When my husband and I sat down (what seems like a million years ago now) in January 2020 to discuss our ideal living room, we both threw out different words. “Cozy,” “Simple,” “Warm,” “Modern,” “Formal,” “Traditional,” “Neutral,” “Impressive…” I could go on and on. Big wish-list. Different pages. Needed to meet in the middle. How DO you create a warm, modern space that feels styled (i’m going to take his words – “impressive” – and change them to mine – “styled”) yet still cozy and inviting? Well, if I pull it off when all of this is over, I’ll let you know. But for now, here are my design plans on how we hope to get there.

Create a Focal Point

Immediately when you enter our new home – you will be hit with this view. (Almost) floor-to-ceiling black windows flanking a massive fireplace.  I have to give it to my husband, orienting the room this way was his brainchild during the design phase, and we worked tirelessly with our architect to ensure it would actually work. I’ve always dreamed of a floor-to-ceiling concrete fireplace, but that was feeling a bit cold for us (and a bit taxing on our budget) so we decided to go with a Roman Clay in “Burrow” instead. To keep my husband’s modern-loving-heart happy, we’re going with straight lines and a clean ledge (no mantle). To soften things up, I’ve designed a surround with an arch cut-out around our double-sided fireplace. We have small kids, and will for the foreseeable future. So creating this moment out of the room’s actual components and the view will hopefully make the space feel very styled and special without adding a whole lot of STUFF. Bookshelves and built-ins filled with pretties aren’t my story in this phase of life. And we truly did want to keep it simple.

Think about how to create an impact in the house plan design phase will give you a styled foundation without adding a ton of extras.

Play Out Your Layout…

…and leave room for adjustments once you’re in the space. Our living room is by no means small – it is 15 x 20 ft, and completely open to the kitchen – but it’s that 15ft depth that was tripping us up. You see, we wanted to allow a natural walkway from the entryway to the kitchen while still allowing maximum TV viewing opportunities. Yes, we’re putting another Samsung Frame TV (size TBD) in our new living room. Yes we are also going to have a TV in our bonus room. And our bedroom. We love TV, get over it. Anyway, instead of cramming a massive sectional in the space (tempting!) we are opting to position two sofas perpendicular to the fireplace to open the flow. I am so into the look of mismatched yet coordinated sofas right now – so we went on the hunt for a sofa that would complement the style of our beloved performance fabric cheapy we plan to keep around until our children are a little less wild. We fell in love with the Emma Sofa from InMod – I love the distressed charcoal leather, gold legs and bench cushion. With a similar size but a different leg and fabric style, this sofa is the PERFECT mis-matched complement. We actually taped everything out on the sub-floor to make sure it would work. We love the flow! But if once we’re in our home, we decide the perpendicular sofas aren’t ideal for TV viewing, we can easily rearrange the space multiple ways based on the size of these two sofas and the coffee table I ordered.

The Bottom Line: Get creative with your layout and furniture pieces to create a flow that works for YOU – then reassess once you live in the space. This living room by @leclairdecor gives you an idea of the mis-matched set-up we are going for in our space!

Mix it Up

Leather. Linen. Roman Clay. Rustic Wood. Velvet. Sleek Brass. Vintage Textiles. Clean lines. Oil Paintings. By playing with texture, materials and a combination of traditional elements and clean lines, we hope to create a living room that is modern and warm, and that feels distinctly us. This is the step that can be a little scary for people – and I am no different. It’s always a risk to combine different styles, but like everything else in life, with design you have to go with your gut! I’ve fallen in love with a few key pieces for this space and never looked back: this rustic wood coffee table, for one. I know will it hold up to my kids banging matchbox cars on it, but the detail on the legs make it feel like a truly unique more traditional piece that brings much needed warmth into the space. A moody floral piece from Brittany Smith – a very talented artist I found through Instagram – is also a must-have for this space. I’m so excited to bring in some muted color to tie my (mostly neutral and earthy) palette together. A few items I’m leaving open-ended at this time – I am not settled on a rug, and I will find some poufs or stools to fit the space once we’re in. And probably a million new throw pillows, because you know. That’s how I roll. But those final touches will really tie it all together and ensure the palette is right down the line, so all of my mixed elements feel more cohesive.

Wall Color, Origami White by SW  |  Trim Color, Plymouth Rock by Benjamin Moore  |  Faux Tree  |  Fireplace Finish, Burrow by Portola Paints  |  Fireplace  |  White Sofa |  Leather Sofa |  Coffee Table  |  Floral Art |  Floor Lamp  |  Armchair  | LVP, At Ease by Provenza |  Area Rug

I can hardly wait to kick up my (swollen pregnant) feet in this living room and finish styling it out. And I’ll definitely bring you along for the ride!