Living Room Update: Riverside Retreat
Our living room transformation has not been shared much and has not followed my typical 'one room at a time' approach. It has been a slow evolution (a few months, that…
Our living room transformation has not been shared much and has not followed my typical 'one room at a time' approach. It has been a slow evolution (a few months, that is slow for me!) partly because we have been so preoccupied with other projects, but also because I have gone back and forth on the design.
I was fortunate enough to work with a few great sponsors (Lowe's, Wayfair + Inmod) who helped bring this space to life and as always, I genuinely appreciate your support which allows me to continue sharing these projects 🙂
Early on I began collecting inspiration for this home on Pinterest, and was struck by this image I found…
And decided I would give our living room my own earthy-oasis meets mid-century-modern meets sophisticated Victorian. There is a combination you probably never thought you'd see together!
With plans to turn this house into a vacation rental, I keep having to remind myself to take more risks and make it one of a kind. This creative opportunity does not come around very often so I am enjoying it while it lasts!
There is still a few things left to do in here, but I am happy to say that most of the pieces are in place and it should be 100% complete by the new year (fingers crossed!)
While some of the details were last minute decisions, there were a few things I was absolutely sure on from the beginning.
Like this wall mural, of course. This was one of the first projects we did, and I am just as in love with it as ever. Same goes for the striking molding and ceiling medallion.
And that dramatic chandelier… as soon as I saw the price tag I scooped it up (Wayfair dropped the price even more now!)
From the beginning, I also knew I wanted a green velvet sofa. There is a few different options for these online (all within the ~$1k price range) and it was a tough call, but in the end the Matilde sofa from Inmod in deep emerald green won me over (just saw that it is on sale for $899 right now, if you are in the market):
It is absolutely striking in person, the velvet is so rich and soft. It is on the firmer side, but it is still comfortable enough to curl up with pillows and a blanket for long stretches. It is about as cushy as our reading nook.
For the past couple months, our living room has had nothing but that couch (okay, and a bunch of boxes and tools and sawdust) but a few weeks ago The choice was to finally get serious about coming up with a plan and crossing this room off our to-do list!
Usually that first involves drawing up a mood board in Photoshop. Exhibit A:
I spotted those papasan chairs on Wayfair and they reminded me of my inspiration photo, but sadly they went out of stock. Then I found these, which I liked just as much (along with their 5 star reviews)…
They are actually quite comfy draped with a sheepskin. I was also debating between this taller rattan armchair, but went with the more budget-friendly option.
My original plan was to use a marble + gold coffee table(love this design and only $105!) but after pulling an old trunk out of storage for our Rainforest Room, I realized it would make a well suited coffee table because it is unique and has a story, and the antique/weathered appearance contrasts nicely with the polished green velvet. Also, anything travel-related is so fitting for a vacation home! I spent weeks looking for one in the right size and finally found mine at a local consignment store (for $95).
The most difficult decision for me was the rug. I had my heart set on a nice quality rug with a variety of colors in a beautifully detailed pattern, and narrowed it down to a handful of options, including this one from Wayfair (It helps to keep the hand-woven texture of this, and only $244!)
I also loved the warm colors and subtler design of this rug (also under $300):
And then I fell in love with this one, but the single bad review made me nervous…
And the last contender, which was also the most affordable at $214 (for an 8×10!):
In the end, The choice was to go with the most neutral option because I did not want it to compete with the mural. That work of art should remain the focus of the room (okay, the sofa is allowed to steal some of the spotlight) but I think having a colorful busy rug would be too overwhelming (even though I preferred the design of the first 3 rugs).
Rug shopping online is tough! They are hard to fully capture in photos online. Real customer reviews are critical to the decision making process and it was hard to commit without seeing any actual photos of it beforehand. Fortunately, this one was well represented in the manufacturers' photos so there were no surprises.
The gray tones tie in nicely with the mural and the warm beige/brown tones with the trim and floor color. It is on the thinner side, but it is still comfy underfoot and It helps to keep the raised texture. It seems durable and easy to clean, and you honestly cannot beat the price! I think it is a solid choice for a rental.
Can we talk about this memorable mirror?
A friend spotted it for me on Facebook Marketplace, and I was able to talk the guy down to $100. It actually looked a little different when it first came home:
It had a nice silvery-gold finish, but I wanted a warmer gold and to bring some of the details out. I started by applying a couple light coats of Maison Blanche's Metallique paint in Champagne (this process was documented live in my IG stories—all the action happens there!)
I was pretty subtle, but gave it a warmer/lighter tone (I also stippled the brush to give it an imperfect/aged look rather than smooth, even coverage):
After it dried, I took a brush and dabbed on a mix of Maison Blanche's dark brown antique was and black chalk lime wax.
It was all random and experimental, but the wax settled nicely into the grooves and I gently wiped off the raised areas to give it depth.
It took less than an hour, and I am so pleased with the results! Looks like it could be a real antique, right?
The finish also goes beautifully with my new brass floor lamp. I have a love affair with pharmacy lamps (brass ones, in particular) and this is the best deal I have been able to find on one (it is also on sale right now for $85!)
The pillows you see in the photo above are from Ikea (knit) and Amazon (striped)—I'll be doing a big pillow sources + round up post next on the blog so stay tuned! The curtains were purchased a couple months ago on Amazon.
It was a tough task to find curtains that were not only 9' tall, but a nice quality fabric and affordable. These are labeled as “cotton duck” fabric but they have a woven linen-like texture and tabs on the back for hanging which is a requirement in my book. The trickiest part is, I technically needed them to be around 8.5' tall since I had to mount them underneath our crown molding, but of course that is not a standard size (and I do not sew). Fortunately, I was able to shrink them in the dryer (they actually shrunk close to a foot(!) and I had to rewash them, stretch them out and let them air dry. Thankfully I was able to easily manipulate them to just the right size.
I purchased 4 panels to fill them out (I try to double the width of my window for a nice, full look). At just $40/pair though, they are still a bargain!
Our next DIY project will be building custom double sliding doors for the entrance (shown below) down to the bonus room. I have drawn up the plans and cannot wait to share our tutorial! We are starting that this week, and I'll be sharing all the details in my Instagram stories (I told you that is where all the good stuff is!)
And now for the best part of every post, a few Susie outtakes…
Photobomb!
I am loving how festive this room looks, but I am also looking forward to “undecorating” after the holidays and getting this room back to its' original, intended design style. There is a lot going on right now but I know it is all temporary, so I am enjoying it while it lasts!
If you missed any of the earlier living room progress posts, you can get caught up here:
Just a couple more projects and this baby will be a wrap! Stay tuned for a final shoot in January.
Next up: we are talking pillows!
