Let’s talk about the Palm Springs living room. For me, a vacation home should be a welcoming hub where family, friends and guests gather and feel at ease. That’s exactly the atmosphere we’re creating here: comfortable, relaxed and lived-in rather than staged or cold.
I’ll share the kitchen changes in a separate post, where we opened up the space, but here I’ll focus on the living room plans. The room is large, central in the house and opens to the pool and dining areas. We wanted it to feel moody and inviting — a space that looks like it’s been loved for years.
Below are the elements we planned and how the space is coming together.
The Color Palette
We started with a fairly blank slate in this room.
After an earlier kitchen paint experiment, I wanted another go at a deep ochre tone. For the living and kitchen area in this house I settled on an ochre that feels warm and enveloping. After experimenting with a few options, we chose Dunn Edwards’ Wildflower Honey and I’m very pleased with the result.
The rest of the palette pulls colors used elsewhere in the house to create cohesion: a plum sofa echoing the guest bathroom, deep greens found in the main bedroom and bathroom, soft pink accents from the guest bedroom, and various blues. We’ll layer natural wood tones as well—both in the beamed ceiling and with furniture pieces—to add warmth and texture.
Here’s one last before shot of the space before we dig into layout and progress.
The Layout
To me, the most important piece is a large, comfortable couch. We partnered with Six Penny for a linen Neva Corner sectional that’s roomy and perfect for lounging, game nights or watching TV. Its scale fits the room and creates a natural gathering spot.
We centered the sectional around the Kai coffee table, whose reclaimed wood look suits the lived-in vibe and ties into the home’s wood accents.
A corner sectional felt right because it balances the sightlines between the fireplace and the wall where the TV will be installed, which sits to the right of the fireplace when facing the backyard.
Leftover tile from the kitchen project became a practical and attractive solution to retile the fireplace base. I’m still looking for a large rug to anchor the seating area—likely a neutral tone to balance the bold wall color and colored furnishings.
Art in The Space
We added another Samsung Frame TV but chose not to mount it above the fireplace. That leaves the fireplace mantle open for artwork or a mirror, which I’m still deciding on.
We’re considering two gallery wall treatments. One option is to incorporate the TV into a gallery-style arrangement on the far wall, similar to a layout we used in our LA living room. The other option is to center the TV on that wall and create a themed gallery on the opposite wall with vintage 1930s rock plant illustrations I found at a flea market, with a long narrow bench beneath for balance and seating.
Living Room To Do List
On the to-do list: add an extra chair or a small side/game table to fill a corner, finalize additional lighting beyond the existing sconces, and choose art or a mirror for above the fireplace. We’ll also select and install a rug and complete any remaining styling to make the room feel cohesive and settled.
Finally, here’s a peek at the exterior door color we chose: Kinetic Energy by Dunn Edwards. It’s a bold blue that complements the warm ochre walls and the overall color story of the house.
There’s still plenty to do, but the room is coming together and feels like a true gathering place. Stay tuned for more updates.
Thank you to Six Penny and Dunn Edwards for providing product for this project. All opinions are my own.