Living Room

Thank you for joining us in this series on Home Decorating.
Our hope is that these short blog bursts will enable & inspire you to refresh a room in your home.

This week we're tackling the
Living Room.

In these blog bursts we're looking at how to add (or take away) just a couple of items to make your room feel completely new. FRESH!

We’re concentrating this week on the living room. It’s the first room everyone wants to refresh and also the place most people see or hang out in.

These blog bursts are short, giving you quick ideas that you can implement in an evening or in a few hours before guests arrive.

Think Accents.

Lamps, tables, rugs, lighting, throw pillows or blankets, décor, frames and art.

Do you want to refresh your room into a cool shade you’ve been eyeing lately?
Or do you have noooo idea where to start?
Either way it’s OKAY.

When you have that specific color in mind sometimes it makes it easier to shop but sometimes if you’re like the rest of us….it makes it harder because then you run all over town until you find that item your mind is stuck on.

When you shop with no particular color in mind you tend to find the items first and from there you can make the rest (color) work.

So let’s start with not knowing the color you want. What do you do?

SHOP!

Check out a few stores depending on your style… TJ Maxx? JCPenney? Hobby Lobby? Kirklands, At Home, Pier One…Pottery Barn…Target! There are so many stores to choose from. The Key is to start with the store you are most comfortable in and reflects your style or taste.

From there wander the aisles…and check out the color schemes they have already set up for you. Which catches your eye? Which is the direction you are wanting to go?

Then nab that color. Or maybe take a few pillows with you, of the colors you are contemplating, and keep wandering. As you wander... items will pop out at you that reflect the pillows you have under your arms. Throw them in your cart and keep going. You can always go through and weed it out later.

Wading through RUGS is many people's favorite thing to do. It's fun to check out the various styles and patterns, and the color you need to brighten it all up. Sometimes it's best to start there just because rugs have so many colors within the design you can always incorporate throws accordingly after choosing the rug. That seems to work for most but hey—you may find another way to put it all together. OR ! It might just find you. Does that ever happen to you? You're at the register wondering how it all came together so well? Probably because most stores have design layouts that the experts created. Hahaha Well no matter, you should still take credit for what you bring home and create. 

Below is one of our reader's choice. They wanted to make their living room feel more glam. They chose deep and darker purple for the rug and then accented with pillows that 1. were a lighter purple 2. had a design with grey in it. They could have bought so many more but only needed the two. They changed out their cream throw with a dark berry purple.

At first the rug seems too simple. But it's not. It allowed them to have options for the pillows and throws and when you walk into this room the dark purple gives it a deep dark romantic feel that they were going for.

As you can see this throw is dark yet warm feeling.

And they added these pillows here:

You have to imagine this on grey furniture and not this cream. Picture the throw and pillow next to each other and you have the idea.

And of course to add fun and frilly fits this couple's style! It goes together without looking silly.

It ended up working great for them as their living room furniture is grey and the grey and purple looked fab together. The rug was cream as they were trying to be clean and neutral before so now the room is definitely darker which makes it feel richer, more elegant—which is what they were going for. Lastly they added a pendant drop light in a mid-corner of this room to lighten it up. The grey blends with the rest of the new items, it's really the light, when turned on, that gives it the effect. And something about a light hanging....

I love it!

They did a great job. See how easy and fun this is?!

You can start with a rug. Or if you find a light you love start there. Remind yourself you are only changing up to 3 things so you don't get overwhelmed and quit. So for this couple, it was the throw pillows/blanket, the rug and a light.

If you are starting with a color that you just have to have? That’s great! Shop for the best 3 elements you can find in that color and swap them out for what you have now to REFRESH.  You will be amazed at how just doing this can change your entire living room.

And remember, it is to be short, quick, easy and FUN. This is not a makeover. This is a refresh.  Have fun with it.

Let us know below, what YOU did to refresh. Share with us that ONE thing that changed everything. We would love to learn from you!

Helpful rule:  Limit yourself to the 3 elements to make it easy on yourself.