This week we thought we’d start the week off strong with a room reveal! And since you’ve read the title, you can probably guess it’s the living room : )
Our kitchen and living room is an open concept space, but is separated by a wood raining that as renters, we can’t take down. This room started out with the same yellowing paint, and the large mirror trend continued from the bathroom into here.
We started off by removing the lovely mirror and sanding the area down, painting a neutral gray, them moved my furniture into place!
As a lot of other younger renters can attest to, sometimes buying the perfect furniture that will fit perfectly in your rental is not a feasible option. (We think a sectional right here and some slipper chairs in the other corner would be absolutely perfect) Not knowing how long we will be in this home and if it will fit into our next place, and with a savings account that would appreciate that money more than my credit card, I chose to make due with what I had.
Luckily, the furniture is already a neutral color, so covering it was not a priority. I simply added a few throw pillows and blankets and kept on trucking. This is also a great solution for renters because you don’t have to commit to a bold theme. If a few pillows are purchased, and you make/purchase covers for them to change up your accent color, you can easily store away the extra covers when not in use. Mine are a mix of homemade, IKEA, Marshalls, Target and the BH&G line at Walmart.
Another great solution for renters in a small space is to incorporate pieces that serve double duty. Since our love seat and chair only leave seating for three, we added a small ottoman to the right of the couch as an acting side table/seat when needed.
On the left of the love seat we used a small shelving unit as an “entrance” table to stash our shoes and mail in little cubbies, also acting as a side table to the love seat.
Our coffee table is actually our landlords, but it’s a perfect size for the small room and we don’t mind the unfinished look, so we dressed it up with a few personal items and our favorite books.
In the other corner of the room, we put our large chair, side table and our TV. An IKEA Expedit unit has worked perfect for the space with all of the “tech” boxes hidden behind the two doors yet still allowing easy access.
A few decorations and movies add some personality and of course, draws a focal point to the room since we spend quite a bit of time watching our favorite shows.
The other side of the room is open to the kitchen and the two sided fireplace. Sadly it’s not in working use right now, but it adds another focal point to the space and a few staged logs inside of it make it look less unused.
And that’s our little living room! As renters in a small space, making the furniture you already own work and having pieces that serve double duty has helped us and our pocket books out a lot! We change up the pillows covers seasonally (because no matter how much storage you do or don’t have, you can always find room for a few pillow covers), throws and shelf decor a few times a year to keep it fresh. This weekend we just switched it over to the blue scheme in the pictures, from the purple accents we had out this summer. Now we’re all ready to cozy up for the fall & winter seasons until we can break out our brighter colors for next summer : )
Prost!
-J&P
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