

Hi Everyone! Today we’re sharing the real-lifeness of decorating your home. Because for most people, decorating a home, or even a single room, is a phased process, especially if you’re on a tight budget or prefer to decorate in a “curated-over-time” approach – I’m looking at you antiquers and world-travelers!
I had been dreaming of a Four Hands sectional for a while, and hadn’t yet found the perfect inspiration piece for our living room, so over the past few years I focused on other areas of the home such as updating the kitchen, replacing the flooring, and decorating bedrooms.
This pic was in the listing for the home, but I’ll use it in place of having any other true before pics!
Our first rendition, as we saved up for the dreamcouch 🙂
Create a Plan. You may not be able to execute the plan yet, but when the money comes for something, you know what to purchase that will fit the end vision. Create both a floorplan that includes spatial planning furniture as well as a moodboard that includes art, rug, accessories and paint swatch so you can intentionally plan your colour palette.
Shop Second-Hand. I get a thrill from shopping second-hand, anyone else a FB Marketplace fiend? This is a great way to essentially “rent-furniture” in the short term as oftentimes you can resell close to what you paid if purchased second-hand.
Watch for Sales. If you’ve pre-selected big-ticket items in your planning phase, then you can sign up for marketing emails from the supplier to ensure you don’t miss a sale on your fav piece when it comes.
Prioritize functional items and hard finishes. In this phase we had built the #shiplapfireplace and invested in good #linendrapery. Items that were going to work with the future plan for the room and provide necessary function in the meantime. There’s nothing worse than drilling into walls only to have to replace that item in a year because you changed your style direction. So only implement this step if you’ve completed Step 1!
Here’s the space in the spring. New rug from Amber Interiors, sectional and coffee table from Four Hands, black cabinets from Ikea, pillows from Tonic Living, Urban Barn and Etsy, art from Canadian artist Robert Attrell, and a lot of Vintage goodies such as lamps, side tables and other accessories which really add a lot of soul to a space.
I’m always swapping out pillows and accessories seasonally…tell me I’m not the only one 🙂 I swapped the white table top accessories for black with the onset of the cooler weather, along with pillows and throws.
When this piece of art came to me (it was from my late Grandpa’s collection) I was thrilled because it worked so well with the teals in the rug. I then went in a more teal direction with the pillows to complete the look.
It’s a vibe. Such that I couldn’t just call it in for the lamp. I sourced this beautiful brass vintage curved and pleated baby that layers over the art really beautifully and truly adds to the composition of that whole corner, so that it’s not just about art, couch and lamp as individual pieces, but the vignette as a whole. It’s my favourite spot in the room. That or the MCM armchair that gives me a nice view of it 😉
If you don’t have shelving in your living room (be it custom built ins or glass cabinets such as these), I’d highly recommend it. It is an opportunity to express style and personality, as well as provide storage in the form of pretty baskets. We have books, journals, magazines in one basket, and toys filling the other 3.
I’m sure this room will continue to evolve as I stumble upon new treasures that spark my imagination in new directions. For example, I’ve been considering painting or papering the backs of the glass cabinets, and am hoping to replace the TV with a Samsung Frame. But for now, we couldn’t be happier with both the form and function of this room.
A few favourite elements of the Living Room in summary:
3. We inserted as many lamps as we could without them becoming tripping hazards, because lamp light is the only light in the living rooms I have anything to do with 😉 #kiddingnotkidding
Overall I love the mix of modern and vintage shapes and pieces. It adds an authenticity to a room, a depth of character. You can’t totally peg it, it invites a hint of intrigue, which makes it the perfect setting for great parties and conversations.
I hope this has inspired you to make a plan towards your dream room, even if it has to be a phased approach. Follow the 4 steps listed above, and you’ll get there friends. But if you need any help along the way, be it for spatial layout, determining your style, sourcing furniture, or styling your room we have eDesign packages for some or all of it. Check them out here:
What are you pondering interior design -wise lately? Let me know and perhaps it’ll become the next blog post!
Best!
Meghan