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Living Room Makeover // My Arhaus Inspiration

Living Room Makeover // My Arhaus Inspiration

We've been in the green house for about a year and a half now, and I've slowly been making this space my own. The kitchen is my real whale, but that's going to have to be our last project I think.

I want to get it right and that means a significant amount of saving. It's basically torture for this instant gratification girl.

Our living room may not get as much use as a kitchen will, but for now it's the main space we gather when visitors come knocking.

After my office makeover got a little publicity, I was contacted by Arhaus (a great home decor website) with a challenge to show them what I might do with our living room given a little inspiration.

This room has a ton of potential. We've got 3 windows, a fireplace, hardwood floor and french doors (that lead to the sunroom) to work with. Here's the realtor's before shot.

You know, for giggles.

D81_0744-LR5 D81_0752-LR5 D81_0756-LR5

Pretty great right?

So I've gone a little cray on the colour and pattern in the other rooms you've seen, and I think that's what Arhaus was hoping I might do with the living room as well, but this space needs to be a little more chill. Suuuuuper cozy and the kind of room you can be comfortable enough to put your feet up in.

We're doing Christmas in this room people. And I don't know about you, but that means we're gonna need a couch I can LIE on and not feel like I'm wearing a darned back brace I'm sitting so flippin' straight.

No no no. We need a great couch, a chunky coffee table, and some moody lighting.

I'm talking durable textiles, a chunky rug, and a space that can host as many bums as possible.

About a month after we moved in, I bought a mint's worth of this beautiful Dwell Studio fabric and hung it ragged and un-hemmed in the windows until my mom offered to sew it into curtains for me.

(Note: This works every time.)

Landsmeer+Curtain+Panel

That's kind of how I like to start every room I makeover.

I find one thing that I love, usually a textile or something with colour or pattern, and then I use it for the inspiration for the entire room. Sometimes it's a piece of pottery, or something one of the kids coloured at school. Sometimes it's a throw or a pillow (or a throw pillow). In this case, it's this fabric.

So we've got our pop of colour.

Perusing the Arhaus website for furniture and decor to pull the place together, I came across pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

This uphostered sofa is made in the US (aka won't fall apart if you move it like pretty much everything I ever purchased before the age of 30) and offers the perfect balance of comfort and practicality.

I'm not going to tire of this style anytime soon.

couchfront
Baldwin 89" Upholstered Sofa in Trinidad Flax via Arhaus

It has NO SKIRT (v. important if you want something that doesn't look like you inherited it from your nana) and, (my favourite part) ATTACHED cushions.

couchback

I can NOT tell you how unhinged I can become if the mother lovin' couch cushions are in disarray.

Let it be noted that I am aware it's probably insane to let something like couch cushions drive you to drink...but we all have our things.

You know you have your thing.

I really want to create a conversational space, so I'm looking for two smaller, perhaps a bit more contemporary chairs to sidle up to the couch. I feel like you can go a little less practical with smaller pieces of furniture because they're easier to break up and place in other spaces if you decide to change the room up, and generally speaking, they're not as great of a financial investment.

Unless of course, you want two, which, I mean, oooooobviously.

Enter the Brekan Chair.

Be still my heart and tell me this menswear inspired tweed doesn't just make you want to plunk down and swing your legs over the arm.

Brekan Chair in Tribeca Pewter Brekenside

Seating? Check.

Now I needed a sturdy coffee table that people could put their feet up on, but, you know, wouldn't.

Of course they wouldn't, but they'd be so comfortable in the room, they'd think about it, and then realize that's pretty disrespectful and, like, not do it. You get it. I know you get it.

I love the Palmer Coffee Table in natural oak.

Palmer
Palmer Rectangle 2 Drawer Coffee Table in Natural Oak via Arhaus

It's nice and solid with clean, modern lines, and I really like that it has 2 drawers where I can tuck some extra napkins and tea lights to have handy when I need them. Which is always because tealights last approximately 7 minutes. Which is probably why they come in bags of 17 million.

I envision this table on a chunky knit ivory rug.

The kind of rug that will make me absolutely lose my sh*t if someone spills red wine on it. Or anything.

Why I do this to myself, I'm not sure. But the heart wants what it wants Selena Gomez.

It wants what it wants. Specifically something like this:

Chunky Braided Wool Rug

Only 50 percent of the rooms in this place have ceiling lights, so I find the living room pretty dark.
I like a dim living room, especially one with a fireplace, so I think all this place needs is a few corner lamps.
Someday I might like to add some pot lights on a dimmer, but for now, something like the Clarence Floorlamp would do me juuuust fine.
lamp
Clarence Floor Lamp in Antiqued Brass via Arhaus

This really is a beautiful website.

I know, I know, it's not Canadian. Our dollar is the pits and ordering from the US can be a nightmare, but Arhaus DOES ship to Canada, so there's no headache there.

For a dash of flare (and because I'm not an animal), I'll add some throw cushions like these:

Moroccan kilim pillows for your boho chic living room, from Baba Souk:
Via Babasouk
And some accessories like, oh maybe, this stupid cute planter
il_570xN.1074671663_f7r1
Via Etsy
...and some big ole woven baskets for all the magazines I can't bare to toss. basket
Toss a big plant or two in the corner and we're golden.
Image result for house plant

Looking forward to pulling the room together in time for fall.

AKA the most wonderful time of the year. Stay tuned for the final reveal!

Happy Fall Y'all!

xo Em