Well, here we are neck-deep in planning and starting renovations for our home! If you happen to follow me on IG then you may have seen us ripping out floors in my stories. First to come is our family living room. We spend the majority of our time here as a family of 6… so the plan needed to be well thought out and thorough. I thought I would take a little bit of time to share our living room inspiration with you!
Design Inspiration and Resources
Well, I am not a pro designer, but knew I wanted a cohesive look, so it was a personal challenge to figure out how to best do that. Here’s why:
- My budget is limited (I don’t have money to throw away, do you?)…. I can’t afford to buy things that don’t lend to the cohesive look I want.
- I wanted to get it right the first time (I don’t have time to waste)
- My energy is limited – I’m tired.. And we have 4 kids to chase. Enough said.
- I know what I like and what I don’t like, but I needed a plan. A visual plan… with the inspiration all in one place! I’ll be sharing that design plan vision board here soon!
I’m a DIYer at heart and so I purposed to figure out how to plan this space myself. I took several design courses to learn how to create the custom cohesive space I wanted. One of which was for a full kitchen renovation but more on that another time.
All of this really is about wise stewardship and being intentional. Most importantly, being Intentional with the resources God has given me, time, money, energy, and design ability. God made me a creative who loves design, why not use it to serve my family right!?
Our Personal Living Room Inspiration
I of course started with discovering living room inspiration ideas on Pinterest. Where else would I go? Then I carefully looked at those images and figured out the recurring elements.
Here are several of the elements I drew out along with my favorite images from my inspiration board.
- Muted Color Palettes
- White Walls – Warm undertones
- Ceiling Details – wood or tonal, some with beams
- Mixed Wood Accents – differing wood floors, trims, accents etc.
- Comfy furniture – Lived in and functional
- Gathered Decor – Purposeful antiques, vintage or old world decor
- Relaxed Design – No fancy expensive decoration for kids to destroy
- Mixed Metals – Very casual. Matte black, antiques brasses
- Natural Textures and Elements – Rustic wood, wicker, chunky throws etc.
- Timeless Bones – simple arches, narrow wood flooring (read the tips I took to choose the color of our floors here), no ornate trim/crown
- Traditional Accents – In form and pattern. Rugs, lighting silhouettes.
- this one surprised me! I never realized I liked traditional elements. I never would have learned that I loved this had I not taken the time to gather living room inspiration and work through creating a vision board.
If you’re loving this style too, check out my personal
CASA | Living Room Design Renovation Inspiration Pin Board.
This is where I have ALL of the images I pinned for living room inspiration!
I’ll be sharing the actual design vision board for our living room soon.
Living Room Inspiration: California Casual With Farmhouse Elements
In all of my digging and gathering inspiration, I found that the design style that most closely fits what I’m loving is called California casual. I did see that there are modern farmhouse elements in there as well.
The house we call home is literally a farmhouse, one of the first in our immediate area, so I’d love to infuse a bit of farmhouse style in there as well. Our home is seriously lacking character though, and that is my aim with this design… to infuse character back into this nearly 100 year-old home.
The California Casual Mood
- Words that embody this style:
- simple, relaxed, casual, organic, lived in, airy, comfortable
- Words that may pull elements of this style:
- Coastal, cottage, modern farmhouse
Living Room Inspiration and Interior Designers I Love
I found several designers that really just spoke to this style. Since the things I loved were a mix of multiple styles, you’ll find that in these designers.
- Amber Lewis – True California coastal with Spanish, Mediterranean and rustic influences. Everything my dreams are made of.
So many of her projects are to die for! You can see her project galleries here.
- Shea McGee of Studio McGee – A bit more modern, but airy and bright
- Becki Owens – Beautiful lived in styles yet with fun juxtapose traditional elements.
- Brooke Morales – Cozy and warm California Casual with gorgeous organic accents
- W Design Collective – Beautiful and timeless with traditional and organic elements.
In gathering inspiration for our living room design, I learned so much! It’s so important to analyze the images you gather for inspiration and make note of recurring elements. Also, making note of designers that keep popping up in your searches! They’re styles are likely ones that will continue inspiring you.
I can’t wait to show you how I will actually take all of this inspiration and turn it into the perfect casual living room (with character!) for my family. I’ll be sharing my vision board for this design shortly so make sure you come back or sign up for my monthly newsletter to be notified of new posts.