living room inspiration

I've been pretty slow with getting our house decorated. Up until two weeks ago we still had an "office" full of boxes of books that I hadn't unpacked yet that taunted me every time I'd walk past the door.  My sister's visit helped motivate me to check some things off the list and now I feel like I've been bit by the decorating bug! 

 

The biggest challenge to me was our open floor plan on the ground floor. I love that our kitchen/dining/living space are all open to one another but it was hard for me to find a way to make the spaces compliment each other but still have some sort of division. 

We basically had zero furniture for our living room when we moved in to our house. T.J. had a futon and on my first visit there we purchased a neutral rug from Target just to have something. But that's it. I was really eager to start decorating and turning the room into a space we could relax in, watch movies, and have friends over to hang out (once we made friends). I had so many ideas swirling around that I just didn't do anything. But now I think I finally have a clearer vision for the area of the house that we will inevitably spend the most time in.

When I moved in I brought a few more pieces of furniture and then the first thing to go was the futon. It now lives in our garage (along with several other items from T.J.'s dorm room) and we're hoping to eventually make one side a sort of exercise space. We ordered a small sectional to replace it and T.J. had to finally agree that a couch is more comfortable than a futon. It's a neutral color fabric with a little gray undertone to it and I love it. But now I feel like everything in there is a little too neutral; the couch, the rug, the walls, all the many different shades of wood. It's doesn't quite make for the cozy warm space I want.

These are some of my favorite pins on my living room board.

(sources: 1 | 2 | 3 )

I love that they combine several different elements in a really seamless way using rustic/farmhouse, traditional, and some modern accents throughout. Plus they're not all white, all over. I love me a good white wall and really wish we had white trim in our house but I also think there is a tendency these days to do too much white and to me it looks a little sterile and cold. I like the neutral to be balanced out with layers of color and texture and patterns. I want it to look cozy and liveable and like us.

So here's where we're at now...

Greatly improved, I think. But still not quite finished, though T.J. would disagree- in fact he'd probably say we're all done. (Ha. Ha. Ha.) And so here's what I have planned:

• A new rug (something with color and a traditional pattern)
• More seating and some brighter pillows to coordinate (T.J. wants a leather recliner... I'm hoping to talk him in to a leather arm chair and ottoman instead)
• Curtains (I ordered long white cotton voile curtains that I think will really lighten up the room and I plan to diy some gold curtain rods)
• Fireplace "makeover" (I have this idea... we'll see...)

Can't wait to post an update soon! I want to get it all done right now! I need to exert a little self control and spread things out over the next few months so my wallet doesn't hate me. But it's fun seeing everything finally come together and move farther away from just two people's stuff thrown together, to a proper home.