I love, and I mean LOVE having a plan. (Where my Type A people at?!)
Having a plan gives me the confidence to take action; I find comfort in knowing I'm moving forward towards a goal. Whether it's a plan for design, for life or for what I'm eating for lunch, I thrive when I'm doing things with method and intention.
But that wasn't always the case. I used to feel like having a plan meant I was playing it safe, that I was being restrictive. I am someone that, although I do like a plan, I also crave freedom and having a plan seemed like confinement. I told myself that in order to be creative and open to life's best opportunities I had to deliberately NOT have a plan. Fortunately, I've since learned otherwise.
As I've gotten older and more mature (read: made tons of mistakes to learn from) I've found having a plan allows me to be creative and push boundaries even more. You see, life has taught me the key to having a plan is not being blindly committed to it. Make a plan, do the work, but keep your mind open to adjusting or changing if new or better ideas come your way. Hence the big asterisk above to 'always have a plan'.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because I've laid out a big life plan? Well no (still workin' on that one)... but I do have a plan for my living room! Woohoo!
I know this doesn't feel important, and by all means it isn't compared to everything else going on in the world, but oh my gosh it brought me a lot of joy to do this. I've been struggling with how to design and furnish our home, which in turn has led me to buying disjointed pieces and changing my mind often. We have a mish-mash of styles going on... our house just looks confused. Anyone else struggle with this?
After I compiled my plan I actually felt less compelled to buy a bunch of stuff for the house, which was a very pleasant surprise! I was worried I'd have the urge to rush out and buy everything in my design, but it was actually just the opposite. The itch to buy subsided as I knew I would pick up the key pieces over time and get to my ideal state eventually. My bank account is thrilled.
I've made mood boards or design plans in the past, so what made this time so much better? I adjusted my approach. In the past I would make mood boards around pieces I already had or based on whatever small budget we had. This time, to start, I threw all of that out the window. I didn't look at prices and picked pieces that I felt inspired by rather than what I already had to work with. I CANNOT recommend this enough... I came up with designs I was so much happier with than in the past! Once you have a design you love, in order to make it fit your budget you can look for dupes (less expensive versions) of what you chose to fit your budget.
So here's the plan. I'm gravitating to a mix of more traditional shapes mixed with organic, modern pieces and decor. Ya'll know I'm not one for a ton of color; in lieu of color I am obsessed with textures. My goal for our living room is to keep it neutral but layered with tons of differing textures and finishes. Here's what we're going for my friends:
Things I'm married to:
- A light, performance fabric slipcovered couch. We can't do a dark couch; even though our huskies aren't allowed on the couch, their fur ends up on everything and dark fabrics show every. last. hair. And with a kiddo in the house and hopefully more in the future, I foresee a lot of spilled food and drinks and grubby hands landing on our sofa. Hence, a washable slipcover.
- Leather armchairs. I adore these from CB2. It feels like a modern twist on a classic shape, and I think these will stand the test of time. And leather is so damn luxurious!
- The rug. This rug from Room & Board is perfect for us! It will be forgiving with stains and muddy paws, yet it's still relatively light and neutral. Mama likey.
- Samsung Frame TV. I love these things! You can display art on the screen when you're not watching TV which is SUCH a game changer. We don't have a den or TV room in this home so our main living room is where the TV lives, and I hate that there's a big ugly black box staring at you when it's not on. Cannot wait to get one! (The art in the bottom corner is actually the Frame)
Things I'm open to changing:
- Poufs. We definitely want more seating and I love the idea of poufs; great for easy movement and for rambunctious kiddos. I really like the jute poufs, but I'm keeping my options open in case I see a more interesting fabric.
- Sideboard / TV console. I like this one from West Elm and I think it would look just fine, but I'm not head over heels in love with it. Frankly I haven't found a console I'm crazy about so we may just make one!
- Coffee table. I definitely want a lighter wood and I'd like something relatively low to the ground, but this is another piece I'm open to changing. I'm confident I'll see the right piece and know immediately. Just haven't seen her yet.
So there you have it friends. Dreaming up this room and other spaces in our house was so. much. fun. And it's easy to do in Power Point - anyone can mock a design up! Hope you enjoyed my rambling and let me know if you do this for your own home, I'd love to see what you come up with!
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