When Jenny wrote in for some help with their living room, we were more than happy to put our heads together for something fresh and fun that reflects their family.
They live near the coast, and enjoy traveling as a family. But were also looking for some sensible solutions when it comes to those traditional challenges like storage and seating and space for the television.
A sweet place for their family to gather and spend time together, along with entertaining as well.
We think they’re off to a nice start, and couldn’t wait to talk through some of their options with them.
PS. {Total side note} They sent a photo of their room to give me an idea of their style, and I Just had to show how cute their space is. ;} This quote/song makes me melt. Well done, guys!
We thought we’d bring a coastal eclectic vibe to their space, all while staying within their requests, and budget.
We threw in bargain finds, as well as some investment pieces, as most spaces go. If we feel like something is kind of ridiculously pricey, or we think they may want to tinker with their budget in one area, we tried to provide cheaper alternatives that also work with the space, as well. We hope this space is a place where their sweet family can gather and be comfortable and enjoy for years to come.
{I always go completely out of order so please bear with me}
8. Sofa
We found a sectional with classic lines, in their budget and size needs for the space. The fabric is appealing, too, because it should give a nice classic vibe while remaining easy to maintain with the littles. This will be their main investment piece for the space, but well worth it for years to come.
11. + 13. Pillows
These pillows bring in a ton of color and personality to the living room making it more family friendly since a lot of the lines are so classic
• We would pair up this blue pillow one at each end with the fun colorblock pillow for a real punch. The yellow pillow also adds some bright fun and ties in the yellow chairs. We also love the idea of these finds as some great floor pillows for the kids. They’re perfect for nights with snuggling up for movies, and they mix in nicely for a comfy space.
We love this nice neutral throw to tie it all in.
1. Chairs
Paired with these chairs, that bring in a nice additional seating option for the space. We thought that since the sofa is so neutral, they could go with a splash of unexpected in the chair color selection, but it also comes in other options as well. In front of the windows for now on each side, so that they’re out of the way for the every day, they can be easily moved around for company or entertainment needs. We love them paired with
2. These blue lumbar pillows
Here’s a {ridiculously quick} mockup we had drawn up to showcase how it would all look in the space:
TV over the mantel
We’d love to see their TV mounted over the mantel {see our quick mock up of the look of that side of the space.} They would have so much more space in that room for a few more pieces, and it would open up the way everything feels.
That’s actually our old mantel that we included for a quick illustration. But it gives more of that classic, coastal vibe, and would be really pretty with a shiplap backing to define the space. It’s a great, affordable way to bring definition to the entire area. A TV frame makes it intentional above the fireplace.
If they weren’t up for a DIY take on, and hired a pro it would be a splurge but well worth it. They could even use wireless and a nice frame around the TV. And drop all the cords behind the wall. Just a few references to get started with, even if they hire someone out to do the building for them. It would be a nice upgrade for their house.
More options on TV accessory storage below…
Curtains
We’d love to see floor-to-ceiling curtains in a simple linen – they can shop around for this look. If they know someone who can sew, this fabric is just a great, basic addition to make them for their needed privacy with a lot of stylish flare.
Art
3. Sea Print
This is one of our favorite quotes. We love the idea of a reference to the sea with a little bit of a modern touch. Just a simple nod. We’d place it on the other side of the wall on the shorter end of the sectional.
7. Vintage Map
We just scooped up a star chart from this vendor on Etsy – but he’s our favorite producer of vintage maps. The larger sizes are totally reasonable, and would look great over their sofa in a handmade frame. His larger ones in this print come printed separately, but it would be easy to piece them together in one big frame – or four smaller ones as shown in his shop if you’d rather use that approach for a pretty gallery wall look. We think matted would be wonderful if in one piece, so you could either take it to a custom frame shop, or make your own. {Just throwing that out there again} – A cheaper option would also be mounted to a piece of MDF or wood, with Plexiglass on top. It’s basic enough but brings a lot of character into the space. I know it’s an old, but maybe your family could “mark” the general areas where you’ve been with little stars on top? Just like we did with our USA map – an idea to make it interactive {link below}.
Another option would be our handmade USA map here, as they mentioned, or our print here. If they took the handmade option, they could add their own fave travel destinations/islands as they mentioned.
Directions for handmade frames here + here just to get those wheels turning if they’re interested.
4. Paint Color
We’d love to see those walls in a nice soft white that will play nicely with the rest of their spaces.
5. Chandelier
We love this one. And think it would add major personality to their space. This one may be too large and in charge, so be sure to check out this super simple {and budget friendly option} here as well for nice clean lines.
We wanted to make sure to provide some options that will fit until they decide what you’d like to do with TV accessories and other storage
6. Bookshelf
A bookshelf would give the space some much needed storage, with a great way to display sweet family memories and favorite books on top, and hide those TV accessories underneath, or their throws that they mentioned.
14. Side Table
Another option would be a well-selected side table or vintage trunk, but it all depends on where they’d like to place those TV controllers as to what their options are. They could also find one at their local flea market for a great option, as well.
15. Lamp + Lampshade
We love this modern touch with a great wood accent + lampshade that ties the rest of your space together.
9. Coffee Table
We know this one is kinda up there in the budget range, but we couldn’t help ourselves. It’s such a fun centerpiece for the space, and a great, sturdy idea for all things accessories. It really anchors everything and brings in a nice coastal texture.
Another nice option {because they requested an ottoman} here.
10. Accents
We love it paired with fun accents like these and think that this is what makes a space so livable all depending on the fun pieces that they can add over time.
12. Rug
With all of the fun patterns and color going on in the space, we love this unique rug and its great price. It’s actually natural fibers and has a great chunky feel to it, so be sure to click over and check out that texture.
Another great option we love would be the classic addition of layering two rugs like this {they could go a size smaller with the striped rug, and compensate with the woven underneath to save but still add a graphic impact if they wanted}
And then recently, Jenny sent a quick email with this shot, of what they’d done with the space.
Didn’t they do a great job???
That’s another space tackled and in the books! We love how it all turned out.
Please note, out of respect for our paying clients we can no longer share all of our sources here, with the exception of an independent artist or small business {because we love supporting small businesses!} Or something from our own site. To share all the sources here, would be unfair to our clients who have paid for these services. We do share all of our own sources for our own home, along with any additional sources that we possibly can. That adds up to a lot of sources.
We share the boards here with the permission of the client, because we do hope this still inspires our readers to create from your own ideas, and to discuss the space along with our design services. So thank you in advance for your understanding.
Perfect! Love all your ideas, as always!!!
I would love to know a bit about the fireplace facelift. We have a similar fireplace with dark brown marble slabs. I love the brightness of the tile! Did it require removing the mantle and removing the dark slabs before placing on the tile? Or, did they just need to retile on top of the dark surface? Thanks!
Hey Leigh – I am not sure about their exact process, because they hired someone to do the work for them. But our complete step by step is here – with the same basic idea. I hope that helps!