Oh My Styled Life

Tips for Designing Your Perfect Living Space

We hope it goes without saying that living rooms are where we live—but that covers so much ground! It usually comes down to finding a balance between seating and flow, not to mention intimacy and entertaining. Today, we’ll show you how we designed a chic living space for an executive couple with sophisticated tastes.
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When our fabulous but super busy clients approached us about designing and furnishing their living room, we were beyond excited! It’s not every day that we get to treat a home’s living room as a formal space intended for hosting and entertaining as much as lounging. And that got us thinking because so many people struggle with making sure their living room flows, while still being cozy and livable.

With that in mind, here is how we approached a living room design in a stately, formal home. For everything we did here, we’ll include some tips that apply across the board – from formal to casual, and from traditional to modern.

Step One – Make it Work

We like to start with flow and function, rather than style and palette. So, our first move in this living room was to figure out how it would be used. Our clients assured us that they needed their living room to do it all – from summer soirees, where guests would move in and outside, to intimate evenings watching movies and relaxing. We got to furniture planning the space in a way that didn’t block any walls, that offered ample seating, and that still felt intimate when you’re lounging.

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Design Tip:

Understanding your lifestyle is key! When you know how you plan to use a space, your furniture layout has the power to enhance the way you live.

Step Two – Get Inspired

Next, we focused on design inspiration—in this case, our clients were inspired by a gorgeous piece of abstract art and their Indian heritage. Our inspiration art helped us created a layered color palette, which at first glance appears black and white. As you explore the room, you’ll see we mixed-light neutrals with vibrant accents and traditional patterns.

Design Tip:

Find a source of inspiration that will help you develop a color palette or theme for your room, and think about ways to connect with nearby spaces.

Step Three – Focus on the Finishes

In this project, we were really lucky to be able to do things like design ceiling details and choose the fab French doors that would line either side of the house.

Whether you get to go make this many changes or have to keep it simple, even a single paint color change can have a huge impact on a home.

Design Tip:

Don’t forget about the house itself! If you refresh all your furniture but leave the old paint and light fixtures, you may not get the transformation you expected.

Step Four – Create Distinction

We decided to start our design of this space with two gorgeous area rugs from Fay + Belle. These special pieces define the space and set the stage for a polished furniture arrangement that feels spacious yet intimate. In this room, it was important for us to distinguish the living room from nearby spaces while creating a set-up that felt connected at times and cozy at other times.

Design Tip:

In open-concept spaces, area rugs can help define a room and give it purpose without disconnecting the design from nearby spaces.

Step Five – Character is in the Details

A living space should reflect your style and favorite pieces! Our client was particularly drawn to traditional damask patterns and motifs, so we repeated these often throughout the home. Even a special saree-like material and pattern on the fuchsia accent pillows were inspired by her Indian heritage.

Design Tip:

The space should be a reflection of what you love and how you live. That’s what makes a home special.

Partners on this project:

Build By: Elevation Homes
Architecture By: Murphy & Co. Design