Well nesting has officially taken over. Poor Gabe.
Suddenly I am tearing through every room like a woman on an IV of caffeine. I kind of love this energy though as it doesn’t come till the very end of a pregnancy for me! I am working on our living room layout since that is where we spend a good deal of time, and I’ve got so many ideas bursting. Here’s how I usually start a design process…
I will always prefer print and paper and tearing up mags and comparing textile samples. It fuels me creatively way differently than pinterest and social media, as those always feel slightly vague and out of reach, ya know? I put together images that I’m drawn to, and usually can pick up a pattern of color or style aesthetic from a visual board I assemble.
I was all about bold color last year, but as my life has gotten noisier with lots of boy energy to entertain me daily, I am craving all the calm and cool vibes! People with littles, you feel me?? 😉
Once I have narrowed down an overall style and theme, I work with a piece that is one of the focal points of the room such as a couch or rug, and build from there. Here are a few ideas I have spinning for our living room…
(via Joanna Goddard)
Neutral tones and large scale prints – It’s much easier to change prints and pillows in and out than it is furniture! I love how Joanna Goddard stuck with neutral tones and added a little color with a large scale print above the couch and in her throws and pillows. I am sticking with my deep blue couches which will be the main players of our living room, so neutral woods will be my second choice.
(via Trendsparnarna)
Our living room is the only carpeted room besides our master room on the main floor. It is a stain collecting color, and we already need it steamed or replaced. I am really digging floor options that aren’t your standard choices like a herringbone grey or painted wood. I am liking the flooring options I am seeing
(My Domaine via The Hunted Interior)
Double bookshelves – we are big book people over here. Gabe, the kids, and I each have stacks of books we aren’t willing to part with and I am a firm believer that they are only used if seen. However, to avoid the cluttered look an over packed bookshelf can bring, I am considering bookshelves with doors to sandwich the couch like these Billy bookshelves from ikea or maybe even something like this.
Family proof. – I was at my friend Lesley’s the other day when we were working on her living room makeover, and she has two little girls. They are older now and so she is able to go for the dreamy ivory furniture and white walls. (Her room reveal will be posted next week on her blog!) That was a fun project to be a part of because I got to live out design dreams vicariously through her. The room can reflect the stage of your life! The reality for me is, I have some very active and messy boys that jump on couches no matter how many times they are reminded not to, and who tend to forget that pillows are not wrestling mats. I love the life in our home though, and I want them to feel at home in it, so making it family friendly is just as important as is making it feel like a place we can relax in. Faux leather or leather furniture or easy to clean colors are a must, as we well as low to the ground pieces and lighting that are somewhat indestructible. (My straw baskets did not survive!) I avoid glass and sharp edges if they are end tables and such. I am loving this floor lamp for lighting, this low round storage coffee table, and have had my eye on this wooden option for a year now!
I’m sure I will be posting living room updates on instagram or snapchat, but only time will tell how much I can actually rock out before baby makes a debut!
Happy weekend friends. x
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