The Living Room Refresh Reveal!!

SOURCES: Couch | Arm Chairs | Rug | Ivory Windowpane Pillow | Canvas Log Holder | Tree Art | Red Florals | Hydrangeas | Coffee Table (DIY) | Wood Stool By Couch (DIY) | Mantle Mirrors (DIY) | Curtains (DIY) | Candlestick Lamp (Thrifted) | Brass Pot (Thrifted) | Coffee Table Decor (Thrifted) | | Mantle Stool (Thrifted) | Candlesticks (Thrifted) | Hutch (Antique)

On March 2, 2021, a year and 6 months ago, I shared that some things just weren’t working for me in the living room. Truth is, this room has always felt a little off and unfinished since the day we remodeled it. Between the size of the room and the front entry that requires a walkway in what feels like the middle of the room, our living room has been tweaked and rearranged dozens of times. And the style we initially designed it in just didn’t feel right for the home. It needed to have more of an elevated cabin aesthetic and after years of adjustments, I feel like the living room is done and fully represents our style. It’s an incredible feeling, I must say.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

The photo above is from the day we moved in. Great bones, but there were so many things we wanted to change!

The first phase of this project involved raising the ceiling 2 feet to the original ceiling height. We painted the fireplace and added a wood wall behind it to make it pop. New flooring, drywall, window trim, the works. It felt like a big step in the right direction, but it still felt a little empty. Also, the couch sat right where the front entry door was so you had to walk around it every time. Functionally speaking, this furniture layout wasn’t working for us.

There were probably 5 or 6 version between the previous image and this one above, but this layout is where we landed temporarily. I remember looking at the photo above and realizing that in order to love this room, we needed to do a full refresh. A new sofa and chairs that better fit our style and the size of the space. New curtains, new artwork, and a new coffee table. But because this was a side project, I knew this was going to take a while. Which it did…a year and a half to be exact.

And this is where the living room is today! We love it! The room as a whole feels like it has a more useful function. The fireplace remains the focal point and can be seen better from all angles. The furniture layout invites conversation and a cozy environment. And the colors and overall style just fits the home (and us) so much better now! It’s our cozy cabinesque living room!

One element of this room that always felt like an afterthought was the artwork. The wall were the couch sits is a big blank canvas and nothing I put above the couch felt appropriately sized. That is until I got artwork big enough and recruited my brother to build a frame for it! The only tweak I may still add is a picture light above it to fill even more vertical space. But the artwork is a perfect compliment to this warm room.

The mantle on the other hand has always held “whatever I have on hand” artwork. The mantle is long…really long and it’s taken a lot of time to figure out the balance between filling out the visual space and not over doing it. I made a pair of “antique” mirrors (using this tutorial) and added a collection of tapered candles on either side which feels intentional yet not over crowded.

We’ve had our Maiden Home sofa for 1 1/2 years and still love it so much! It’s the Warren sofa with Performance Chenille fabric in the color Buff. I did a full review of it last year if you’re in the market for a new couch. In summary, 10/10 recommend!

The coffee table was a furniture flip project that honestly turned out better than I expected. The warm rich wood paired with the simple curves and corners scream luxury cabin resort.

I can’t leave out my favorite piece in the whole room – our antique hutch! The big open space next to the couch needed a tall piece of furniture to fill the void and a hutch was a natural fit. Somehow, luck was on my side, and I found the PERFECT hutch of my dreams at an antique store for $375. When I tell you I sprinted to the checkout as soon as I saw it…. Having shelves to decorate is something I’ve lacked with this home and it’s so fun to try out seasonal decor behind the wavy antique glass doors. A treasure I will never sell.

I’ve talked about our arm chairs a lot and what I have to say is just a repetition of the past, I really do love them! The washed canvas fabric paired with our other living room furniture is again, very cabin appropriate which was the goal all along.

The curtains were a DIY project – I made them out of canvas drop cloths and I gotta say, I’d do that again! It’s how you hang them that makes all the difference in how expensive they look.

The rug is what ties it all together. We’ve done a lot of different rugs in this space but this one wins first place prize! It’s a beautiful blend of reds, blues, greens, turquoise, beige and looks waaaay more expensive than it actually is!

The room feels right. It feels true to the home’s style. It feels true to our style. And that’s when the beauty of a home shines – when two styles merge into one. I can’t say nothing in this space will change in the future because that’s a bet I’m not willing to take. But right now, it feels like home.