Ok, so this room is the paint project that won’t end. When I left you last week I’d hope to be back to report a fully painted room. We are not quite done but we’re getting close. But that’s actually not what I want to discuss this week. I want to do a deep dive into the living room layout and design.
Living Room Layout and Design
The room is all windows, so the layout was a little challenging, but I’m using the midpoint of the windows to serve as the dividing line between the living room and the dining room space. The Sofa is low and shapely and serving as a great anchor point to the floor plan. The large rug also helps to establish the south side of the room as the living room zone. With the addition of our new paint scheme, the whole room is looking less 80’s barn and more chalet chic. I took the opportunity to add this ceiling fan in black. Ceiling fans are HARD to do right and this one had clean lines and a modern feel. Because the ceilings are so high having a fan wasn’t optional so I feel lucky to have found this guy.
Across the room will be a vintage farm table that seats four to eight. I love a large table, it gives me extra space to spread out big projects, a great surface for shooting pictures and of course a spacious place to eat dinner. Around the table will be four cream wishbone style chairs. The other two will set off to the side until we need them.
Now let’s discuss the placement of the 2 Windsor chairs, these chairs are a style bridge in the space bringing modern and traditional design tougher and they also happen to be sure comfortable. Originally I’d imagined them directly across from the sofa so that whoever is sitting in them also has accesses to the coffee table and it’s good for conversation. However, I’m rethinking that because I think they will get more use if they don’t have there back to the TV. It also seems like a shame to not take advantage of the view out our windows.
The chairs are light enough that they can flip-flop to face another direction but I’d like to avoid playing musical chairs when we have people over. I’m also considering a third orientation that involves one chair on each side of the sofa, in theory the view out the windows is awesome but the reality is, the sun can be really intense in the afternoon, the windows face due west. Having at least one chair that doesn’t face the window might be a good option.
OK, so let’s get back to the fireplace. Sooo I’m trying, really I am but I just don’t think I can give over the space to a faux fireplace. A real wood stove yes but I’m just not feeling it. I know it would be a fun DIY and I’m sure I could make it look cool & Pinterest worthy but I just keep coming back to the fact that it’s creating more problems than its solving. Last year during my ORC I created a faux fireplace but I had the space and we needed the additional heat that it provided.
Living Room Layout and Design: Fireplace or not (yes I’m still undecided)
So here’s what I’m thinking instead. The first step is to paint this one wall my long-time favorite Farrow and Ball color Hague blue. On one side I’ll be adding this vintage cabinet, that I talked about in my stories last week. I think the TV will go on top of that. The dark wall color will help disguise the TV and allow for some fun styling. I’m hoping that my husband’s record collection will fit inside (fingers crossed). On the other side of the wall, I’m still looking for something. I might resurrect my old pipe shelving or MAYBE this is the spot for the fireplace? I also found some really cool oversized artwork that might be cool here.
It helps me to see everything all together in a mood board. I make them for clients all the time but rarely make them for myself. I highly recommend making one if you are trying to design a room, it helps so much with decision-making. Like I said, I’m still deciding on a few vintage pieces but this board is more or less final. Of course, I’ll be adding more things like art and plants and smaller accessories – but that’s the final layer so more on that in the coming weeks.
1. Peacock Accent Chairs, The Mine
2. Brass Cocktail Table, Curry & Company
3. Laundered Linen Indigo Pillow, Annie Selke
4. Marianna Linen Resist Pillow, Annie Selke
5. Ceiling Fan I Series, Haiku
6. Belgian Flax Linen Drapery, Barn and Willow
7. Indigo Woven Cotton Rug, Annie Selke
8. Cutler Copper Bronze Drum Shaped Accent Table, Uttermost
9. Polished Nickel One-Light Mini Pendant, Jonathan Adler
10. Marble Table Lamp, Jonathan Adler
11. Tripod Floor Lamp, Jonathan Adler
12. Cigar Sofa, Article
13. Dining Chairs, Hayneedle
14. Vintage Rug, Corre Marie
15. Coffee Table, Hayneedle
Looking for more inspiring renovation stories? Check in with my fellow ORC participants linked below.
Boxwood Avenue | Coco & Jack | Design Manifest | Dwell with Dignity | The House That Lars Built | Little Green Notebook | The Makerista | Making it Lovely | Old Brand New | Old Home Love The Painted House | Megan Pflug Designs | Pink Pagoda | Erica Reitman | Sacramento Street Simply Grove | Jill Sorensen | Sugar & Cloth | Vintage Rug Shop | Waiting on Martha
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Hey there. I know you Said you recommend doing moodboards; do you have a preference on Which thing to use to make them? Thanks!
Hi! I often use power point to make them,it has an easy interface and a background removal function that’s helpful. For blog posts I use photo shop because it allows for more precise work (IE. Control the resolution and image size) I made temples for both. I think there are a lot of moldboard programs but I don’t have any expirence with them. If it’s just for your own use I’d suggest going old school and print images out and do a little cut and paste IRL it’s mostly about seeing everything all together. Hope that helps!
I think you definitely need some kind of freestanding fireplace. It’s just not a lodge in the woods to me without one, and it would add so much coziness in the winter. But I’m with you– I’m not sold on that electric fireplace at all. Maybe just use it as a placeholder until you’re able to hunt down a vintage Malm or Preway? They’re pretty easy to find on Craigslist in the midwest (Preway was based in Milwaukee, so that area in particular has a ton) and maybe someone’ll be willing to ship? It’s under $200 to ship via Greyhound, you just have to keep the weight under 100 lbs, which I did for my Preway by not shipping the stovepipe and shipping the legs separately. (sorry about the all caps; I can’t figure out how to turn it off.)
That’s an interesting idea… I don’t know anything about shipping via greyhound. it sounds complicated but maybe it’s not. Have you had good luck with it?
I FIND A MOOD BOARD SO NECESSARY WHEN DECORATING A ROOM– UNLESS I CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE PIECES INTERACTING I JUST CAN’T DECIDE WHAT I LIKE. I would probably put a floor to ceiling bookshelf where the fireplace is, just because I think books are great to have as many places as possible and it adds a lovely cozy feeling. As well as styling opportunities!
Seriously I don’t know another way to do it either. Just so so necessary. I’m kinda thinking that would be the best solution too. My husband has a lot of records so a bookshelf seems like the better option.
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