A Living Room for a Young Family
A college friend of mine recently asked me to help her with some design issues in her living room. She and her husband have 2 young boys, so the room also needs to function as a family space with plenty of storage. Here are a couple pictures of her living room:
Amanda told me they were thinking about getting a sectional to replace the sofa and recliner, and moving the glider into their son's room. She also said most of the toys and the changing table would also be going upstairs. One problem is that the room is long and narrow, and interrupted by lots of doors and windows. Another problem was figuring out a nice way to display 4 pieces of art that her father-in-law painted.
Here are some products I found that I think would look great in Amanda's living room. They're all from affordable places like Target or IKEA, because I like moodboards with things in them that normal people can actually afford :)
1. These curtains from IKEA are $27.99 per set. I would hang these "high and wide", meaning higher and wider than the window frame. I believe most IKEA curtain panels come un-hemmed, so that you can hem them to whatever length you need. I prefer to let my curtains touch the floor without much pooling (pooling can look nice and romantic, but it's a dust trap!).
2. This curtain rod from Target is $25.99 for the single window size, and $32.99 for the double window size. Amanda would need one of each. I like these in oil rubbed bronze because they bring out the brown tones in the room, and look a bit more traditional than a polished nickel would.
3. This lamp shade from Target is $24.99 in the Trout Stream color. This would look great on Amanda's existing floor lamp to add a bit of color to the room. Or, this classic white shade with a modern twist would also be a great choice at $29.99.
4. & 5. This embroidered pillow from Target runs $24.99, and this soft turquoise pillow cover from IKEA is $10 (the coordinating insert ranges from $2.99 - $6.99). I would buy two of each pillow to put on the sofa. I might also buy a 3rd smaller pillow in a different design and size for the center of the couch, maybe something like this.
6. This throw blanket from IKEA is $29.99. It would add some coziness to the living room, and who doesn't love a cozy throw blanket?
7. This sectional sofa from IKEA is $899 as shown, including a removable/washable slipcover in Isunda Brown. These sectional sofas not only look great and are affordable, but for a family with kids, the washable slipcover might just be the best part! I've heard great things about IKEA's sofas, in that they stand up to the test of time, even in households with pets and young children.
8. This accent chair from Target is on sale currently for $127.49, regularly $169.99. That's a bit steep for such a small piece of furniture, so I personally would wait for it to go on sale or clearance before I purchase it. Amanda says she isn't sure if her husband will like an armless slipper chair, so the best options I could find with arms were these:
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| $251 from Overstock.com |
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| $149.99 from Target |
10. This wool rug from RugsUSA is currently $265 for a 5x8 size, but they run extra percent off sales all the time. I chose this rug because it's light, not too busy, and brings all the pieces in the room together. Wool is also fairly easy to clean, in my experience, as long as you soak up any liquid spills right away. Call me crazy, but I also like this rug too. I love that it pulls the yellow from the throw pillow. This would also allow Amanda to add some yellow accessories around the room, like a vase or artwork. The pattern would also add a bit of interest to the room without being too busy. I would tend to pick lighter colored rugs for this room, since the walls are dark, but I know light-colored rugs can be tricky to keep clean with young children.
11. Finally, this storage ottoman from Target is currently on sale for $118.99, regularly $139.99. It provides some additional storage for games, extra blankets, or whatever else you might want to hide. It would provide a nice soft place to kick your feet up. It also has a bottom shelf that could hold storage baskets for things like magazines or extra blankets. The faux leather would be easy to wipe clean from any spills or sticky hands. It could also provide extra seating when pushed against a wall.
All of these products are fairly affordable individually, but they would still be a huge investment if purchased all at once. In the meantime, I have some tips for Amanda to make a big change in her living room without spending too much right now.
1. Replace the curtains with something more simple. Light beige or white panels would look very clean and really give a dramatic change in the room. Hang them high and wide!
2. Lower the art on the walls slightly to eye level, or hang the 4 pieces of art in a grid collage, like this:
3. Consider moving the TV to the corner where the recliner is, and move the couch to the wall where the TV currently is. Then you could hang the art on the wall behind the sofa in the aforementioned collage pattern. This would also allow you to center the couch on that wall. The recliner could go where the sofa currently is, sort-of angled in toward the TV. It's ok to see the back of the recliner - it will help define the space. If you need to leave the TV where it is, I would recommend centering it on the wall (once the glider is moved upstairs). Then, I would swap the sofa and the recliner, so that the sofa is directly across the TV and the recliner would be angled in toward the living space. This will define one side of the room as the "living space" and it won't feel as interrupted by the doors and passageways.
4. I love the "cubbies" Amanda has on the little wall - I would expand on that and actually get another identical one to put next to it or on top of it. I would experiment with laying one horizontal and the other vertical. If they are square, perhaps buy 2 more and arrange them in an L-shape (i.e. 2 stacked on top of each other next to 1 single). This would provide some storage for toys, especially if you add some cute fabric drawers in fun colors.
5. On the wall where the changing table currently is, I would put something tall. If not a bookshelf, then perhaps a storage bench with some of your favorite artwork on the wall behind it. If this is anywhere near your front door, it could act as a little "entry way" with a bench for putting on shoes, some cute hooks on the wall for coats, and some baskets under the bench to store shoes, hats, and gloves.
Alright, that's all I have for now! I hope I've at least helped Amanda get some ideas flowing.
Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation from any of the companies I linked to...they don't even know I exist, except for my occasional purchases :)
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