Some say the heart of the home is the kitchen. That’s true, but what if your living room is open to your kitchen? Check out my classic living room design ideas.
When designing our house, a big part of every decision was how we live our life. We are avid entertainers … of big crowds. For a few years we hosted a group of college students every week for Bible studies or discussions about biblical things. Each week we had around 20 people gathering in our home, eating, enjoying one another’s company, and having great deep discussions. This meant when we planned for our new home, we wanted a big kitchen, eating area, and living area where people could hang out and be comfortable.
Another great thing about our house is the view is spectacular. We have an amazing vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We knew key rooms would need lots of windows to maximize the view and the living room was top of the list.
My mom taught me that if you can, buy quality pieces of furniture that are investment pieces, like your sofa. It took us many years to afford what we really wanted, but I finally was able to buy a sofa that will last (that only took 30 years). I have always told my clients, never buy a sofa you can’t test drive. And … I broke my own rule. During Covid, making purchases was not an easy task (it still isn’t). I did a ton of research on sofa’s from higher end companies and used a lot of knowledge I already had from helping my clients purchase furniture. I ended up going with Maiden Home and it was a very good decision. I will do a complete review of this big purchase in another blog post, but we are not disappointed. You can find it here: Maiden Home.
When designing this room, I used many pieces I have collected over the years and I love mixing old and new. This low console is an Asian piece that is hundreds of years old. Mixing old and new makes a room interesting and diverse. Some would call it eclectic.
Another very wise decision was purchasing the Samsung Frame TV. You can find it here: samsung. This was my husband’s idea. He wanted a big TV and I didn’t want a black box above my beautifully designed fireplace. When it’s not being used as a television, it looks like a piece of art. We have fooled just about everyone who sees it. It comes with installed art, or you can upload your own. The photo you see here was taken by my son in Banff, Canada (Lake Louise). I change it out regularly, based off the season or just how I’m feeling that day. If I miss my family, then I put up a picture of them!
I agonized over how to design the fireplace. Should I make the bump out into the living room, or bump it into the office (the room on the other side of that wall)? In the end, I wanted it to be a focal point, so into the living room it went. We decided to go with a vented fireplace for a couple of reasons: vent less fireplaces tend to have an odor, and I like how vented fireplaces look more real and have a glass front. We chose easy to install cement stone (which we did ourselves) with a reclaimed wood mantle that is left unstained. It took forever to decide how to finish the chimney chase. I wanted something interesting but not overpowering. The MDF shiplap is painted 2 shades darker than the walls (Ben Moore Balboa Mist is the wall color, fireplace chase is BM Cumulus Cloud).
The simple and sleek blue velvet chairs are from Pottery Barn in slate performance velvet. You can find it here: Potterybarn. I wanted something that swiveled so you could look in all directions, especially turn to that amazing view. I love these chairs with the exception that the fabric is not dog friendly. If you have a dog, the fur will stick to the velvet so choose a different fabric.
Another great Pottery Barn piece is this oversized coffee table. I love love love it! It’s durable, big, and I love the light colored wood. Unfortunately, it is no longer available.
A big part of design is accessorizing. You can have amazing, beautiful furniture pieces, but if you don’t accessorize, it just looks like a furniture store. Adding feather filled pillows, throws, vases, containers, books, things from your travels, a rug and drapes will turn a bland space into a lived in space. These things bring life into a room. I like a pattered rug and neutral drapes. The drapes I chose are linen-like and have tie tops which add a level of casualness. Using various textures make it feel cozy.
Because we entertain so much, this room needed to feel welcoming and inviting, but I never want someone to feel it’s too precious so they have to be careful. By choosing performance fabrics, you don’t have to worry about stains. Mixing woods and materials creates a casual feel, and bringing in throws, drapes and anything fabric makes it cozy.
So design a space that you love, that you and your family are comfortable in, and one within your budget. It’s all about making you and others feel welcome and relaxed. Ahhh…
- Maiden Home sofa
- Samsung Frame TV
- Pottery Barn swivel chair
- Small wooden side table
- Most accessories/lamps/pillows are from HomeGoods