Designing this space was agonizing. I obsessed over every detail to such an annoying extent that I had a hard time committing to anything and it led to decision paralysis. For 2+ years, this space - the heart of our home - has felt unfinished. It wasn’t until recently I figured out why.

I initially envisioned an ultra modern look for in here. Sleek, minimalist furnishings, possibly some black and white leather, bold accent colors, refined materials and industrial metals to compliment the concrete ceilings and black framed windows.

When I design anything, it’s important to me to leverage existing belongings wherever possible - to stretch a budget, but also I love the challenge of breathing new life into things. That said, when I decided to work with our existing couch, my vision for ultra modern went by the wayside, and I had the hardest time coming up with a new plan.

I knew I wanted a coffee table made from stone to invite elegance and offset the informal feel of the corduroy-esque couch. This travertine beast materialized quickly thanks to Craigslist, and the space took a turn toward Neutralville. I love the weight of the table because it grounds the space, yet it’s neutral enough that I can layer in a variety of different pieces over time.

I then found these pristine vintage stone & glass side tables on Facebook Marketplace, and at the risk of not diversifying our color or material palette enough, I went for them and didn’t regret it.

The layout challenged me… I tried the chaise where the two wingback chairs are, a small loveseat where the chaise is, two white leather swivel chairs (that were SO uncomfortable) in front of the wall of windows; I tried one chair (not pictured) where the chaise is. I tried two other wingback chairs that ended up being too boringly beige, and I’ve tried approximately 500 combinations of throw pillows, blankets, candles, books, vases, etc. Doesn’t it just sound exhausting?!

The plaid upholstered wingback’s were an impulsive buy (also FB Marketplace) and they felt daring at first. I ultimately decided that they add character (essential) and they have a low enough profile to support a good flow between kitchen/dining/living (also essential). I played with other navy accents throughout the space but they ended up feeling too heavy.

The media cabinet took me approximately 3 hours and SO MUCH brainpower to customize and finalize while at a crowded Ikea on a Saturday… I went around and around and around. I purchased upper glass cabinets to create pretty display cases to go above the floating base, but a hard-wired fire alarm forbid them from being hung. 3 hours I’ll never get back ;)

The hardest element of all was the damn rug. I could not, FOR THE LIFE OF ME, commit to one. Questions like, “do I go bold and add some personality to this otherwise completely neutral space? Or do I stick to simplicity and risk having it look uninteresting?” kept colliding with my need for it to be perfect, so I stalled out…

It didn’t occur to me that the rug might be the missing element to complete the look and therefore I didn’t force myself to make a decision earlier. I trusted the process, which I would do again because I’ve learned how to get out of my own way a bit more.

Two weeks ago a rug I purchased for our bedroom arrived. I laid it out in the living room before moving it into our bedroom and I felt this instant aha moment. THIS was the perfect rug for the living room. So, a few logistical annoyances later, I returned it for a bigger size, and voila - the room finally felt complete. The whole design suddenly came together.

Between the texture in the rug, the pattern in the chairs, the bronze velvet & white faux fur throw pillows, stone coffee & side tables, the room has enough dimension to where it’s interesting, soothing, serene, warm… and not blah. I vote neutral bliss > boringly bland.

Lessons Learned

Be unafraid to experiment. I configured and reconfigured this room maybe 50x. Each round allowed me to see the space in a new light.
Be unafraid to go against what you think you want, in favor of what feels best. Maybe one day in a different space the ultra modern look will suit us, but for now, cozy, comfortable, plush seating and yummy textures felt more us.
Be unafraid to be boring. I felt insecure thinking monochromatic naturals wouldn’t showcase my design talent - but as soon as I let go of that and leaned into what makes me feel good in the space, everything fell into place.
Nothing is permanent. I was striving for a level of finish that made every decision feel SO committal (also because I share things publicly and I want them to be pretty). In reality, I can swap out anything at any time and probably will, sooner than I think ;)
When in doubt, play around with inexpensive pieces first. Any time I’m uncertain about how I want a space to come together, I gravitate toward second hand marketplaces to find inexpensive, cool, unique pieces. It allows me to experiment free of burdensome thoughts about how much I invested into a piece (most FB/Craigslist finds I keep under $500), and sometimes what I find informs the direction I take next with the design.

I would love to hear your thoughts! Is there something you’d do differently? Or suggest I try in the space?!

Until next time,

LG