After a little over three years in our 1930s house, our bold, colorful living room is finally finished. As the first room you see when you enter, it presented the biggest layout challenge, but it also became the place where the hues from the rest of the home come together. We kept walls and major furniture neutral, then layered in color through accessories and decor to create a joyful, cohesive space.
I’ll share the process, the challenges we faced, and the pieces we chose for every corner of this living room where our family spends most of its time.
Before and After: Our 1930s Living Room
The biggest transformation was paint. When we moved in the walls were a tan tone with red, orange and sage accents. We painted the room white to create a neutral backdrop, then introduced color through furnishings, textiles and accessories. That simple change opened the space and made layering color much easier.
We did have to replace the original exterior door due to energy and wear issues. The new door was painted a cheerful pink (Dunn Edwards “Pink Pleasure”) and fitted with gold hardware to match the brass and gold finishes used elsewhere in the home.
We also painted the fireplace and brick white. While painted brick can be divisive, we preferred the cleaner, brighter look indoors. The fireplace is no longer functional, so we replaced the original mantle with a larger shelf and styled the hearth with candles for a warm, decorative focal point.
Couches for Small Spaces and Awkward Layouts
The layout was the largest challenge. This room serves as a foyer, living room, TV room and play area. While our home has generous bedrooms, the living room footprint is modest, so we needed to maximize floor space, maintain clear paths from the door, and avoid mounting the TV above the fireplace.
We located the seating in the far corner and selected a modular corner sofa to fit precisely. Working with Article’s Solae Canyon Modular Sofa allowed us to pick pieces that matched the space exactly. Because we frequently eat in the living room and have a toddler, we chose leather for its durability and how well it weathers over time.
With a neutral couch, we introduced a vibrant blue Moroccan rug underfoot and layered colorful throw pillows and a bold yellow weighted blanket to bring warmth and personality into the seating area.
The Fireplace
Apart from the architectural arches, the fireplace is one of my favorite features. We kept styling minimal so the detail stands out and so the mantle becomes a flexible backdrop for seasonal decor. My favorite find was a vintage peacock fireplace screen that fits the round opening perfectly and conceals the imperfect interior.
On the mantle we placed a vintage-style mirror, a freehand machine-embroidered portrait of our son, and several plants from our local plant shop. Together these elements add texture and personality without overwhelming the fireplace’s architecture.
Gallery Wall Around the TV
The largest “photo” on the wall is actually our TV, a Samsung Frame, which blends art and technology. The TV looked small on its own, so we built a gallery wall around it to give the whole vignette visual weight and to create an intentional focal point.
Discreet Toy Storage: DIY Rattan IKEA Besta Hack
Beneath the gallery wall sits a DIY rattan-covered IKEA Besta console. We chose drawers for toy storage because they make it easy to toss items in quickly. The top surface works well for displaying books and decorative objects while keeping toys out of sight when needed.
Additional Seating for Guests
Before the renovation we had a single, large couch that felt cozy but crowded and made conversation awkward. To improve flow and social interaction, we created a secondary seating area with two oversized chairs and a small side table between them. Arranging furniture around the room’s perimeter opened up play space in the center—our top priority—while keeping the layout comfortable for guests.
We centered the chairs on the room’s arches and added a custom, neutral-toned wall piece to draw the eye upward without competing with the color elsewhere. It balances the palette and completes the seating vignette.
Photos by Jeff Mindell Photography
Design by Kelly Mindell
Sources
Furniture
Modular Leather Sofa | Bone Inlay Coffee Table (similar styles available) | Rattan Chairs | Rattan End Table | DIY IKEA Besta Console (tutorial forthcoming)
Pillows and Cushions
A mix of colorful cushions in velvet, woven textiles and embroidered pieces create the layered, collected look throughout the room.
Decor
Blue Moroccan Rug | Weighted Blanket | Mirror | Peacock Fireplace Screen | Plants and planters | Assorted decorative objects and books
Gallery Wall Art
Samsung Frame TV with beige bezel surrounded by a curated collection of prints, sketches and personal pieces to form a playful, colorful gallery.
This room gets a lot of use and rarely looks as pristine as these photos because it functions as a living space first. That’s exactly how a colorful living room should feel: lived-in, loved, and full of personality.
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