How I Designed The 2017 Parade Home Living Room

Live Video designing This Room

Yvonne Christensen Design

I wanted to create a neutral and classic space that felt relevant and contemporary. I set out to create a transitional space, a space that had traditional elements with a contemporary and clean design. When I designed this floor plan for this room, I really wanted to create symmetry with the fireplace in the middle, bookshelves on the sides and of course the beautiful center vaulted ceiling. The fireplace and brick to the ceiling acts as the focal point and grounds the entire room.

I had the benefit of starting from scratch, if you are working with an existing home and re selecting finishes, start with the flooring. For this home we installed an 8X48 wood plank Italian porcelain tile here is a knock off

I wanted the look of wood but the durability of tile since this is a model home and I've had sooo many complements on this flooring it is absolutely stunning in person and the perfect color!

When selecting hard surfaces, the color of your cabinets will determine your starting point on colors. When I designed this room the built ins were going to be Sherwin Williams White Dove to match the kitchen but we changed them to a stained walnut at the last minute with the builder. This would have been fine but I had already ordered the brick for the fireplace and I was worried about it looking to 70's. In the end, it did turn out beautiful.

Moroccan Sand Brick

For the paint color I wanted to go very light so I used Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray however I took the base color and had my paint store lighten it by 50%. 

Since the walls were so light we used 10% White Dove by Benjamin Moore instead of the full color which I used on the kitchen cabinets.

Now that I was finished selecting my hard surfaces I was on to lighting and decor. This room is large measuring 19X16 so I knew I had to purchase a large lighting fixture. We wanted to show a fan since most of our home buyers choose to put fans in their living rooms. I chose this Minka Aira 8 blade 65" fan which can be purchased with our without the light kit. It filled the space nicely, the last thing you want is a dinky light in a large space.

The first thing I purchased for this entire home was this gorgeous Loloi Nyla Rug and this rug helped me to determine the color scheme I wanted to go with in this space: calming blues, neutral creams and I also added a soft lavendar.

I fell in love with this farmhouse Riverside Coffee Table that fit perfectly in the space. The color of the wood didn't fight with the bookshelves and I loved the base. I also like to decorate my tables simple and clean. I added some petrified wood and a few real air plants for softness and color.

If you're going for a little more of that farmhouse look, this Bleached oak coffee table from Arhaus.com would totally do the trick. Edpecially if you're working with a room that has white cabinetry and want to tie in some more of that style.

I ordered these custom pillows along with these Robert Michael Vanguard custom sofas from a local furniture dealer Passport Furnishings. They were an awesome price and I got to pick all the fabrics myself. Also, I highly suggest investing in feather filled sofas and pillows, the comfort is incomparable!!!!! Notice how the color tones in the pillows are repeated from the area rug, all good design should have repetition (design 101 :)

I wanted two stand out pieces in this room and I found it in these Guinevere Wing Arm Chairs by New Pacific Direct in color cafe/mocha/burlap/

I rarely use the pillows chairs and couches come with so I substituted for some of the custom pillows I had ordered for the couches and mixed and matched them around the room in various places.

If you don't have access to some of these retailers, this Upholstered Chair from Arhaus.com is one of my favorites and would be a great substitute and I'm dying over the back detail which would be stunning from the kitchen side of this room!

Purchase Here

I wanted to add an accent table that went well with the coffee table, and because these chairs are large, I went with this simple glass table from Pier one so the space wouldn't appear too full. Hint* you have to purchase the table base and glass separately.

Java End Table

I fell in love with the shape of these Imax side tables. They are hollow so easy to move and were a great price compared to solid versions. You do need a wholesale account to order these but the minimums are very low on this company so ask your interior designer ;)

My vision was originally cream cabinets, and white washed brick. Obviously this did not happen so I had to roll with it, I stuck to simple contemporary decor on the bookshelves to brighten it up and keep it in that transitional design. Simple is key!!!

I returned any dark decor I had purchased and bought pops of white and gold instead.

I flanked the fireplace with two prints from one of my favorite online shops Minted.com

I purchase bright white objects like this Target Vase

And added pops of gold and of course greenery and flowers and personal notes ;)

I also brought in lots of white, cream, and light blue hard cover books. The trick is to take the paper cover off for a more textured look. Don't over clutter your bookshelves, its okay to have only one item on a shelf of even an empty shelf.

At the end of this finished project, I was so happy with how it turned out. The space is neutral yet bright, relaxing, and warm. An easy space to entertain in, kick your feet up, but still has that polished look.

If you are looking to create a similar space, check out the Arhaus.com living room for more inspiration!

*Photos by Aimee Lee Photography, Video by Darcy Josie.