Reno Diary - Our Living Room

This is a very raw before of our living room, which I shared a while back. It doesn't look like this now, we've replaced light fixtures, ceiling fans, closet doors - basically all the hideous brown pieces your eye goes right for in these photos.  We've painted the walls a very light gray and the couch and chairs have also been replaced by this, and this.  The room is still so far from where we want it to be and needs a lot of styling and accessories to help make it cozy and more a reflection of us. 

Here are some spaces that I found for inspiration.  In the room below I love the mixture of old and new and the use of display - the mini gallery wall with different frames, the beautiful storage solutions, the books laid casually on the shelf next to the collection of candlesticks. It's functional and beautiful but it feels so effortless, which I love.

We have a huge collection of records that need a home and a small but growing collection of artwork that needs to be hung on the walls.  I really like the use of  the long shelf with the old wooden crates underneath which could be used to store our records. 

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In this space I love the mix of textiles with varying patterns and textures.  They really help to add a layer of warmth and coziness to the room.  There is also a nice, understated mix of vintage pieces on display (like the old globe) which helps add a touch of nostalgia and playfulness to the space. 

I really want to incorporate some ethnic prints and textiles into our living room (maybe a fabulous rug from our trip to Morocco) or something with a rich and colorful ikat pattern.  There's a lot of gray going on in our space right now and we need some color and texture to help keep it fun and interesting.

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It wasn't clear to me at first why I was so drawn to this room.  I was searching for lamps at West Elm and came across this image on their website and I just kept going back to it for some reason.  I think I am really drawn to the mix of vintage furniture in this room.  To me, this is a really good example of mixing vintage with modern in a subtle way that seems to work very well.  I love the vintage wooden cabinet (searching for one of these like crazy now) and the old wooden stool used as a side table.

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Here is a design board I put together for our living room incorporating some of the design elements I like from the inspiration rooms. 

No. 1 curtains

No. 2 pillows

No. 3 record storage

No. 4 rattan pouf

No. 5 paint chip

No. 6 couch

No. 7 tables 1, 2, 3

No. 8 rug