Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Crate and Barrel. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting the content that keeps Jojotastic going.
The living room in #mytinybungalow is the first major project I undertook when I moved in… and that was nearly 4 years ago! Since then, our living room has had a lot thrown at it. From functioning as our temporary kitchen during that renovation to my office to a photoshoot studio to a guest room… it’s been through a LOT. So imagine my excitement when Crate and Barrel, one of my favorite home decor brands, reached out to partner for a makeover! I’ve been hinting about the reveal on Instagram for a while and today is finally the day. Step inside our newly finished living room makeover!
Our Living Room Makeover With Crate and Barrel + Tips for Entertaining in a Small Space
The Before
I’m sort of embarrassed to post this before photo! As you can see, there’s stuff everywhere, the walls had turned a weird shade of yellow and our sofa had seen better days. I’ve had that sofa for about 5 years and when my leg was broken, I slept on it for 6 months. It’s worn out and the cushions are sooo uncomfortable now.
And then there is my desk… I did some soul searching and realized that working from our small space just is NOT for me. So we moved my desk to a spare room in Sean’s dad’s house for now, until I decide whether to rent a studio again or not.
I also realized that the living room really didn’t have an anchor or even a cohesive aesthetic to it. Truth be told, this awkwardly shaped room was a dumping grounds of sorts for us during all of the renovations — and it showed. Looking back, I can’t believe we had this many piles of stuff just gathered on every surface.
The After!
Honestly, what a breath of fresh air! I could not be happier with how our living room makeover turned out. It feels so cozy, so totally US. It’s so nice to have a fresh, neat space now that we’re newlyweds and especially as we welcome holiday guests.
Let’s dig into all of the details:
Our New Sofa
The very first thing I did was jump onto Crate and Barrel’s website to look at their couch selection. Sean and I both wanted a pull out so that we could host guests most easily, but we didn’t want to sacrifice style or comfort. And I’ve long been obsessed with toss back style sofas, so that was also on my mind. Ultimately, we both fell in love with the Delmar Pillow Arm Queen Sleeper for a number of reasons.
First, it met our criteria for a sleeper sofa. Second, the Delmar was literally designed for napping (watch the video) — aka it’s my dream! I cannot express to you how comfortable this sofa is. The cushions are filled with polyfiber-feather/down blend encased in downproof ticking, meaning that you slooooowly sink into them. It’s actual bliss.
As for the overall style of our new sofa, I feel like it’s a happy medium between a more structured sofa and a toss back style. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention another feature of the sofa that I adore: it’s upholstered in high-performance fabric with Crypton® stain repellant! The fabric is super cozy and subtly textured, while also repelling stains. Finally, I can have the white sofa of my dreams and pets!
New Tables
As much as I loved our vintage trunk as a coffee table, it just wasn’t practical enough. First of all, it’s insanely heavy and difficult to move… and gives me a splinter pretty much any time I put my feet on it. It’s much better as a side table by the front door (now it’s a good spot to sit and put your shoes on). I chose the Tate Walnut Slatted Bench to be our new coffee table. As a small space dweller, it’s key to choose pieces that serve multiple functions. This bench is a coffee table when it’s just us, but when guests arrive, it’s perfect for extra seating.
I also chose the Apex Round End Table to finish the corner of my new gallery wall. Prior to this living room makeover, we didn’t even have a table over there… and we desperately needed one! I love that this end table matches the bench.
And lastly, I am obsessed with this darling drink table! Small accent tables like this are wonderful when it comes to entertaining in a small space. They don’t have a huge footprint, but bring maximum functionality for guests who want to set down their drink or plate. I’ve also been loving anything with a turned base lately.
New Color Palette
Once the walls were freshened up with a brighter, whiter paint (Pure White SW 7005 from Sherwin-Williams), it was time to evaluate the overall color palette. The living room flows directly into the dining room, so I knew the colors had to complement the navy blue accent wall in here. I kept things pretty minimal, but added a new rug and two new pillows in a mustard yellow and olive green. Those two new pillows coordinate so nicely with our vintage artwork!
Holiday Decor
And it wouldn’t be a holiday makeover without cozy and festive touches! I decorated our faux Nordic Fir tree with our usual medley of ornaments, then adorned the base with a chunky knit tree skirt.
As you can see, I’m really into chunk knit wool this year! I added a cozy throw and coordinating stockings to our living room for a hygge-inspired holiday moment. Noodle has all but claimed the throw as his though… this throw is literally like being wrapped in my favorite sweater!
In lieu of hanging the stockings on a fireplace, we hung them from our white bookcase. This was actually the first piece of furniture I bought when I moved into the house, so it’s awesome to see it given new life in our refreshed space.
And it wouldn’t be the holidays without the twinkle of candlelight! I absolutely love keeping pillar candles on hand to light when entertaining. I chose 2 different sizes of the Marin candle holder to go with two red cranberry scented pillars. These candle holders are especially cool because they also hold taper candles, which is a new obsession of mine. They add the perfect amount of glow and subtle fragrance to our home, just in time for holiday guests.
Pet-Friendly Touches
And lastly, I couldn’t redesign the space without considering our pets! Beyond selecting a more pet-friendly upholstered sofa, we also treated the long and low crew to a new faux leather dog bed. It’s SO cute to watch them fight over who gets to sleep in it. My hope is that one day they will pile into it together…
We also added this new basket to the entry area to hold dog toys, leashes, and Noodle’s coats. I’m so glad to finally have a place to stow all of that!
So what do you think of our newly refreshed living room? Both Sean and I are beyond thrilled with it… especially because it’s so cozy. Just in time for the dark, chilly days of winter in Seattle. I still have a bit more holiday decorating to do, but I am absolutely loving the start of it in our living room. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know!
Shop the post:
- Delmar Pillow Arm Queen Sleeper
- Tate Walnut Slatted Bench
- Apex Round End Table
- Brenner Spicy Mustard Velvet Pillow with Feather-Down Insert 20″
- Brenner Green Velvet Pillow with Feather-Down Insert 20″
- Sadie Drink Table
- Dante Tree Skirt
- Cozy Knit Ivory Throw
- Cozy Ivory Knit Stocking
- Pilsen Salt Bookcase
- Red Cranberry Scented Pillar Candle 3×4
- Red Cranberry Scented Pillar Candle 3×6
- Marin White Small Taper/Pillar Candle Holder
- Marin White Large Taper/Pillar Candle Holder
- Lounge Faux Leather Vintage Medium Dog Bed
- Briget Large Natural/Black Abaca Basket
