I don’t think I’m alone in the fact that being at home for months has led to the urge of wanting to tackle house projects. It’s like, if we’re going to be within the same walls every day, why not make the space more enjoyable?

That was our thought process at least when Trevor and I decided to do a living room refresh this late spring. We had outgrown the style of our “champagne chic” living room (see the before here and here) and were craving more softness. We barely ever spent time there due to its “hands-off sitting room” feel and were desperate for more functionality. Especially since our little guy would be crawling and walking around soon.

Once we decided to take the leap, we started selling furniture and saving our pennies. It helped that we weren’t going out as much as we used to or traveling, so we rationalized the project.

The new look would be modern. We’d take this outdated room in our 1920s craftsman and make it exponentially more inviting. We said goodbye to the two-toned light green wall color that was applied as staging before we bought it in 2015. We applied a fresh white palette: ‘White Dove’ for the walls, ‘White’ for the trim and ‘Super White’ for the ceiling — all by Benjamin Moore. Then, we decided to mix in some Scandinavian flair with regards to furniture and decor.

Sharing the rundown of this refresh below. Our new and improved Scandinavian Modern Living Room…

Entryway Area

The first area you see when you enter our home. We wanted this to scream modern and lead with black metal while decorating with natural materials of wood and palm and soft materials of fur and pampas. An abstract art piece would draw guests in and the layering on the table would include candles, vases and books. Clustering in trios and varying heights is key for entryway table styling. As is ensuring you have a dish of some sort for catching and grabbing your keys.

SHOP ENTRYWAY AREA

METAL TABLE | WOODEN STOOL | SHEEPSKIN THROW | WOVEN BASKET

WOODEN TRAY | ABSTRACT PRINT | FULL LENGTH MIRROR

TALL VASE | PAMPAS GRASS | FACE CANDLE | CANDLE

ARCHITECTURE BOOK | FASHION BOOK | CANDLE HOLDER | BLACK CANDLESTICKS

Seating Area

I labored over the seating area soo much. I knew I wanted a mix of leather and natural and couldn’t for the life of me decide on what material should go where. We decided to steer away from a sectional since we had one in our basement entertainment room and felt a longer couch and accent chairs would provide more of an opportunity for gathering. When we decided on leather for the couch it was evident we loved the modernized chesterfield style. Alas, we found this black beauty that ended up being the perfect mix of style and comfort along with two uber comfortable natural chairs. I felt the braided rug really added additional cozy texture along with the jewel-toned and black/white throw pillows.

SHOP SEATING AREA

LEATHER COUCH | ACCENT CHAIRS | BRAIDED RUG | GLASS PENDANT

COPPER PILLOW | TEXTURED LUMBAR PILLOWS | ARCH PILLOW | TEXTURED THROW

ARCH LAMP | METAL SIDE TABLE | PONYTAIL PALM | METAL PLANTER

Coffee Table Area

When it came to choosing a coffee table… again, lots of sleepless nights trying to decide and find the perfect one. I knew I wanted it to be wooden with round, smooth corners (bc babyproofing). The mid-century modern finds just didn’t seem to make as much of a statement as I was hoping for which is why we decided on the drum style. The finish and cut of this table was my favorite by far.

Decor was easy as I filled in a mix across books, candles, vases and plants. This fiddle leaf fig has got to be the best faux version out there — highly, highly suggest. I’ve struggled to keep my real tree alive sadly so this saved the day. And oh, the baby gate… inevitable. At least the black metal matches with our decor ;).

SHOP COFFEE TABLE AREA

DRUM TABLE | ART MUSIC BOOK | VASE | COASTERS | CANDLE

FIDDLE LEAF | PLANTER STAND | BASKET | PILLOW | LUMBAR PILLOW

Fireplace / TV Area

And last but certainly not least, is our fireplace. The area to which I caved after five years of living in this house, to swap the mirror that was hanging above to a TV. But not just any TV… luckily we were recommended by many friends a perfect “meet-in-the-middle TV”. For those wives who don’t want to sacrifice style and the husbands who don’t want to sacrifice sports.

The Frame TV has got to be the greatest invention of all time. It’s framed (hence the name) and you can to choose art from a gallery store that is displayed when off. I love rotating a mix of abstract and modern — to tie in with the theme. And when it comes to shows, I’m frequenting Grey’s Anatomy, Trevor CNN and Bo, Sesame Street :).

Having a TV in our living room has transformed the way we use this space as it prompts bodies to gather around — even if it isn’t on. When we’ve had family over, we just let the music on our Sonos play and have the art display as we catch up over wine. I’m so, so glad we rid of that mirror.

SHOP FIREPLACE/TV AREA

FRAME TV | VASE | FAUX PALM | FAUX LEAF | PLANTER | SNAKE PLANT

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Our Scandinavian Modern living room refresh has changed our home and the way we go about our days. I’m so thankful Trevor was up for the project and really appreciated his input that led us to this final look.

Quarantine life can be tough, but if you take some time to spruce up the space you’re residing in, it can make your time at home that much more livable and enjoyable.

Stay well friends —