The first room we are going to tackle in project A-frame is the living room, because… windows! You can’t beat those windows, they make this space the heart of the A-frame. I want to make this the room that we want to hang out in all. day. long.

I forgot to take a photo last trip but all we have done is torn out the carpet, so it looks like this… but with no carpet. ha. We can call this the “empty before”. There will be some painting, new flooring, and replacing of the yellow plastic window before we get to the furniture, but in the meantime… I got started on the design process and it feels so good.

Since this is a second home, I want it to feel like we are on vacation, I want the space to be lounge-ey and comfortable and weigh even heavier on the boho side than my usual California modern/boho style, but as always include a mix of styles that create that yummy collected feel.

When I start on any interior project, I often go at it as if money were no object. This allows me to design the space (at least the virtual design board space) with no limitations, exhaust all possibilities and nail the look and feel that I am going for. I should probably specify that when I do this for a client I DO NOT share this utopia board with them unless they actually do not have a budget. This is just a step I take as part of the process. Once I get the furniture layout, the overall vibe and the ideal selects, I get to work on finding affordable alternatives and pick and choose which items to splurge on and where to save.

So above you’ll find my first round of “ideal” furniture selects for the space and an idea of the layout I am planning for the room. There are some pieces that I have actually decided on, and others that cost $62,000. bahaha!

For a living room, I usually like to start the design with the sofa and rug pairing. One or the other comes first. In this case I knew I wanted a very comfortable, large, ivory colored sofa and turned to Arhaus for their customization ability and the quality. Guaranteed, you think I am crazy for getting a white sofa with a little boy in the house and you are probably right, BUT it is a second home so it won’t be getting everyday use, and we did have white sofas in the last cabin that I never regretted so there’s hope. I may just have to get cozy with some professional sofa cleaners but we will see! It does come in a bunch of other colors but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Anyway, you may not be able to tell from the photos but the living room is actually quite long. Like 19’ long and I wanted a big ole sofa centered in the space so I went with Arhaus’ 108” Remington sofa, which also has a super deep seat, I got the 40” one but it comes standard at 46”(!) which is what drew me into that sofa in the first place. A deep seat and cushions that are wrapped in down mean hello comfy cozy. I was also able to specify between two large cushions or three, and I chose the two for a more modern feel. I also customized the legs to be a lighter wood finish than you see above.

With the white sofa in mind (and getting made as we speak), my first instinct was to go with another beautiful Persian rug, like our bedroom, archie’s room, our living room, and almost every other room, because they are just so good, but where is the fun in that? (ok, it still would be fun and it was hard not putting one in there but like I said, I wanted to differentiate this a little bit from my usual). Also, with the stone wall that is just A LOT going on. See…

So instead I went with a vintage Turkish Kilim I found in a beautiful charcoal and white striped pattern.

With those two items being the only two I have ‘for really real’ decided on, I made the rest of the selects (that most likely won’t be my final selects). Those green sling chairs are giving me all the feels, but at $7000, I will be finding an alternative.

Wish me luck!

Sources: Remington Sofa by Arhaus // Rug Vintage // Chandelier by Jonathan Adler // Credenza by Organic Modernism // Console/desk from DWR // Rattan Chair Vintage // Walnut Slab Coffee Table (cough cough) // Green Safari Chairs // Brass Side Table by Jonathan Adler // Sheepskin Rug // Moroccan Floor Pillows (for inspiration) // DIY Planter // Case Study Planter by Modernica 

This post was in collaboration with Arhuas, all thoughts and ideas are my own.