michelle's comfy, cozy living room.

Here's a moodboard created for one of my BFFs, Michelle. Her and her hubby are looking to give their living room a bit of a face lift. Not wanting to spend and arm and a leg (what?!), they want to reuse most of what they have and get the job done.

Here's what they have so far: everything in the name of comfort and relaxation.

Oh, and that's Ruby's boyfriend, Spike.

Doesn't it just make you want to grab a beer, kick your feet up and unwind? I love it. There are actually two of the same recliners because they're always having people over and want to make sure they're just as comfortable in their home as they are. 

After looking at the pictures however, you'll notice one tiny issue with the space - everything is brown! Brown chair, brown sofa, brown side and coffee tables... brown, brown, brown. Which is hilarious because in college, everything was black, black, black. Oh, Michelle :)

To offer some visual interest, I've chosen some new (and affordable) accessories that are sure to make the space as stylish as it is comfy by adding pattern and cool, earthy colors. Rationale and sourcing to follow. 

The paint color: With oversized furniture, the key to making it work is by brightening up the space. Big soft, taupe furniture can easily make a space look like a dark hole (trust me, my space included). And with the rest of the furniture being wood, it's very easy to make a space overly warm. Like the desert. No one wants to hang out in a desert. So, to brighten and balance the warm tones of taupe and wood, I chose a slate blue. While neutral and modern, the hue offers a bit of color and keeps the tone airy and fresh.

I'm not 100% this is the exact color as I just found it online. Always, always, ALWAYS grab a sample and see how it looks before committing. Be sure to check out the color in daylight and during night time. You'd be surprised how different colors can look with different lighting.

Adding pattern: Knowing Miss Michelle is a tad fearful of color, I chose to bring it in with pattern. I love, love, LOVE these Ikea curtains for the space because they blend the taupes and grays together in a way that's more subtle and modern. I'm also crushing big time on these pillows because the pattern sticks with the flowing nature of the curtains and has all of Michelle's favorite colors INCLUDING the golds and olives she was interested in experimenting with. See Michelle, I'm listening :)

On the flip side, I also wanted to introduce some more geometric patterns to add structure and a sense of tailoring to the space. It balances the oversized furniture and creates an interesting juxtaposition (yeah, I said it) that keeps the eye wandering around the space. I wouldn't chose these exact colors since they're too close to the wall color though. I'd probably pull out some more colors in the pillows to make more of a statement.

Adding texture: Everything as it stands now is very sleek. To break things up and, again, add some more visual interest, I would bring in some chunky, textured side tables to anchor the couch. To counteract with the weight, I'd find a very leggy coffee table and a very leggy bench to open up the space. For the record, Michelle suggested the bench as a way to offer more seating, not me. I love that idea because it doesn't add as much bulk as a love seat would but still offers the same type of benefit.

Sources:
paint color: Sherwin Williams Gray Matters
curtains: Ikea Henny Rand
pillows: Target Home
circular side table (for rep only): West Elm Carved Wood Side Table
square side table (for rep only): Ikea Hol
coffee table (for rep only): World Market Campaign Coffee Table
bench (for rep only): Bond and Bowery
G Monogram picture: typogy
striped canvas: diy ideas
vases: West Elm Textured Pure Vases
terrariums: West Elm Shane Powers Hanging Glass Bulbs