I’m very excited to share the living room / home office results of one of my Designed in a Click design consultations done about a year and a half ago.
I love receiving these photos and know that projects take a long time, especially these days! My Designed in a Click consultation is there to provide some answers to your questions and help give you some direction so you can implement at your own pace.
When I show you these “before” pics, you will wonder why this person needed any design guidance at all. It was a lovely room to begin with and she obviously has great taste and style.
Matter of fact, this was my opening reply via email:
“Okay, all I have to say is that you are advanced level design here. :-) I'm honestly not sure why you are asking any questions, because I think you are good on your own!”
Before pics of the living room / home office:
BEFORE - Living room / home office, Designed in a Click!
BEFORE - Living room / Home office - What to do with this wall?
How to incorporate these art pieces in the room.
BEFORE - Desk in the window
Possible bookcase to reuse in this room.
She just wanted some input on tweaking things in that last, final layer of decorating. I was happy to weigh in.
Questions for this living room / home office
This homeowner really loved how the room functioned. She loved the desk at the window and used it as a standing desk mainly, but liked the Windsor chair there to sit in sometimes. She wondered if that area was too much leggy wood furniture and if it should be softened up there.
She also wanted to hang some more art that she had collected but wasn’t sure how to incorporate it.
Then, she thought the corners of the room felt a little vacant and wanted to see how to fill them out. She had a wood bookcase, same color tone as the desk, and was considering that for use in here, although she didn’t really need the storage.
Suggestions for final tweaks to living room / home office
I'd move that existing round side table over to the other side of the sofa, between the sofa and single upholstered chair. Then you can push that chair more angled, closer to the table.
Then, for something a little more substantial looking, I'd go with some wood, to sort of bring the wood tone from the window wall over to the other side of the room. Something like this wood side table.
It will add some weight to that wall and then you can push those two chairs in together with the table just a tiny bit.
I love the idea of a gallery wall, and really, I think it would be nice to put it on the wall where the two chairs and single bird art is now. I think that bird art piece is the perfect size and scale for the opposite wall with the door, and will fill in that area nicely. As it is now, with the verticality that it has, it is contributing to the corners feeling a little empty.
Rough sketch of living room / home office | carlaaston.com
So, on the wall across from the door, with the two chairs, you'd have a gallery wall above the chairs and heavier table, more of a horizontal look. That way the room has a nice, wide focus, if that makes sense.
You can definitely add to your art collection then, making your gallery wall wide enough to span over the table and at least half of each chair. Alternatively, you could even go for a wide, horizontal piece of art. I just feel like the art needs to be horizontal, above the chairs and maybe with some lighter colored frames.
That way the art will be like soft color in the room, without the delineation of the dark lines of the framing. I don't want the gallery wall to feel too chopped up or busy, with dark framing.
I love the large bird art with the dark frame, but I think it would look good on a wall without furniture below it, kind of standing on its own.
Regarding the chair upholstery, I think you can reupholster it with a blue color, I am certain you will pick something perfect for it.
Rough sketch of living room / home office wall decor. carlaaston.com
I think the bookcase is a little too "home office" looking as is for this space and I don't think you need it, unless you just need the storage for your work.
If so, I'd probably paint it a light color (to kind of disappear and not stand out as a wood element) and put it on the same wall as your desk (left side), in the corner beside the new drapery panels.
Wall decor for living room / home office | carlaaston.com
Living room / home office final touches | carlaaston.com
Window wall of living room / home office with new drapery panels.
I think this a lovely room and I would love to work in here!
More home offices below!
Many people have had to rethink spaces in their homes this past year. Even more are finding that, while working from the kitchen table or the bedroom was okay for awhile, their #wfh life needs a more permanent upgrade.
That’s exactly what this homeowner was looking for in a recent Designed in a Click consultation. She was looking to add some furnishings to her pretty bare home office.