Organic Modern Living Room Reveal

While my mental stability may be disintegrating by the day (thanks to the nightmare of virtual schooling my six-year-old), I am proud to say that I now at least have a cohesive space to lose my sh*t in.
It has been a long time in the making, but the day has finally come.
At last…my organic, modern living room makeover is complete, and I am sharing all of the details with you today. At the bottom of this post, I will also be listing decor sources and product links, so be sure to stick around for the entire post.
But before I get to the “after” photos of this makeover, I need to give you a bit of perspective with a “before” shot- just so that you can fully appreciate just how far this space has come…
In the photo above, you can see what my living room looked like the day my family and I moved into our 1980’s fixer upper (over five years ago now).
One of the first improvements made to the space was the removal of the popcorn ceilings. We also brightened the room with a fresh coat of paint over the walls (Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace) and dark stained woodwork.
While I would have loved to refinish the wood stain on the original ceiling beams, such an endeavor was out of our budget at the time and so, painting the beams white proved to be the most economical solution.
Using a few clever DIY hacks, we also transformed our existing outdated brick fireplace (you can read the fireplace tutorials here).
It truly is amazing what some new light fixtures, paint and decor can do for a space….
While our DIY improvements did wonders for the space- given what limited means we had to work with- the one design element I was never happy with was the glossy, red-hued hardwoods.
After resenting my floors for years, I was elated when Shaw Floors reached out to me about collaborating with them on a new product line. Once we installed the new floating Oak hardwoods over the existing wood floors (yes you heard me right, no demo whatsoever!), I was inspired to amp up the modern aspect of my aesthetic- which takes us to the current state of my living room…
My DIY Living Room Transformation:
While I did keep a few furnishings (my grey Ikea couch and my wooden buffet cabinet), I decided to incorporate some white leather pieces into the mix.
Of course white linen furniture would have been my first choice, but I chose to be practical.
With a house full of boys (not to mention two dogs), I decided that white leather would be a better fit for my messy life.
The white color would provide the brightness I was looking for, while the leather material would be easy to wipe clean.
I also made the controversial decision to push my grey Ektorp sofa back against the wall, which allows for a more spacious seating arrangement (and better dance parties).
To break up the monotony of all of the “square-ness”, I decided to incorporate a round coffee table into the mix.
Not wanting the modern aspects of the design to overpower the space, I incorporated as much organic texture as I could with my textile selections. The earthy weave of the coffee table was an added bonus.
Blending elements of contemporary, farmhouse and boho style, this unique combination is what I am going to label as “Organic Modern”.
(Be sure to keep scrolling down for a list of decor sources!)
All in all, I wanted this space to feel elegant yet relaxed….
feminine yet rustic…
and minimal yet welcoming.
While I still don’t consider this room entirely “finished”, I can appreciate just how far it has come.
The new Oak hardwood floors truly did wonders for this room.
(Keep scrolling for the decor links list!)
Living Room Decor Sources with links:
*For your shopping convenience, I have included affiliate links directly below.*
Wall Paint- Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace in Satin finish
- Flooring- Floorté Hardwood Series by Shaw Floors. Color is Brightened Oak.
- Chandeliers- Wayfair
- Rug- Rugs USA
- Grey Couch- Ikea
- White Loveseat- Home Depot
- White Arm Chairs- Wayfair
- Coffee Table- Wayfair
- Wall Tapestry- Sofia Shu
- Floor Lamp- Target
- Side Table Task Lamp- similar one at Target
- Side Table- Target
- Art Work- Etsy
- Velvet Pillows- World Market
- Plant Stand- World Market
- Concrete Stool- World Market
- Buffet/Sideboard Cabinet – World Market
- Concrete Lamp- Homegoods
- Teal Pillow- Danielle Oakey
- Black and White Pillows- Homegoods
- Mirrors- Southeastern Salvage
Thank you guys so much for stopping by this week! Now let me get back to the sh*t show that is my life…
Yes…self-medicating with cheap beer has been one of my biggest coping mechanisms of 2020.
Now get out there and design some good vibes along with a fabulous life. Hang in there, mamas! We will somehow get thru this.
PS. It would mean the world to this small business of mine if you could share this post with a friend or on social media..
Love your living room! That coffee table is now out of stock but I will watch it like a hawk!
As to homeschooling, could you exchange teaching with a classmate’s mom via zoom? My kids listen with respect to anyone but me. Maybe trading teaching would help.
Thank you so much, friend! OMG…your virtual school strategy is absolutely genius. My kids will listen to anyone other than me. haha! I appreciate the fabulous idea. I hope you are having a great week so far.
Erica when is a room ever truly finished? I loved your home before but now with the addition of those modern chairs I love it even more. And they are really affordable too. Hang in there mama and know that you are not alone. I have college kids that are stuck home and driving me crazy too. Let’s all hope this will be over and done with soon. In the meantime stay safe and enjoy your beautiful space. I think it goes a long way in preserving our sanity.
Thank you so much for the support, Mary. College kids at home? That must be a bit of an adjustment for you guys. Sending you my love and well wishes. xoxo
Stunning living room and it looks chic and comfortable! What about your drapes? Where did they come from? TIA!
Thank you so much, Carmen. The drapes were just the Ikea Ritva drapes in white and then I added the black ribbon to them. Speaking of which, I should do a blog post on them. 🙂
The before and after shots are DRAMATIC – what a transformation. Your living room looks so beautiful and inviting. I love the Miller lite in hand photo prop…. Cheers!
Thank you so much, Alyssa. Haha! Cheers, my friend. I hope you have a great weekend.
Your living room is beautiful. Love all of your choices and I love your blog. Those floors are to die for !!
Thank you so much, Tammy! I have been super pleased with the floors so far.
Super pretty and I respect the white leather choice! Removing and bleaching and re-applying slipcovers every week is not my idea of fun and I imagine not yours either. We have some white leather chairs at the dining table that are so easy. The light floors definitely modernized the space and I love the term organic modern- I think that’s the best short description of my own style too.
Yes girl…I am not disciplined enough to remove and wash slipcovers every stinkin’ week. Tried it…and I will never fool with that hassle again. Thank you so much for the kind words, and I hope you are doing ok through all of this craziness, my friend.
absolutlely love your style. Can you share where the fiddle leaf fig is from. so hard to find one that looks realistic.
Thank you so much, Kimberly. The fiddle fig tree in my living room is actually real..I am super proud of how I have grown that thing from a baby to a giant (never thought I had a green thumb). However, If you are looking for a good faux, I recommend reading my post on the faux I used in my dining room. Below is the link to that post..
https://designingvibes.com/best-faux-fiddle-leaf-fig-tree/
You’ve come a long way baby!!! Showing the before truly shows how far your space has come and your design choices are gorgeous and functional. I wish you well in the homeschooling department…I for one would fail miserably.
Keep on designing;)
Thank you so much, Maria. You are the best! xoxo