When we first toured this home (see the “before” picture below) I knew I wanted to do a tone on tone look for this room. I was agonizing over the paint color (why do I always do this?).
It was so worth it in the end because I absolutely love our living room and our family enjoys it every day – from reading books by the fireplace to listening to our favorite records to doing puzzles.
I struggled with the open floor plan of our living space and sought solutions to make each space feel distinctive and individual. In addition to the arched openings, we added a floor-to-ceiling mid-tone green in the living room to give the space its own personality.
Related posts: How to draw a floor plan, how to hang curtains, entryway decoration and wallpapered ceiling, library dining room.
This room is one of the biggest transformations I’ve ever been a part of. Please feel free to audibly gasp when you see the before photo below.
If you look closely you’ll see dozens of small changes, but at first glance it seems that the flash is 90% “the power of color”.
Here’s a quick rundown of the remodeling we’ve done: replacing tile floors with hardwood, rebuilding the fireplace from the ground up, reconfiguring the lighting (and adding a chandelier), and moving the vent to make room for our huge built-in wall .
Green built-in shelves:
The green built-in shelves provide additional storage space and get things done so much for the room, optical. We store most of our children’s toys and our record collection in the cupboards.
I chose shelves that aren’t adjustable, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how we would use them and made sure they were big enough to display our largest artworks, records, books, and decorations.
This was my first experience with custom cabinets and it was well worth the extra money and effort. I love how they reach to the ceiling and look like they have always been a part of the house.
Custom Tiled Fireplace:
We redesigned our chimney from scratch after the original chimney was (accidentally) destroyed during floor remediation. I took the opportunity to do a DEEP dive into Pinterest to find a style that would complement our home and feel classy and traditional.
The elements of the fireplace that I love the most are the front bench (or as my 4 year old calls it “the stage”, haha) and the herringbone stone firebox. This is a working gas fireplace that you can turn on with a remote control.
I first chose the subway tile from Fireclay Tile in the color “Rosemary”. Next, I found a paint color (Rosemary Sage by HGTV Sherwin Williams) that matched the tile as closely as possible. I’m really happy with the match and especially how everything feels very intentional and cohesive.
Shop My Living Room (Spurge + Save)
Sources: Pink velvet sofa / maze rug / similar coffee table / boucle chairs / chandelier / tiles / rattan chandelier
Budget Sources: Pink velvet sofa / maze rug / coffee table / boucle chairs / chandelier / rattan chandelier
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