Living Room Decor

Some of you have asked to see pictures of our new apartment in Tennesee so I'm going to post each room a few photos at a time. 

Living rooms (and kitchens) are always my favorite spots in the house. We love having people in our home, and what better way to welcome someone in than a comfy place to sit and chat? Some good food doesn't hurt either :).

I have always loved looking at photos of interior design and would love to have a picture-perfect home. In reality, though, my tastes change often, and I don't like to spend a fortune on many non-functional items. As a general rule, I tend to decorate in neutrals so I can easily switch out things, such as pillows, for accent colors and also prefer pieces that have sentimental value. We are so fortunate to have some really special pieces in this room, which I will highlight below, and I have filled in a bit with inexpensive decor.

Matt had this sectional before we were married, and before that it was in his parents' house. It's so comfy, and we'll probably keep it for a long time! There are actually little threads of red and green in the fabric, but they're so subtle that you can really put any color with it. Purple been my favorite color for so long now so when we found the big puffy pillows at Target when we got married, I knew we had to go with purple!

For a while, I debated what to do with the huge space above our sectional and decided to use these shelves that we had from our previous apartment. We originally bought them in Seattle when we were first married and had only used one above our bed prior to this. 

Shelf #1 currently houses a candle + candle holder (I have always loved candles), a free "Love is spoken here" printable, potted yellow (silk) flowers from Gramma Jean, an engagement photo, and love birds.

Aren't these little birds the cutest? They are from custom designed by BentBranch and are one of my favorite things in the room because they were our wedding cake toppers! 

On Shelf #2, I framed fabric for a little extra color, and the owl and yellow jar were purchased from Hobby Lobby too add something new (and inexpensive). The green votive holder was a new home gift from Gramma Jean when she visited us in Seattle last fall. I think I'd like to add some kind of tall plant in front of the fabric to give a little more height.

Our coffee table is another favorite of this room, handmade my Matt's Grandpa Don. They wooden tray was a wedding gift from my college roommate, Alissa. We used this all the time in Seattle to transport food to our community group. Matt also had the TV stand you see in the background before we got married. I recently switched the knobs to make it a little prettier.

From this view of the living room, you can see how much natural light we get. I LOVE it! I rarely turn a light on unless it's dark outside. You can also see the coffee table better. Isn't it gorgeous?! We also love our bookshelf that he made, which you'll see in another post.

I'd still like to find something to put in that corner where the baskets are. I've been on the lookout for an indoor tree or a little chair or something, but nothing has really caught my eye yet.

And finally, the afghan on back of the couch was a wedding gift from Grandma Aiken. It is another favorite living room item. She knits one for every grandchild (and there are a LOT!) - we even have a small one for Baby A too! This blanket is well-loved already since we use it every night!

So that's our living room! If you love decorating or need some tips from someone who actually knows something about design, check out my friend Michaela's blog. She is amazing, and I know you will love her!!

+, Lauren Aiken