Living Room Remodel--Mood Board

As tax-return time approaches, we have been scouring the web and magazines to find ideas for our living room.  As this is our first home, our old hand-me-down furniture will be used in the finished basement rec room.  This means that, for the first time, we have to  get to figure out our own style.  Choosing paint colors was a breeze--furniture is proving to be a little more challenging.

Here are the basic tenants of our design asthetic:

1.  Neutral colors:  We are much in favor of tans, beiges, creams, etc. to create a neutral backdrop for pops of color brought in through accessories
2.  Casual furnishings:  Definitely no lace, fringe, or ornately carved furniture to be found here.  We like simple, classic pieces in a neutral color to ensure sustainability for many years to come.
3.  Minimal accessories: Although we love the look of rooms styled to the hilt for magazine spreads, for daily living we much prefer simplicity and functionality.  This means that, although a coffee table adorned with accessories may look great in a photo, it doesn't work so well when guests need a place to set down a drink (or when the 120-pound dog comes barreling through the living room in pursuit of her doggy playmate or her dad).  Ultimately, we are looking for a casual, timeless design using the least accessories possible for maximum effect.
4.  Punches of color:  Even though we want the majority of our decor items to be neutral, we also crave punches of color to inject a young vibe into our space.  Another bonus of this design approach is that these accessories will be able to be changed easily to give the room a new style without spending a lot of money.

The fundamental area of disagreement is what type of sofa to purchase.  I love the look of a slipcovered sofa (like the oh-so-affordable version from Ikea pictured below), but the husband despises the constant straightening, shifting, pulling, and tugging slipcovers require to stay looking cool and casual vs sloppy.

Regardless of price and/or practicality, here are some of the fab items we've been drooling over for the past few weeks months that meet our criteria.

Ikea Ektorp 2+2 sofa in Svanby Beige

PB Emerson rug

 

PB Hyde coffee table 

(***plans to build this table at Knock Off Wood--thanks, Ana!***)

Target Dolce Lounge Chair

West Elm Bell Jar lamp

West Elm Chunky Wood floor mirror

Pottery Barn Linen Stripe and Floral Embroidered pillow covers

So...while we haven't been able to 100% agree on the sofa, we at least agree on the overall direction we'd like the room to go.  It has been fun looking through magazines and blogs, trying to pinpoint our "style."  Though our taste tends toward Pottery Barn, our budget is more like Goodwill.  Luckily, we have TJ Maxx/Home Goods nearby, and Ikea is just a few hours down the interstate (and, there are wonderful people like Ana at Knock Off Wood to give people more affordable options).    : )

We definitely look forward to bringing some items home in the next few weeks--we can't wait to see how the room comes together!  If you know of any great places to find deals on home furnishings, please leave us a comment!