We are finally starting to focus on giving our living room a much-needed makeover! I am so excited about this next room makeover and wanted to share with you our living room design plans.
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CURRENT LIVING ROOM STATUS
When we first moved in, the living room was in pretty decent shape compared to a few other areas of the home. Because of this, our living room hasn’t been high on our priority list of rooms to focus on. I also wanted to wait a while and get a real feel of the space before determining what I wanted. Now that we have been here a couple of years, I’m itching to start fixing the living room up.
Currently, the living room has no décor and is pretty boring.
Things to think about when designing a room
- What is our family’s goals / what is our priorities as a family
- What are the things that happens in this room
- How can I make this space help us achieve those goals
- What items do I need to have in here
- Is this a comfortable space for everyone in my family
Before tackling a room, I like to think about what my goals are for my family. Then I determine how this room will help me with that goal. This helps me be intentional with how I decorate, organize, and acquire things for a room.
A couple of our family goals are 1) our Catholic faith is centered in everything and 2) foster a love of reading and great conversations.
MULTIPURPOSE LIVING ROOM
HOMESCHOOL/ LIVING ROOM COMBONATION
Not only is our living room a place of relaxation, but it also one of our main areas for homeschooling. I decided a few months ago that I no longer wanted to use our basement as a homeschool room. Instead, I wanted to integrate our learning throughout our home. Thus, our living room may not look like a traditional living room and I am okay with that. We have a small table and chairs where we do our studies and a couple of bookshelves for all our books. I would like to blend the homeschool stuff with the living room to create a nice cohesive look though.
GOALS FOR THE LIVING ROOM
The goal for our living room is:
- I want our living room to be a space that exudes cozy and homey vibes.
- Plenty of simple reminders encouraging us to achieve our family goals. I definitely want some Catholic decor like a wall rosary, crucifix, and Catholic art to inspire us to grow in holiness.
- Everyone in my family should feel comfortable in this space. Especially now that we have a wider age range of children.
- I would like it to be aesthetically pleasing and put together while also friendly to kids. I don’t want my children or guests to feel like they can’t touch anything.
DESIGN STYLE
I would best describe my style as eclectic but as of lately, I have been really drawn to the modern cottage style. I love the combination of timeless pieces, a few vintage-inspired elements, sprinkled with a couple of modern touches.
Here are a couple of resources that explain what modern cottage style is:
I would like a neutral color palette consisting of earth-tone neutrals, whites, natural woods, with a couple of bold accents. This is pretty consistent throughout our whole house.
THE LIVING ROOM DESIGN PLANS
- Lighting
Currently, there are two bathroom lights that don’t even match on the walls. One of above the couch and the other is in between the stairways. We plan on getting rid of those and installing lights in the ceiling. We will be putting in can lights but chandeliers would be the dream.
Here are some of the highly-rated chandeliers that I’ve been eyeing for under $300
2. Couches
We’ve had our couches, which are IKEA’s Ektorp sofas we bought second-hand, for a few years now. They are so worn out and desperately need replacing. We were planning on getting new Ektorp sofas but ended up replacing them with IKEA’s new Uppland sofas. You can check out my post for a full review and comparison.
3. Rug
As a mother of many children, I have a love-hate relationship with rugs. I love how rugs can really make a room feel complete and set the mood. However, too many rugs have not lasted long since toddlers don’t understand ink or any other stain makers do not belong on the rugs. But because we have crawling babies, I do want a rug in the living room. So we will be investing in a Ruggable. I am hoping these machine washable rugs will withstand my kids.
4. Comfy chairs
Who doesn’t love a nice big chair that you can snuggle up with a baby or get lost in a book next to a nice warm fire!? Comfy chairs are an essential piece for a modern cottage style. I have been keeping an eye out for a nice accent chair on Facebook Marketplace but if we do end up buying new, I have been really vibing with Ikea’s Stocksund armchair.
5. Plants/ natural elements
I do not have a green thumb by any means but I am determined to. I love having plants around the house. Plants add a lovely natural element to any space while also adding a lot of health benefits. I would like a couple of English Ivies on top of the bookshelves along with some smaller plants here and there. I would also like a larger (faux because of kid and cat safety) plant, like a Birds of Paradise, in a corner.
6. Catholic art
It is important to me that I incorporate my Catholic faith into my home. I plan on adding a picture ledge above my couch to display several of my favorite Catholic art.
7. Cozy accents
To help make the living room feel cozy, I want to get some decorative pillows and throw blankets. Even in the summer, my kids like getting comfy with a blanket on the couch, especially during movie nights.
8. TV stand
I want to add some antique/ vintage pieces to the living room. Antique furniture can bring so much character and charm to a space. This will also help balance out some of the more modern elements. I plan on adding an antique sideboard for the tv stand and a small dresser or cabinet between the two stairways. I will be searching Facebook Marketplace, a couple of local antique shops, and thrift stores in hopes of catching a great deal.
9. Toy organization
Like I’ve mentioned above, the living room is for everyone to be able to relax and feel comfortable in. We do not have a designated playroom so all the toys are in the living room. We have been very intentional with the toys we get for the kids and have kept the number of toys to a minimum. I want the toy storage to blend nicely with the rest of the room’s décor while being practical and functional. Although I still need to figure out exactly how I want the toy set up to be, we will be using a mix of different decorative storage baskets in the meantime.
10. Black fireplace
The previous homeowners painted the fireplace white which wasn’t bad but I wanted to make the fireplace the focus of the living room. So, we gave the fireplace a dramatic makeover a couple of months ago.
Here are a couple of pictures that I am totally loving.
Plan of Action
- Get rid of the wall lights
- Repair the drywall
- paint
- Add ceiling lights and/or chandeliers
- Replace our couches
- Figure out a family altar setup
- Fireplace mantel
- Picture ledge above couch
- Wall art/ decor
I am so excited to start working on the living room. The goal would be to have this room completed by the end of the year but realistically, it may be an over-year project. I will be sharing updates throughout the process so be sure to subscribe to see how our living room comes together. You can also check out my Instagram for updates there too.
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