After months of y’all seeing sneak peeks on my Instagram, my full coastal-style living room reveal is here! It’s colorful, calming, and that denim couch is oh-so comfortable.
I loved my über feminine apartment, but, when I bought my house, I realized I wanted to switch things up a bit. Go for more muted, calming colors instead of vibrant, eye-catching pinks and blues. Bring in more textures like wood, rattan, and denim (yes, again with the denim couch – I’m sorry I just really love it). I’ve long loved the style of the brand Serena & Lily… but not the price tag!
Before we dive into the room details, I want to remind you guys:
It took me over 2 years (more like 2.5 years!) to get this coastal-style living room to where it is today. And I’m still not entirely done. I’m not sold on the bar cart (I think I need a 3-tier that is both taller and wider in that corner). Nor am I 100% set on the coffee table styling (do I need more coffee table books for the bottom shelf? Or more things to put on the top shelf?). I need throw pillows for the couch and I just can’t make up my mind and I think I need to have some greenery on top of the shelf, cascading down.
It takes time to put a room together. A lot of time. But I’m really really happy with where this room is right now and I’m so excited to share it with you guys.
All that to say: if you’re in the midst of a room redesign or just purchased a new home, don’t fret about having it all together on day 1. The best rooms take time to come together. Plus, your wallet will thank you for the brief reprieves from major purchases!
As you can see from the photos of my living room above: over the past few years, my style has become less über-feminine-bachelorette-pad and more coastal, comfortable, and… just livable. And honestly more practical. Want a few examples?
My coastal-inspired living room: the details
That Denim Couch
I loved that white couch. Loved it! But you know what I didn’t love? Getting wine stains out of that damn white couch.
When I realized I needed a substantially larger couch in my living room, I was so stoked to play around with colors and fabrics. Did I want velvet? Linen? A performance fabric? I ended up doing the wine spill test on a variety of fabric swatches. Ultimately, I decided on a denim performance tweed, made by Maiden Home, and their “The Sullivan” sectional.
My denim couch was my biggest splurge item in my living room by far and I still think it was 100% worth the price tag. It has a lifetime guarantee and suuuuper fast turnaround time… Especially by comparison to more well-known brands like West Elm and Crate & Barrel! I ordered my custom denim couch on January 23 and it was in my home by March 2 (just in time for lockdown – I really lucked out there!). Plus, it’s an insanely comfortable couch. That corner spot on the chaise is my spot and I can’t even tell you how many naps I’ve taken right there over the past few months!
Reusing Items: The Pink Chairs and Bar Cart
So fun fact: I actually gave both of those pink chairs and the bar cart a new life! The pink chairs actually used to be green velvet chairs. They lived in my parents’ living room while I was growing up and my mother gifted them to me when she redid her living room (around the same time I got my first apartment). I had them recovered in pale pink about 5 years ago and still love how they turned out!
Note: while that wasn’t an inexpensive endeavor, recovering chairs is a great way to breathe new life into items you already own and love.
In a similar vein, you might be shocked to learn that when I first got the bar cart, it had black iron bars and dark wooden shelves. As crazy as it seems, that was my style once upon a time!
When I moved to Dallas, my style started becoming more colorful, lighter, and brighter… So I did a DIY and repainted that bar cart to be gold and white. I’m still so proud of how it turned out. The only reason why I would replace it now is because I need something bigger in the space… Both because the space demands it and because my roommate and I honestly just have way too much booze for that lil bar cart!
How to Create a Coastal-Inspired Living Room of Your Own… On a Budget:
As I mentioned earlier, it took me quite some time to “finish” my coastal-style living room (hence why the “reveal” is in December 2020, despite the fact that I bought the house in April 2018). I spaced out my “big” purchases for the room as much as possible. I waited for Black Friday sales to buy the Serena & Lily pieces I simply couldn’t live without (one per year). After a solid year of research and fabric testing, I bought the denim couch in January of this year and the dining room pieces were purchased intermittently over the past few years (a separate post about the dining room and kitchen is coming – I promise!).
And those were really the only “big” purchases for me. I bought the rug for $120 last year (via EBTH). The art above the bar cart was a gift, the elephant table was a hand-me-down from my parents. The faux fiddle leaf fig tree was relatively inexpensive (similar here). Many of the bits and bobs, including the ginger jars and books, were purchased through One Kings Lane and Amazon or received as gifts over the years. This coastal-style living room redesign proved that my hoarder tendencies could finally be useful! (Kidding but also serious)
Shop my coastal-style living room furniture and decor:
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