A Big Living Room Refresh
If there was one room in our home that just felt… bleh… it was our living room. It just didn’t seem to be working for us, no matter what I tried, and there were so many different elements that needed addressed. We needed a big living room refresh to get the room back on track, and that’s just what we did with the help of American Furniture Warehouse!
First off, we only have one wall in the room that can have furniture up against it, and that’s the wall with the T.V. Until we finish our basement, which won’t be for a good while, the T.V. stays upstairs, making the rest of the living room a little tricky to layout. We also have a solid wall of doors/ windows, which we planned intentionally and absolutely love, but it doesn’t leave us any extra room to “widen” the space out, if you will. We can’t put furniture up against it, but instead we have to pull furniture into the room in order for the doors to be able to function and open.
The other big tricky element to the living room, is that the main wall of the living room, also has the door that leads into our bedroom… and it’s almost right in the center of the wall, making the center of the room shift over to the right, and off from the actual center of the room, as defined by the peak of our vaulted ceiling. And as much as I want to pull furniture out towards the entry way, which has plenty of space, I can’t, specifically because that’s a main walkway from the kitchen into our bedroom. Tricky, tricky.
But, the first place I knew we needed to start in order to give our living room the big refresh it was needing, was to eliminate our sectional couch. While we essentially still really liked our sectional, there were so many elements it was hindering, just because we couldn’t move it around or arrange it in a different way. It was basically a one way wonder… or was it?
When we first bought the couch, I was all about it, but after a year or so in, I could see just how confining the sectional was to our space. It defined the room, and didn’t allow for any extra furniture or movement, specifically because of its size and shape. So with all that said, we’ve had a very small and confined living room with limited seating area and a lack of conversational space. We knew it needed to go, and we also knew we wanted to replace it with a couch and two chairs for optimum seating and to create a bigger living room space overall.
Enter in American Furniture Warehouse! If you’ve read the blog for a while, you know how much I love their furniture store, and so much of the furniture we have in our home is from their store. (Remember the addition of our new breakfast nook chairs? You guys love them as much as I do!)
This time around, I knew exactly what I wanted… a couch and two leather club style chairs. AFW had exactly what I was looking for, but at a price point that made us feel comfortable. We were lucky enough to partner with them to do this fun living room refresh that makes so much more sense for both our living room and us, and it’s all something we absolutely love! Welcome to our new living room…
Furniture placement is very important in creating a great space. The furniture needs to fit the room in size, but also make the space shine rather than distracting away from the focal point of the room. When choosing which furniture we wanted for our living room, I knew I wanted to incorporate leather into the space. I like the subtle masculine feeling it adds, but I also wanted to pair it with a fabric couch. I also love the clean look of track style arms, and both the chairs and the couch compliment each other with the similar style…
I also love how the dark color of the leather chairs tie in with our kitchen cabinets. It flows so much better with the rest of the house now…
After browsing through American Furniture Warehouse, more than once (or twice I might add), I knew the Aspen All Leather chairs and Aspen All Leather ottomans were exactly what we were looking for. They’re beyond comfortable and I loved the dark Italian leather… and that they will age beautifully over time with natural wear! They also add that perfect modern-esque vibe I love, while still feeling classic.
I won’t kid you though, I had a much harder time finding a sofa I loved, specifically because of size. I mentioned above that we have a small living room, so I had to be very space conscious in finding the perfect couch that would fit the space correctly… especially with two larger chairs. I kept going back to this couch, and essentially decided it was the right fit for the space. AFW was so incredibly patient with me as I worked through all the size constraints on our end. I was so appreciative that they didn’t try to push the couch on me, but rather gave me the time and space I needed to be sure of my decision. I didn’t want to make a mistake again like I did with the sectional, so I measured and re-measured about 15 times before finally saying “let’s do it!”. If you’ve never shopped in AFW, you’re missing out. There is no “push”, no “pitch”, no “pressure”. They’re just there to help, and I love that… and their awesome selection of items at incredible prices!
This room has come such a long way, and mainly just from the addition of new furniture. Of course we have plans to change a few other things (we wouldn’t be us if we didn’t), but for right now, things are feeling fabulous!
And might I add, that for the first time in the history of ever, we can actually have end tables… Completely life altering! We can have side lamps, and I love the cozy vibe they add to the room. These were thrift store finds and I couldn’t believe they were just sitting there…
And apart from just having new furniture in the space, I can honestly say, my favorite thing about the room, is the mix of textures. The leather brings in such a cool, sleek feeling while the couch adds a soft, plush texture. It all combines to be so warm and inviting…
And as for the flow of the house? Well, that’s my other favorite element. This furniture, and the arrangement, makes our home feel so much bigger and more conversational. Before, you were greeted with the back of the couch and it didn’t make you want to come in and sit down. But now, the living room draws you in. You want to come in. You want to sit and visit.
It’s all pretty amazing at night time too. Everything feels so warm and cozy…
I also created a video of the space. It shows the details of the furniture and gives you a nice perspective of how it all flows together! You can view it below, and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel… I’m working on adding more videos of projects and home tours! (Think office and guest bedroom!)
This is one successful refresh in my book! We have a completely new room and it functions better than ever before! And just the fact that function and beauty can meet in such a lovely way, well… it makes me love home even more!
If you’re looking for some new furniture, or even home accessories, be sure to visit American Furniture Warehouse! They have several store locations, but also sell and ship furniture online!
More home projects and updates coming very soon…
All pictures of me are by the very talented Patrice Neil Photography!
What a difference the new furniture made! I love how adding the darker leather chairs balances out the darker kitchen cabinets and the other charcoal accents. Everything now just seems to flow from the kitchen to the living room to the dining room. Love it!
Such a big difference, right? I love how the chairs tie in with our dark kitchen cabinets, and the dark wall in our living room. Everything just flows so much better!
The refresh is gorgeous!! Love the furniture you chose….love the wicker chest in front of the sofa. Do you mind sharing where you purchased???
Your home is stunning Shayna and it always draws me in!!!
Thank you, Dawn! The wicker chest is from Target. Here’s the (affiliate) link: http://rstyle.me/n/cn334zbfpt7
Love your smart choices, and the room looks so cozy and super functional now.
Wonderful updates Shayna!
Thank you, Shannon! This room functions soo much better now! 🙂
Hi Shayna ~
I love your new Living Room.
You do such beautiful work. So happy to see you back in my email again.
Have a wonderful evening.
Rose
Thank you so much for the sweet comment, Rose! 🙂
Hi Shayna,
Welcome back! I have the same issues in my living room but in the center of my one solid wall I have a fireplace. So the tv is to the side of it because I don’t care for a tv on top of a fireplace. My goal is a smaller coffee table to bring the furniture closer together. Don’t you love 2 recliners for evenings? We never sit on our sofa anymore, it for company. LOL
I feel ya. Seems there is always at least one room that has problems to solve! And agreed on the chairs. We love them so much, the couch doesn’t get nearly as much use! 🙂
Excellent choices – wish this store was in our local area in FL. We are replacing our old family room furniture this year and you have inspired me to look at this line.
Thank you so much! American Furniture Warehouse does offer nationwide shipping, so that’s always an option! 🙂
Absolutely stunning! Love your style and how it has all come together so nicely for you! Now sit back, relax and enjoy!
Thank you so much, Rachel! Sitting back to relax is so much better now! 🙂
I’ve followed you for a long time and I think I agree. This looks cohesive. I like how the dining room and entry door with the dark paint tie into this room well. And as you said, join the kitchen with this room too. That wall of windows may erase wall space but it gives you light and views!!! The look is cohesive yet as you said, layer upon layer of textures. Even your other chair looks great as it adds another dimension yet stays in your color scheme. Love it all. (But I decorate in bold colors!! But love looking at spaces. Thanks for sharing!!)
Thank you so much, Gwen! And you’re exactly right, the dark leather chairs also work exceptionally well with the dark paint and furniture in our dining room, as well as the black door in our entry. It all feels very cohesive now. 🙂
Nice choices Shayna! Your rooms look cozy and well thought out to fit together! Enjoy your renewed spaces!
Thank you so much, Linda! I’m loving it! 🙂
It looks so good! Where did u get your shelfs on tv wall? And what color is on the wall with the built in wood shelfs in dining ? Thanks!
Thank you so much, Tammy! The shelves are from Pier 1. You can read all about them here: https://www.thewoodgraincottage.com/2016/07/25/new-living-room-shelving/
The wall color behind the shelves in the dining room is Vintage Frame by Valspar in flat. You can read about it here: https://www.thewoodgraincottage.com/2017/02/17/moody-dining-room-shelves/
I love the contrast of the dark leather furniture and pops of white. I have the same combination in my living room. Very pretty.
Your living room looks wonderful! I especially love the leather chairs and you have put it all together despite the challenges. Great Job!
I am curious as to where you purchased the pillows in this room. I love this look, mixing the dark chairs with the neutral and whites — nice work!
Absolutely beautiful! Do you mind sharing where you got the bookshelves and media stand?
Loving the new living room refresh, the leather club chairs perfect. The lamp is a great choice as well. Totally my Décor style.
I don’t think you could have made it more inviting! Where is your black and white throw from?
When we purchased our home only a couple years ago, we needed furniture, and we were on a strict budget. I went to American Warehouse. We put several pieces on layaway and steadily made payments. When I went to make our final payment, all of our furniture was gone. They didn’t have any of the particular pieces that I had picked out left. The store claims if you put furniture on layaway, they can sell it at any time even if you have made all of your payments. They had never mentioned that before. I was shocked and a little devastated. Our plan for the living room revolved around an u unique chair I found there. I had already bought other things for the room that wouldn’t work without the integration of that chair. I talked to corporate. They claimed they would look to find the furniture at other stores , and we neve heard from them again. They were not professional or even apologetic. The furniture is cheap too. I bought a couch from them a year before that. It has only been a couple years, and I don’t have children to rough house on it, yet the upholstery is coming off the wood. It looks terrible. I don’t recommend American Warehouse to anyone.
I’m so sorry you’ve had this experience with them! How frustrating! I can honestly say that I’ve made several different purchases from them over the years and they’ve always been great to work with and we’ve enjoyed our furniture. What a bummer!