Living Room Pillows: Debate and Help

Emerald Green Velvet Pillow / Leopard Velvet Pillow / Pink Linen Pillow  

This room continues to give me fits- does anyone else have a room like that? Here is an update on the status since I showed you this last time:

roll arm chair / seabury sofa / ikea ritva / maui chunky loop rug / olin black rug / velvet pillow / floral pillow / dalmation pillow

I went back and forth with the pillows in the first design and they just didn't feel like me. In my mind, I want a neutral palette but every time I look for throw pillows I am leaning towards color and pattern. As much as I want neutral I guess I just crave color!? Right now, I am really happy with the above pillows. The one must is the leopard- I guess since we are approaching fall it just feels right. The green velvet is a stretch for me, but maybe it could be a lumbar pillow for just a touch. I'm also thinking ahead towards Christmas and how that will play out. I adore the pink linen and greek key, don't you? So, so pretty

In other news, I ripped that jute rug out of the house on Wednesday. {See here for my post on the rug debate} I literally could not stand the shedding, the dogs wallowing in it and all that mess. It just seemed...dirty. Yuck. Even though bare floors are not ideal, it feels so much fresher and I think it will be motivating for finding a new rug. I am leaning towards an indoor/outdoor rug. It doesn't sound as cozy as a nice plush rug but it sounds ideal for our family and two dogs {that like to ruin my rugs}!

As soon as I can get toys cleaned up for 5 minutes I will take some real time pictures for you all. Do you have any great sources for pillows? What are your thoughts on my combination?

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Living Room E-Design #2

This design was created for a reader with a growing young family that wanted to inject some color into the space. They pretty much had a blank slate except for the dark brown furniture, which we needed to make work. I was excited for the challenge! Here is what I came up with....

velvet trellis rug // leather sofa // arm chair // stripe pillow cover // cheetah pillow // zen garden pillow // triple gourd lamp // campaign table // wood side table  // canvas grommet curtain // ginger jar // cloud art

And here is where we started:

We definitely need to add some pattern to break up the brown furniture and add some life to the space. I love this combination of pillows: an animal print that is so versatile (I think I am ordering it myself!), a fun floral and an easy stripe. I would buy the largest size possible and use the same size down inserts so they are really "full". I think having a rug and drapes would really make things cozy. I kept those neutral so she could change up the  look later on down the road if she wished. Personally, I am one that adds in certain pillows at Christmas etc, and its nice to have a neutral backdrop. Artwork is very personal, but I chose this one to pull out the blue from the floral. I love it! Totally a personal preference, but I think this one doesn't compete with other prints on the pillows, etc. I think adding the glam factor with metallic lamps and a mirror over the fireplace (not pictured) would be really fun. Although the above design shows the large artwork in between the windows, it would be more ideal on the large blank wall. A framed, smaller piece of artwork in between the windows would be perfect! Also, painting or whitewashing the brick is always an option to keep lighten up the space a tad!

What do y'all think? I have to be honest, this design has completely turned my opinion around on dark brown furniture. Having a leather chair with layers of texture seems so cozy...especially with fall right around the corner!

As always, email me if you would like to discuss an e-design. 

Living Room E-Design #1

I mentioned a few weeks ago I had a great time working on an E-design for myself. It really helped me to design the room the way I want it to look instead of piecing it together over time and hoping it works. Can't wait to show y'all where we are on our room! Until then, here is a reader that contacted me about her living room. Shauna has a family of three {husband, herself and one toddler} and another one on the way. They wanted something comfortable but couldn't figure out how to "design" their space. Here is what I came up with!

CURRENT:

Gallery wall over sideboard

Mostly brown/tan furniture and accents

Overall, a great space, just needs some brighter colors to break up the tan and brown.

Here is what I came up with! 

fireplace image via / roland media stand / papaya pillow / savannah armchair / ming dragon pillow /

ombre throw / beach blaze art / coral / tea caddy / wood frame / personalized canvas / captains mirror / sofa / buffalo check pillow / lamps / sideboard {similar} / assorted frames / starburst mirror {similar} / foo dogs {currently sold out}

I know everyone has their own budget and since this was just a "design" I tried to keep it somewhere in the middle of the road of designing for style, but also cost conscious. I know sofas and chairs are big purchases and I still think the client could use most of the room with her current furniture if she didn't want to do the new slipcovered furniture route. By the way, I love my slipcovers! Both the sofa and the chairs look like they will be extremely durable, yet have a chic style. Absolutely love the skirt on the chairs. Love, love, love.

The living room has great "bones" and character and is actually a really great set up. So many living rooms have quirky things to work around but they had theirs set up really well. My very first thought was to paint the brick around the fireplace the same color as the bookshelves. It will make the space seem bigger and seamless. Can we talk about the fireplace and bookcases for a second? So jealous of this feature! While we are talking about the bookshelves, I have a simple idea...I regularly frequent thrift shops/ consignment stores for books with nice bindings {check under the covers!} that I can use on my bookshelves. Maybe even look for a bunch in the same color scheme {i.e all white, all brown, all tan, all turquoise} It will take time but it is worth it and its something you can do over time. I also added a few items that will make those shelves pop. I suggested using some metallics, and other items that tie back to the rest of the room. Don't use all small items or else they will be lost on the shelves. Above the fireplace, I thought a round sunburst mirror style would be really nice.

For the white sofa and chairs: I added a classic buffalo check and a fun geometric. I think the pillows in the room really add some energy that the space needs. I have learned nice pillows make a big difference. Try and use down inserts if possible. 

I would keep the side table the client already owns against the wall, add a few lamps and use a large scale piece of art over it instead of the gallery wall. I would then, in turn, make a gallery wall around the tv instead.

I think the wall color is great and I would wait on the rug after they made some more decisions. {In most cases the rug would come first, but here I think she can wait since it sort of works!} 

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Shauna seemed really happy with her design and I look forward to hearing how she implements it in her home. If you are interested in a complimentary e-design, email me, with photos, information on your current space, the direction you want to go in and what you hope to get out of the e-design. Must be willing to let me share your photos on Miss Dixie :) Look forward to hearing from y'all!