A Living Room Redo For Under $10,000

One of the best things in the world of Interior Design for me, is finding the new, innovative products just as they hit the market. I am always intrigued by classic designs redone in a more contemporary way. As promised, I will be using some of these "Fun Finds" to design virtual rooms to help inspire my readers. Today's virtual design is a living room done for under $10,000. The styling is classic but contemporary in a monochromatic color scheme. When styling a room I always try to stay away from the "matchy matchy" syndrome. Using matching sets of furniture isn't horrible, but tends to look like a furniture showroom. A room done in several different pieces that complement and coordinate, instead of matching will appear more custom and homey.


First we'll start with the walls. I decided to bring in some natural grasscloth to add some texture and a cozy feel to the room. This Arrowroot super fine wallpaper from wallpaper To Go is perfect.

Next we'll bring in our seating. This classic sofa from Room and Board is available in a variety of fabrics. I chose this linen color to act as one of the foundation pieces in the room.

Next we will add a couple of these chairs from Noir Trading. They also lend themselves to a classic design but done in a contemporary way. The outer back of the chair will remain in the solid fabric, but the inner back, inner arms and seat cushions will be done in the geometric linen fabric shown. This will give the chair a very custom and unique look.

Our next addition to the room are a couple of ottomans to add some more seating and function to the room. These brown and white cow hide ottomans from Arteriors are just perfect

We now have all our seating selected for the room. Next we'll bring in the area rug. Rugs are necessary in any room to help define a space, such as a seating/conversation area or to help with the acoustics in a room. They are especially necessary on hard surfaces like hardwood or tile floors. In some cases I will even recommend to my clients to place an area rug over wall to wall carpeting. When placing an area rug, make sure it is large enough so that all the seating is sitting on top of the rug....even just the front legs. This will make for a more pulled together feel and better flow. This beautiful rug from Safavieh is a great addition to the monochromatic color scheme we have going on

Next we'll bring in the occasional tables. We will bring in a cocktail table and two side tables. I am not a big fan of a matching set of tables. Instead we will choose three different styles with some common features that will allow them to complement each other and the space.

The cocktail table is from Noir Trading. The beautiful yet simple lines of this piece gives it a classic elegant feel with a global touch.

This side table from Arteriors is very different, but has a nature inspired feel. There's no mistaking that this is going to be a conversation starter in the room

 Next we'll bring in a set of nesting tables. These are great in any space because they can be moved around the room when needed for extra surfaces to place a drink or a good book. These simple pieces from Arteriors are just the ticket.

The room could also handle a console table for behind the sofa. We will introduce this gorgeous piece from Noir Trading

Now for some storage. These beautiful bookcases from Arteriors will add some height to the room while allowing for some much needed storage.



Now for some lighting. We'll bring in some table lamps and maybe a chandelier that will hang above the cocktail table. These lamps are from Arteriors and Trend Lighting.

Now for the textiles. We will be introducing our drapery fabric and pillows

This beautiful nature inspired silk from Kravet will be made into non-functional pinch pleat panels that will frame the windows and add warmth to the room. The nature inspired finial shown below is the perfect complement. 

Now for some pillows. Pillows are great for adding a homey comfortable feel to a room and a great way to break up the solid mass of the sofa color.

Now for some art from Paragon

And some accessories from Global Views

So there you have it; a beautiful functional room done on a small budget. Hope you are inspired to create the room of your dreams.


My top three Fun Finds for this week are:

A side table all blinged out

A lucite trunk

A cow hide mirror

Need Help Designing A Living Room?

Running an Interior Design business and creating a regular blog doesn't always go hand in hand.....Yes, I have been missing from the blog scene for quite some time, but I now realize that I have a lot to say, and a lot of ideas to give, so here we go again.

This time, I plan to mix things up a bit. I enjoy browsing my vendors' websites and looking at design magazines for new products and trends. I enjoy those "fun finds" that inspire me and arouse my creativity. This time around, I will show you, my loyal followers, how to use those fun finds to design a space in your own home.

Designing a room doesn't just happen in an afternoon. It requires careful planning and selecting the perfect pieces to give the room the look and feel that you are trying to achieve. With that said, the ideas I am about to give are just that....ideas. They will help you get started, and closer to finishing, than going it alone. So be inspired to decorate and create the home of your dreams.

Today we will be designing a small living room in an eclectic, casual but elegant style. I don't always get the opportunity to design an eclectic space, but I thought it would be appropriate since a lot of people seem to have things they've acquired over time and don't know how to pull them together. It is the common comment I get from clients "I don't want to get rid of _________" (fill in the blank).
Now let me just say that there is a big difference between junk and classic pieces that may be just need to be refreshed a bit. Too many times I've seen a bunch of old pieces destined for the trash thrown together in an "eclectic" styled room. Eclectic simply means "selecting or choosing from various sources". In our case, from different design styles and periods.

Let's start out with the main piece for our living room: A sofa

I love this sofa from Lee Industries. It marries the traditional look of a Chesterfield sofa with the contemporary high back and high arms and still manages to have a casual feel with the skirted, slip covered look. The fabric is a linen color, that will be a nice neutral base on which to start layering.

Next we'll introduce our cocktail table.

For a bit of the unexpected, this really cool cocktail table from Vivre will add some texture and visual appeal to the room.

Next we'll bring in a couple of occasional chairs. I usually do a pair to add plenty of seating

This chair from Bradington Young, also combines the feel of a traditional wing back chair with a contemporary silhouette. This linen fabric from Robert Allen will add that more casual feel.

Next we'll bring in the end tables.



I always try to bring in as much storage as possible in a small room. This hammered aluminum chest from Noir Trading is perfect for some extra storage, maybe by a window away from the general conversation seating area. a small side table in an ebony finish adds a casual, but contemporary feel and an asian inspired table is the perfect touch for our eclectic style 

Time for the area rug. Keep in mind that it needs to be large enough to anchor the seating area

This croc inspired print wool rug is from Safavieh.



No room is complete without window treatments. All that's needed are non-functional pinch pleat panels to soften the lines of the windows

This gauzy striped, sheer linen fabric from Clarke and Clarke is perfect for framing the windows and still let in natural light.

Before we go much further, let's talk about our paint color.

SW6092 Lightweight Beige from Sherwin Williams is a great neutral

Now we'll bring in our lighting, pillows, and accessories

An assortment of pillows and accessories from Global Views, Vivre and Surya helps to complete the look.

Last but not least is art

An abstract piece combined with botanical prints within the same space, helps to add to the eclectic mix


So there you have it, a casual, elegant, eclectic living room pulled together with my fun finds. Hope you are inspired by what you've seen. Feel free to leave me a comment or a question if you need more information on any of the products featured.



Each blog post I will be adding my top three fun finds of the week. Here goes:

This gorgeous bench from Oly Studio

A gorgeous chair from Vivre

And this fun chandelier from Global Views