Some readers might not like the theme I’ve chosen for my living room, because they are two very vague words that, when used together, don’t even really narrow it down that much.
The words I’ve somehow come
up with are “edited eclectic.”
Now to explain: The eclectic part usually conjures images of bohemian living rooms with beads and scarves (at least, it does to me) which is definitely what my room isn’t. However, eclectic in the truest sense of the word, meaning “Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources” (Thanks, dictionary) is definitely true, especially considering most of my furniture was not selected by me and taking into account the mix of old and new present in my space.
I suppose that’s where “edited” comes into play. In a perfect world, my living room would not be cluttered. This, no doubt, would overjoy Doug, but it’s also not likely to happen any time soon because, well, it’s me. But, I have been trying my hardest to edit my style and invest in large decorative pieces instead of groupings of small objects, not only because of the dramatic statement of large items, but also because it simply looks cleaner.
Now, I’ve had a fun time cruising around the internet and finding pieces that are somewhat similar to what I have, but some of them are an obvious upgrade. IE, if I had money this is what my living room would contain. Not to say that there are definite pieces that would not be removed.
Paint Colors: The large yellow swatch (background) is Afterglow by Sherwin Williams (this is the color of my living room but we tinted it to low-VOC Valspar).
The gray-green is the color that the apartment came with, and this color is still present in the room. I swear it’s green, but in photos I’ve taken it reads gray. Go fig.
The other warm white color is the color of the trim, also came with the apartment. I don’t have names or brands for them because I eyeballed them with the color picker in photoshop ;)
Items: Clockwise from top right
- John Lennon “People for Peace” Poster. This is in fact in our room. Snagged it during a $4.99 allposters.com sale. Framed it in a black frame from Target.
- Blue Couch: I got my Crate & Barrel “best buys” catalog the other day and have been drooling over the Camden Sofa ever since. Here it is. The color’s similar to our current blue couch, no?
- Yellow Amp: I love the idea of using a non-functional amp for a side table. It would have to be the right one. Preferably old. Image from here.
- Natural Fiber Rug: I would be interested in feeling it under my feet before I bought it. Soft or scratchy?? From Crate & Barrel.
- Dark Wood Media Console: This is actually a dining room buffet from West Elm. They suggest that it would make a good media console, and I agree. In fact I prefer something a littler taller than the traditional 22” console which makes the current desk perfect for me.
- Polaroid Photos: I have some of these framed and it’s one of my favorite “art pieces” to date. Image from here.
- Red Pillow: Last but not least, I have this pillow. Snagged it for $20 at an Urban Outfitters clearance. I prefer the red on white (reverse) side but there were no pictures of that online. At least not within 5-10 minutes of searching and my attention span is short. In fact, it seems like it’s one of Alexander Girard‘s less popular prints.
My Friend Staci 