Tricks for the Living Room

Are you also in a part of the world that has been unseasonably warm for March? I live in Michigan which is notorious for its long winters, so the fact that it was nearing 80 degrees this week is so weird. It’s lovely, but a side effect is that I feel like it should be summer now and it really isn’t and I still have 6 weeks left of school. Bah!

I don’t at all regret taking these two classes, but I must admit that I am eagerly anticipating the semester’s end. I’ve already decided that finishing an associate’s degree in my current school’s Interior Decorating and Design department is not the path I want to take, so I’m anxious to figure out what the next step will be.

There’s so many ways I could take it: get a degree at another school, get a certificate from an alternative format school like Sheffield, attempt to blindly enter the field without any more formal education (doubtful), or attempt to at least step in the right direction by getting a retail job at a store that sells home goods. Or you know, some combination of those. I’ll keep you posted!

The idea of wood as a wall treatment makes most people think of either a rustic log cabin or a ’70s groovy (and tacky) living room. But that is not the only way! Just stay away from the obviously faux laminate type stuff you find in so many ’70s homes and go instead for real wood planks full of natural grain and texture to add amazing wow-factor and warmth to a room. Design*Sponge featured a great how-to a while back. From ‘LA Confidential’, a story on page 164 of Vogue Living Nov/Dec 2011. Photograph by Richard Powers.

I adore this wall color! Do you see how the ceiling color is a lighter shade of gray and that it actually extends a few feet onto the wall? Not only is this just a fun and unexpected way to do things, it can also help to visually lower very high ceilings if you’d like a cozier feel. Most folks don’t have that problem, but it’s true that ceilings that are too high can make a room feel cavernous and out of balance with human scale.

I’m really not a fan of leather sofas, and the cognac color would normally be my last choice, but this tufted beast has so much personality and really works in this room. From the home of Alketas Pazis, via Yatzer, found via i.go.blog.

The only way I can handle this amount of minimalism is with the addition of some nice pops of color, beautiful plant life, nice art, and a Jieldé lamp. Photographed by Lincoln Barbour via desire to inspire.

Soft colors and lines make this room very feminine. Via first home.

Via first home.

I am not a fan of impractical amorphous tables nor very traditional and formal looks… but both of those things are present in this gorgeous room. I really think it’s all thanks to the light, and the bright blue upholstery, and the drama of the curvy sofa, and the sweeping drapery, and the fancy chandelier. Okay so clearly there’s a lot to like. The home of Anishda Clarke and Niya Bascom via From Me To You.

I really like this color palette. Gray, brass, lavender, and shades of pink and coral. Just lovely. I don’t always like trends, but coral is so hot right now. I fully approve. From ‘Mix Me a Manhattan’, a story on page 132 of Vogue Living Mar/April 2011. Photograph by Ditte Isegar.

And just for good measure, one crazy colorful room. I would not have chosen that wallpaper, or that couch, but I can’t deny the cheeriness of this space. I’d love to snag a few of those pillows! Designed by Allegra Hicks via Style at Home, found via Savvy Home.