Today's Agenda: Oops, the week got away from me! Had wanted to post this last week...
So, you'll remember that last week I showed the
before and after of a home office in a 1 bedroom Brooklyn apartment. The goal was to edit the clutter, find a home for the stuff that had to remain and create a space to work comfortably from home in. Well, while I was there and we were in rearranging mode, we made a few tweaks to the adjoining living room too...
So, here are "before" photos of the living room!
And, with a new layout and just a few purchases -- pillows, baskets, a rug, and a new storage system -- here is the "after"!
The goal was not to do a complete overhaul of the room. And it's not ready for a magazine shoot. But it's ready to be lived in and enjoy. The goal was to just to edit the space to make it more inviting since it is this family's main living space for dad, mom and new baby. And to do what I could do in a couple of days without spending a ton of money. Here are a few of the main thoughts behind this "flash redesign":
1. Layout: The gray sofa was a new addition to the room since it is a sleeper sofa to accomodate guests. But mom didn't think it was as comfortable as the "old" sofa so now there are two sofas! By facing them towards each other it seems a bit more purposeful and creates a space to have friends over in. Only problem was that the back of the "old" sofa just wasn't that cute to be the first thing you saw when you walked in the door. So, I repurposed the old desk and created a sofa table area.
Now, there's a great space for a lamp, a place to set out drinks and food for guests and a place for more storage underneath and in the drawers. Best part was that it cost $0 to do this!
And, I found a great place for the John Derian for Target Honeycomb storage bins -- see them?? I found these on clearance at Target ahead of the
honeycomb trend :) The things that make me happy...
2.
The Rug: Adding a rug can do a lot for a room! BUT it's a hard decision. In part, I think because a rug can be so large that it really defines the space and is physically/mentally difficult to think about -- what if it's not the right one? How will I return it? Is it too expensive to get this decision wrong? Well, we chose the
Chevron Rug from West Elm for a few reasons. It is big enough to fill the space. It's comfy enough to give baby a place to play and crawl on. It won't shed like a wool rug will which in a small space is important. It's a neutral but beautiful color. It should hide most stains -- primarily baby spit up or red wine :). That chevron pattern in it is to die for. And, it could be returned if it really didn't work out.
3.
Storage: We needed more storage in this space too for all those weird things that come with a baby! By incorporating the TV storage with a cabinet for baby stuff the storage looks purposeful and seamless. It is the same
Ikea Besta/Inreda system as is in the adjoining office area. I chose white instead of the black/brown though to blend into the walls and make the room seem larger. But I kept the same chrome legs and same glossiness on the finish of the doors. And I didn't want it to be too matchy with the office area, just coordinating. I also wanted to maintain maximum flexibility and chose three separate pieces in the system instead of one large one. This way, down the road, in a bigger space you could combine the two systems or change out the doors or just add to each and have in two separate rooms. You could even put one of the side pieces in a bathroom for extra storage. Endless possibilities. Loads of flexibility.
4. Baby Gear: And you know how so many pictures of rooms don't actually show how you live in the space? Well, here is a photo of the space with the baby accoutrement. I needed to be sure there was enough space for these pieces and didn't want mom and dad to have to keep moving furniture everytime baby wanted to play. There's just no graceful way to hind the playmats that babies love! And it doesn't last for long so why not just embrace it!
5.
Create Vignettes: A trick to keeping the room looking put together even when chaotic and filled with a Christmas tree and baby toys is to create vignettes around the room. This way, with a quick clean up of gifts and baby items, the room is put together and ready to entertain in. There was even space for a robust Christmas tree and gifts underneath!
I hope you enjoyed this "flash redesign"! We used a lot of what they had, (two sofas, old desk, lamps, chair), got rid of a few pieces that weren't working in the room (the TV storage piece), added some accessories to finish the room (rugs and pillows) and worked with the layout to find a good way for everyone in this home to live comfortable in this space. All without spending too much and completing it in just a few days!
Want to see another "flash redesign" that I helped out with??? Check it out
here. I love these. I could these once a week -- so fun!
