This email consultation concerned a small living room right off the entry and just across from the dining room, where the homeowner wanted to create a really sleek, contemporary vibe.
You can see the linear fireplace and dark tiled wall there were already leaning that direction.
Living room needing furnishings with a contemporary vibe
This homeowner wanted to know what kind of furniture arrangement, wall decor and type of furniture would help get the look she wanted.
Here’s the dining room. That blue color indicated that she wanted to put something on that wall but was unsure what to do.
While I’m not a huge fan of all the curvy furniture out there these days, I do think it is appropriate in some circumstances. This living room, where the owner wanted a contemporary style, was perfect for those curvy shapes.
First, let’s talk about the envelope of the living room.
One of the first things I noticed about the room were the blinds. I felt like this window treatment needed to be upgraded to some sheer shades on the window and then some full drapery panels to add that element of luxury and softness.
I would definitely paint that window wall the color of the fireplace wall, so that the dark, rich color provides a nice backdrop for the furnishings. I liked the idea of drapery panel fabric that matched the dark wall color, so that the dark color wraps around the room.
A contemporary swirled rug would look great in here. I like the overall light color, contrasting with the two dark walls and the floor.
Next came the furniture.
Once I had that figured out I knew a light, curvy chaise would be ideal here. We don’t need to seat 10 people in this room, only a few, so having this chaise with its graceful curve seemed perfect.
A swivel chair in a dark velvet would be a nice accent and would also feel luxurious.
I loved this round brass coffee table. It has some flexibility and the brassy finish will add some needed warmth to this space.
I wanted to add more brass to the room and since the owner wasn’t in love with the art over the fireplace, I chose something else for that wall, a brass wall sculpture. I love the depth of this piece and how it relates to the coffee table.
I added touches of brass at the drapery hardware and a floor lamp too. A statement pendant brings the warm metal too.
Luxurious pillows in velvet and sleek fabrics speak to the brass and the indigo color in the dining room art.
Here was my sketch of the layout of the space.
Design sketch for contemporary living room | carlaaston.com
And the moodboard turned out nicely too!
Moodboard, Furniture Selections for Contemporary Living Room | carlaaston.com
Dining Room Suggestions
I think the dining room would look dramatic in the same color and with the same window treatment as the living room, to echo that look and tie the rooms together. Plus, with the white furniture in there, the dark walls and drapery would contrast like the curvy white sofa does in the living room.
I’d add a bar cabinet or a bar cart of some kind on that wall across from the window.
She has a contemporary LED light fixture that is already ordered for over the table.
I saw that bar cabinet at Highpoint Market recently and it is gorgeous. I also styled that exact bar cart when I did some bookshelf styling in a home this past summer.
Instagram Q and A
I’m doing my Q&A series on Instagram this coming Saturday, 11/12/2002, so hop over to my profile and subscribe so you can either ask a question or watch the questions and answers as I get them done.
This is my fourth Q&A and they just kept getting bigger and bigger and taking so much time, so I had to make it a bit more limiting by opening up this subscription channel for $2.99 per month.
Basically these are done the same as regular stories on Instagram, they just only show to subscribers, not to everyone who watches stories there.
If you don’t want to subscribe, no worries! I’ll be sharing here on my blog at a later date.
You can also check out my Designed in a Click consultation service done via email.