Erica Chan Coffman, cofounder and editor-in-chief of Honestly WTF [1], can relate to living room decorating ruts. After completing extensive renovations in her early 1900s craftsman home in Oakland, CA, her living room remained a fairly blank space – until One Kings Lane [2] came to the rescue. With the help of one of its head stylists, Alex Reid, and his assistant Kate Smithson, Erica's living room was transformed into a gorgeous space [3] that works just as well for entertaining guests as it does for her 18-month-old son, Quincy. If you're struggling with your living room decorating scheme, check out Alex's tips for creating a living room that you love!
Source: Nicole Lamotte via One Kings Lane [4]
Decide how the space will be used: Erica and her husband, Abe, love entertaining friends, but also wanted the living room to serve as a play space for their son, Quincy. The solution? Lots of seating options and stylish storage.
Choose black and white art: For gallery wall newbies, Alex recommends starting with black and white artwork. It's easier to combine vintage and contemporary photos and paintings for a sophisticated look.
Introduce low-maintenance plants: If you have a black thumb, Alex recommends sticking with orchids, succulents, and fiddle leaf fig trees. His trick? Water the fiddle leaf once every two weeks and drop an ice cube in with the orchids and succulents once a week.
Embrace baskets: These lidded baskets keep Quincy's toys organized and make cleaning up in a hurry a breeze.
Hang curtains high: Placing the curtain rods high above the windows makes the ceiling look much higher than it actually is.
Avoid making your TV the star: Erica mounted the flat screen on the wall and placed a cabinet below and a floating shelf above to distract the eye.
Let the things you love dictate your color palette: Erica's obsession with shibori tie-dye and willow-patterned china made the color palette decision a no-brainer. While there are loads of neutrals in the room, Alex placed accessories in the same blue and white tones throughout the space to create a cohesive theme.
Follow the Pinterest Board
Check out One Kings Lane and Honestly WTF's shared Pinterest board [5] for even more tips and shopping suggestions!
