Design In A Box: Laid Back California Cool Living Room
Welcome to this week's installment of Design In A Box! This is design number four out of five in this series - crazy to think there's one week left. After that, we're onto the holiday season - I've got some gift guides in the works for y'all, which I'm excited to share in the coming weeks!
Need to catch up on the previous posts for Design In A Box? Head on over using the links below:
- Week 1: Modern Eclectic Living Room
- Week 2: Preppy Modern Bedroom (a reader favorite!)
- Week 3: Floral Chic Dining Room
At the bottom of the post you can find all the sources for today's "Laid Back California Cool" living room design. After you look through it, I'd love to know what your favorite piece is - hop over to Instagram to weigh in!
Now onto the inspiration behind this look!
INSPIRATION
via My Domaine (Design: Amber Interiors)
via Glitter Guide
DESIGN PROCESS
Over the past year or so, I've found myself being drawn more and more toward a casual, eclectic look, which is a style you see in a lot of homes in southern California. Amber Interiors (the brilliant designer behind the first inspiration image) has this cozy look down to a science - who else out there is a big fan of hers? It's one part coastal, one part mid-century modern, and one part vintage/boho. It feels relaxed, yet pulled together, and that's exactly what I wanted to do with today's design.
To create this living room, I started by finding a cozy gray blue sofa. And not just any cozy sofa - it had to be one with a bench cushion (rather than two or three cushions on the seat), which was something I noticed all the inspiration images had in common. It's a tailored, yet still casual style - perfect for this design.
The other "must have" for this space was layered rugs. A neutral, inexpensive natural fiber rug is a great base for a Persian-style tribal rug. The jute/sisal blend brings in some nice texture, while the tribal rug adds color and pattern. I think they complement each other beautifully! I chose a readily available Persian-style rug for this design, but if you really want to get that authentic "California cool" look, go for a vintage one. It's worth the search! One note when you are layering rugs is to make sure you choose the right sizes. For example, layering a 5'x8' rug over an 8'x10' rug is a good combo because that will leave a nice size border around the edges of the smaller rug.
To keep the eclectic theme going, I put together a quirky gallery wall behind the sofa. It has a lot of personality, doesn't it? I like the mix of photography, abstract watercolor art, the woven wall hanging, and - maybe the best part of all - the pennant that says "eat more tacos." I couldn't resist that pennant because we eat tacos three or four nights a week in our house. Can one ever have too much Mexican food? I think not. Anyone else out there a frequent taco eater?
And finally, one other item I wanted to highlight are those woven suede accent chairs. They add so much texture, and somehow (magically?) feel both modern and boho at the same time. They would be perfect for a smaller space because they have a low profile, but still look quite comfortable. If you're contemplating them for your own home, do note that the seat height is lower than average, so take that into consideration before buying!
FURNITURE AND DECOR SOURCES
Ready to shop this space? Use the links below to take a look at these pieces for your own home. If you're not ready to purchase right now, but would like to save the look for later, feel free to Pin it!
The total cost to recreate this space? ~$4,300. If you're starting from scratch on a room, that's a reasonable budget for sure!
Gray/Blue Sofa | Natural Fiber Rug | Persian Style Tribal Rug | Black Metal Coffee Table | Suede Accent Chairs | Tripod Floor Lamp | Wood Drum End Table | White Table Lamp | Striped Pillow | Cream and Indigo Pillow | Indigo Lumbar Pillow | Woven Wall Hanging | Greenery Art | Abstract Art | Window Photography | "Eat More Tacos" Pennant
And finally, I'd LOVE to hear from you! Don't forget to chime in on what style or space you'd like to see for the final Design In A Box post next week!
Need more hands on help with designing your home? I'm ready to help! Check out my e-design services over here!
*Affiliate links were used in this post, which means Mix & Match earns a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you.
