A slightly different approach to my hallway mood board as unlike the hallway, the living room transformation is already under way! Gone is the scabby blue carpet that had seen better days. And don't get me started on the magnolia walls...
WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
Our idea of a deep blue statement wall escalated as we loved the colour so much. We used Dulux's Teal Tension (as seen here) which is a dead ringer for the Farrow & Ball navy ones in low light, and when used on all walls, creates a cosy, cocooning feel. Contrary to popular belief, going dark didn't make the room feel smaller - it actually made the room look longer and the ceilings look higher as it blurs the corners of the room and casts the eye up.
We ripped up the carpet - no nice floorboards underneath sadly - and laid our own flooring. It's a lovely warm colour which pairs beautifully with the dark blue walls. I love the character of the knots in the wood and how every floor board is different.
We swapped out the musty smelling curtains for these ones from Dunelm and also bought the matching cushions. The metallic thread gives it a luxe feel - in fact one of my best friends call us the Mandarin Oriental whenever she comes round!
FUTURE PLANS FOR THE LIVING ROOM
Window - although I am relieved to have replaced the shabby curtains with lovely Gatsby inspired fabric, the ultimate dream is to have white shutters or blinds like these in the future for a sleek and fuss-free look.
Home library - as much as I love our dark walls, the walls in this house are dodgy as. Most of them aren't straight and the walls in the lounge are bumpy making any future prospects of wallpaper a hard no. The dark walls help disguise the imperfections, but in the future I'd love to have fitted bookcases / shelving to provide much needed storage and to camouflage the TV, wires, and perfectly imperfect walls. Something a little like these ones here that I have been pinning. My goal being to create a home library to house our many books with the shelving all painted dark blue to make each title stand out (as they quite rightly deserve to) and a print like this one here. Bespoke bookcases can be expensive (especially if you enlist a carpenter) so I'm considering an IKEA hack using IKEA products like this (or a ready painted blue unit like this) to get the look for less.
Fireplace - we don't have a chimney breast in our lounge so can't have an actual functional fireplace, but I'd love to give the room a focus point. I very nearly scored a fireplace here but sadly it wasn't meant to be. This is the sort of style I'm on the hunt for (a white fireplace surround with brushed silver detailing on the cast iron).
Lighting - something that drives me mad about this room is the fact that there is not one, but two light fittings. One in the centre of the room (fine), the other in the far right hand corner (BUT WHY). This weirdly positioned light fitting sat above the previous owner's TV and it annoys the hell out of me. So I really can't wait to get it taken out and plastered over. As for the other (central) light, it's dated and I'd love something a little more modern. Either a chandelier or something in gold or copper like this sputnik light here.
Home bar - we have an unused corner of the room which I'd love to transform into a reading nook and bar area with a statement chair. If we can get built in storage (see "home library" above), I like the idea of having dedicated space on the shelving for a drinks tray, drinks and glassware and also a gold circular bar cart to match our Gatsby themed living room.
Cushions - I'd love to add a few more cushions onto our DFS sofas (aren't these beautiful?) and get some cushion covers so I can mix up the display for different times of the year.
Storage baskets - we have a surplus of blankets (all dedicated to movie nights and box set marathons) and it would be great to tidy them away into baskets like these when we have guests over.
Plants - I'd love to add some tropical plants to our lounge like tall palms and ferns as seen here. We do have cats who chew on absolutely everything so sometimes I wonder if artificial is the play here!
Statement wall - I really can't decide what to do with the wall behind the sofa. It's a blank canvas and I flit between wanting a gallery wall of framed art and quotes from somewhere like Desenio, Juniqe or Fy, or keeping it simple with one large piece of art or a mirror like this. Another part of me is considering a picture ledge like these so I can chop and change the artwork I have on display, whilst incorporating plenty of plants.
Rug - as lovely as the flooring is, it can get a little cold under-foot compared to the carpet that was there before. I purchased a teal trellis print rug which was great when it was new, but now it's showing signs of age. I'd love to get a blue patterned rug with a deeper pile so it's more luxurious under foot and lasts a bit longer. I love Moroccan tiles and prints so this rug here has my name on it!
Which items are your favourites?
WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR
Our idea of a deep blue statement wall escalated as we loved the colour so much. We used Dulux's Teal Tension (as seen here) which is a dead ringer for the Farrow & Ball navy ones in low light, and when used on all walls, creates a cosy, cocooning feel. Contrary to popular belief, going dark didn't make the room feel smaller - it actually made the room look longer and the ceilings look higher as it blurs the corners of the room and casts the eye up.
We ripped up the carpet - no nice floorboards underneath sadly - and laid our own flooring. It's a lovely warm colour which pairs beautifully with the dark blue walls. I love the character of the knots in the wood and how every floor board is different.
We swapped out the musty smelling curtains for these ones from Dunelm and also bought the matching cushions. The metallic thread gives it a luxe feel - in fact one of my best friends call us the Mandarin Oriental whenever she comes round!
FUTURE PLANS FOR THE LIVING ROOM
 |
| Future plans for our living room // a living room mood board |
Window - although I am relieved to have replaced the shabby curtains with lovely Gatsby inspired fabric, the ultimate dream is to have white shutters or blinds like these in the future for a sleek and fuss-free look.
Home library - as much as I love our dark walls, the walls in this house are dodgy as. Most of them aren't straight and the walls in the lounge are bumpy making any future prospects of wallpaper a hard no. The dark walls help disguise the imperfections, but in the future I'd love to have fitted bookcases / shelving to provide much needed storage and to camouflage the TV, wires, and perfectly imperfect walls. Something a little like these ones here that I have been pinning. My goal being to create a home library to house our many books with the shelving all painted dark blue to make each title stand out (as they quite rightly deserve to) and a print like this one here. Bespoke bookcases can be expensive (especially if you enlist a carpenter) so I'm considering an IKEA hack using IKEA products like this (or a ready painted blue unit like this) to get the look for less.
Fireplace - we don't have a chimney breast in our lounge so can't have an actual functional fireplace, but I'd love to give the room a focus point. I very nearly scored a fireplace here but sadly it wasn't meant to be. This is the sort of style I'm on the hunt for (a white fireplace surround with brushed silver detailing on the cast iron).
Lighting - something that drives me mad about this room is the fact that there is not one, but two light fittings. One in the centre of the room (fine), the other in the far right hand corner (BUT WHY). This weirdly positioned light fitting sat above the previous owner's TV and it annoys the hell out of me. So I really can't wait to get it taken out and plastered over. As for the other (central) light, it's dated and I'd love something a little more modern. Either a chandelier or something in gold or copper like this sputnik light here.
Home bar - we have an unused corner of the room which I'd love to transform into a reading nook and bar area with a statement chair. If we can get built in storage (see "home library" above), I like the idea of having dedicated space on the shelving for a drinks tray, drinks and glassware and also a gold circular bar cart to match our Gatsby themed living room.
Cushions - I'd love to add a few more cushions onto our DFS sofas (aren't these beautiful?) and get some cushion covers so I can mix up the display for different times of the year.
Storage baskets - we have a surplus of blankets (all dedicated to movie nights and box set marathons) and it would be great to tidy them away into baskets like these when we have guests over.
Plants - I'd love to add some tropical plants to our lounge like tall palms and ferns as seen here. We do have cats who chew on absolutely everything so sometimes I wonder if artificial is the play here!
Statement wall - I really can't decide what to do with the wall behind the sofa. It's a blank canvas and I flit between wanting a gallery wall of framed art and quotes from somewhere like Desenio, Juniqe or Fy, or keeping it simple with one large piece of art or a mirror like this. Another part of me is considering a picture ledge like these so I can chop and change the artwork I have on display, whilst incorporating plenty of plants.
Rug - as lovely as the flooring is, it can get a little cold under-foot compared to the carpet that was there before. I purchased a teal trellis print rug which was great when it was new, but now it's showing signs of age. I'd love to get a blue patterned rug with a deeper pile so it's more luxurious under foot and lasts a bit longer. I love Moroccan tiles and prints so this rug here has my name on it!
Which items are your favourites?
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