Modern Living Room Update - Life on Elm St

This blog post has been created in partnership with Article. All opinions are entirely my own.

We finally got our modern living room update underway! I couldn’t be happier with how it’s shaping up. We have moved a bunch of times in the last five years, from Boulder, CO to Baltimore, from Baltimore to a rental house in Denver, CO, and from the rental house to our house here on Elm Street.

With each house comes new spaces, changed light, and different environments than the last. Furniture that looked fabulous in one location stands out like a sore thumb in your new space, but it is all starting to come together!

Above is the view from our front door. I walk into our new space and get that little thrill in my chest that tells me it’s working! I still want to change a few things, like getting updated chairs, but one step at a time.

This whole modern living room update started with a hunt for a new sofa. We found lots of great possibilities but were so impressed with Article’s style that we settled on the Sven Sofa. My husband worried mightily about ordering a couch online. His worries were unfounded. The unbelievably comfy sofa sports plush back cushions housed within a crisply modern frame. Compare this to my old couch with it’s tailored back, and just the comfort factor is a huge transformation. Here is the living room before. I hate posting these!

Before modern living room update:

After modern living room update:

The overall change thrills me! I also added a new lamp and new coffee and end table which help the transformation. I updated the shade on one of my old lamps and spruced up the plant corner, too!

The other reason that I love the new Sven Sofa is that the slightly higher arms create a rounded feeling you can settle right into. My daughter commented on this corner of the sofa that “this cozy corner is perfect for snuggling down. It just makes me feel safe and so comfy!” I love the tufted seat cushions and the round bolster. My only complaint about the sofa is that the tufting stops right before the back cushions so that if you removed the back cushions, you can see that the tufting is not complete across the whole seat of the sofa.

The lines of the couch and low profile of the back are ideal and give our modern living room update the right sensibility. The lines of the couch end and back reflect the rectangles of the garage door panes, the fireplace, and the tv. I hung an Escher print whose size is reflective of the same shapes. The table underneath it was my grandmothers. It was in the old room as well, but I opened it so you can see the intricate details inside.

I love the fabric on the couch which is a speckled gray, providing a light and white feeling in the room. Yet not so white that the texture won’t hide the sins of my family, too.

The next big change is the rug! The Mali Rug thrilled me the moment I saw it. I love the mud cloth feel of this hand-tufted rug and the texture. I think it made the biggest transformation in the room.

The dark gray of the rug ties into the steel and black found throughout the space beautifully.

The dark gray background has a multitude of colors in it which tie in well with the cabinetry in our kitchen and the space where our TV hangs. The colors in it give it a dimensional feel that provides amazing depth. I think you can really see it under Lucy’s feet here.

The new walnut end table ties in with the walnut counter stools in the kitchen, and also matches the tone of the rattan chairs.

This glass lamp was my aunt’s. I thought it would have to go because of it’s traditional style, but I don’t mind it in here. I think the glass makes it work. Do you think the style is way out of wack?

The pillows on the couch are a weaving pattern from my new book, Weaving Within Reach, which will be out August 21, 2018. You can even start pre-ordering it on Amazon now. I’ll be announcing this soon, but long story, short, pre-orders are REALLY good! I love having things that I’ve made included in my space.

Here’s the room with the garage door open. I love this feature as it makes our space feel like a lanai instead of an indoor room. Looking forward to those warm, breezy spring days. I do feel relieved that I’ve finally updated this room. If you’ve been waiting, I say just bite the bullet and make some changes. It feels good!