mid-century modern, colorful eclectic, modern farmhouse (although that feels a bit too trendy right now), and so many other styles. If I were to buy everything I loved my house would look like a circus. My mood boards really keep me on track for a space. What is my plan? Does this piece go with my overall vision? Does it fit the color scheme? I don't have to wonder because all of the decisions have already been made! If you find yourself struggling with a space or continually buying things that don't "work", try making a mood board! I just make mine in Powerpoint, absolutely no fancy software required (you can even use this website to remove backgrounds for you). So let's get into my plan for the living room! As a reminder, this photo has been a driving force for this room since we moved in.
But we are aware we live in a Houston suburb and not the White House so we obviously want to tone it down a bit. Here's what I'm thinking...
Sources: rug | sofa | recliners | coffee table | side table (similar) | lamp (similar) |
art (similar)
- Right now we have a lot of generic looking furniture in here- this is the room we spend the most time in (other than our bedrooms) so comfort is a big player in this room. Both the sofa and the recliners (yes, they are recliners) are not the prettiest pieces I've ever seen, but they are incredibly comfortable. There's not a bad seat in the room. But I do want to add some antiques to up the luxe/grandmillenial vibe in this room.
- The coffee table (we updated the coffee table's finish with Rub N' Buff ) unfortunately has not held up, the Rub N' Buff seems to have rubbed right off, so I need to re-do it and seal it this time, hopefully that will do the trick!
- Art- we have the Frame TV in here, but the wall above the recliners needs something. I love the idea of some huge framed chinoiserie panels above them, but I'm also curious how that will look with the molding we add (more on that in a minute)...so we'll see. That would also be such a fun DIY project too (the ones in the mood board are just inspiration)!
Sources: mirror | chair fabric | sconces (similar)
- Additional furniture- this room already has most of the big pieces we need, but there is one big empty wall on the left side of the room that needs attention. I want to add a big credenza, a mirror, sconces, and then maybe some antique chairs to flank the dresser. Make it a moment!
- MOLDING. It's happening! We have two big blank walls and I want to add some gorgeous molding in here. You can see the inspiration in the mood board above- essentially a chair rail and then box molding above and beneath that.
Sources: Frame TV | fireplace screen | marble tile | TV frame
- The fireplace is a big pain point- it's one of the prettiest features in the room, but the big boxy molding above the mantle and the brown brick are majorly detracting from the pretty mantle.
I want to rip out that molding above the mantle and add some prettier molding that goes with the rest of the new molding we're adding. I also want to tile over the brown brick with some white marble, maybe in a herringbone pattern. I think that is going to help the mantle shine and simplify the entire area.
- Not pictured in any of the mood boards (I just ran out of room!) are the curtains I want to add to this wall. I'm thinking a soft blue color with a brass rod- will make such a huge difference!
So that's what I'm thinking...obviously I know things will evolve and change as I get started on this room, but I can't wait to see it all come together over the next few months- stay tuned!!
Want to see more makeovers?
You can see the transformation of our main bedroom right here.
You can see our three year old Lincoln's room transformation right here.
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