Living Room Update

It’s been just over a year since we “finished” our living room, but in my house– is anything ever really finished? I’m constantly moving things around and keeping an eye out for furniture and decor that fits well into our home. I think that’s just part of being a designer. I recently made some updates to our living space and thought they were worthy of sharing! I also thought it might be helpful to discuss what we’re loving, and one thing I’d do different after using the space for a year. I’m happy to report, it’s the best this small space has ever looked and is proving to be far more functional. Click through for more! 

*This post is sponsored by Pottery Barn. All content, ideas, and words are my own. I paid for the sofa in full last year, prior to collaborating with Pottery Barn. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow us to create unique content while featuring products we actually use & enjoy!

I’ll start by saying, our living room is tiny and it works really hard for us. It serves as the main entryway to our home (shown above), is our primary living space- aka… the TV watching, lounge area, and general hangout room. It’s also the first space visitors see when entering the house. That’s a tall order for a small space- especially for people who enjoy entertaining. Basically, that meant I needed to floor plan in a very smart way.

Aside from the easy part of the room- positioning my vintage burl wood credenza in the back of the space for entryway functionality (dropping keys, mail, etc), I needed to solve the opposing side of the living room. If you remember, we had an outdated limestone fireplace that looked like this?

A year ago, we reconstructed a new fireplace and added built-ins for storage. All of our media and surround sound items are housed in the lower cabinets. That’s one thing I still really love a year later. Emmett gets his way (surround sound), and I get mine (pretty styled shelving and storage). Marriage is all about compromise, right?

The storage wall allowed us to use more of the center portion of the room for functional furniture, like seating and tables! That brings me to my next point… the sofa.

Floor planning and finding adequate seating for this room was tough! From the giant window to the fireplace, and small side wall, I had an allotted amount of space to work with. In order to maximize our seating and lounge comfortably, I opted for a sectional. Emmett was obviously thrilled. Why are men so into sectionals? Finding a small-scaled sectional was easier said than done. Most of them are meant for large spaces, so I felt like I hit the jackpot when I found the York sectional from Pottery Barn!

I get a million questions about our sectional. I actually answered a lot of them in this post– as well as professed my love for white sofas, in general. My sofa has a slipcover and I wash it once every 2-3 months, so it stays looking nice and crisp! It’s pet-friendly, kid-friendly, the whole nine yards.

Sidenote: if you want to try a DIY version of this art, check out my easy diptych art pictured below in this post!

Comfort was our main goal for our living space this time around. Our previous living room and sofa wasn’t very comfortable, if I’m being totally honest. This time around I wanted a sofa with premium down cushions that was super duper comfy. You know… the kind that you can sink into, snuggle up on, but still get out of? I took Emmett to our local Pottery Barn and made him sit on the sofa to get his final stamp of approval. Immediately upon plopping down, he was sold. That’s saying something because he’s a tough critic- although he was hesitant about my color choice, but that’s my area of expertise so I took it with a grain of salt.

Another nice thing about Pottery Barn sofas, you can customize the fabric. I opted for a denim slipcover- for durability purposes. I came home with a bunch of swatches, narrowed it down, and placed my order online. In addition to the slipcover preference, you also have the option of arm style. I opted for a square arm, that felt a bit more modern, since I was going with a traditional skirted slipcover.

Perhaps the biggest change in our living room is the new brass coffee table! As much as I loved our previous vintage option, it was just too large for the tiny space. We were constantly running into it and it just felt tight. One of my amazing designer friends gave it a good home in her living room, so everybody wins.

I knew a pedestal base option would be easier to maneuver around and would make the space feel larger and more airy. The new coffee table is also a little smaller than our previous option, and is appropriately scaled for the size of the room and sofa.

It’s a nice, heavy durable brass with a fun linear, radiating finish on the surface. It feels pretty high end, given the very affordable price tag! I definitely thought it was a super score for the quality and finish.

Right after shelving, I have the most fun styling coffee tables. I love grabbing a fresh bunch of greenery, throwing it in a vase, adding lots of books, coasters, and my favorite seasonal candle. It’s functional, beautiful, and fills the round top organically.

Speaking of seasonal, I also swap out my textiles based on the time of year. You’ll notice some new pillows and throws since the last time I shared the living room. I scored the greek key fabric while in North Carolina a couple months ago and had my seamstress make a couple cushion covers for me with a contrast welt. I love the way they turned out!

I added this blue velvet, fringe edge lumbar cushion to break up the size, height difference, and patterned cushions. Did you notice the cozy updated tassel throw? The cute puppy pictured below is also new… but he’s getting a formal introduction on the blog this Friday- so stay tuned for that!

Although lots of things have remained the same, it’s these small changes that have made all the difference. Our shelves are filling with treasures from our recent travels, the textiles and furniture tweaks are making life a bit more functional, and we’re still loving all of the vintage items that I’ll probably never part with (the area rug, credenza, pouf, side table, etc). I think that’s part of what it takes to make a house feel like home. Swapping, adding, and rearranging as you grow and change.

My other pup has officially claimed this chair. I placed a vintage pouf next to it so Johnny Cash could easily jump up onto his “perch”. Ha! I am definitely that crazy dog lady and love seeing him lounging in the chair through the living room window when I pull into the drive. I like to think he has a nice life.

Wondering what we’d do differently in this space? Honestly, not a lot. I can only think of one aesthetic thing… I have the urge to wallpaper the inside of the panel moulding on the entryway wall- something textural and monochromatic that matches the wall color. I suppose there’s still time? I feel like it would balance out the built-in wall a bit better and make the room feel more cozy and inviting.

If you’re curious about sources, I’ll link a few below! Click to shop.

white slipcovered sofa //  fringe edge lumbar pillow //  grey moss candle //  marble object // brass coffee table // area rug (similar to my vintage one) // tassel throw // textured pillow

As always, you can find every single source in the “Shop the House” section.

There you have it… our living room, one year later! There’s a lot to love and this just might be my favorite room in the house (sorry kitchen). It’s definitely where we spend the majority of our time.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below! Do you also swap things out or once a room is finished, do you quit messing with it?

You can also find the items in the space using the slider below… just hover for the price. Hopefully that handy little feature is helpful!