While they’re super impressive, decorating a 2-story living room can drive you bonkers.  That’s what happened to one of my lovely clients who asked for some design advice when the frustration with her soaring ceilings became too much – as she said . . .

“We don’t like hanging out in our great room.  The TV is above the fireplace, so we have to crane our necks to see it, and it has open, vaulted ceilings, so it isn’t cozy or inviting.”

Say no more, let’s whip that living room into shape!  Here’s how the living room looked when my client wrote in:

By incorporating my client’s wish for fresh and simple design with a Pottery Barn feel, I whipped up this cozy yet elegant living room that will be perfect for both family game night and evenings with guests:

Crisp white is a gorgeous contrast against the soothing blues in this space, while natural elements add warmth and character.  Now let’s see how this new living room will all come together!

~ Floor plan. Nailing the floor plan can be the trickiest part of designing a room.  In my client’s living room, placing the sofa so that it faces the fireplace instantly gives her a ton of freedom in how she can arrange the room – and now she even has space to add a media center so that the TV is at a watchable level and her kids can manage changing DVDs on their own (a complaint with the previous arrangement).  And while I’ve chosen to place two armchairs flanking the fireplace, my client could just as easily slide the armchairs side by side opposite the media center (with their backs to the adjacent dining room) and add a bench in front of the fireplace for extra seating.  Tons of options!!

~ Rug. This beautiful rug was the inspiration for the color palette in this room.  With steely blues and sage greens, it’s the perfect foundation for this new living room – and it’s soft enough that the little kids can still play on the floor as they please.

~ Accent Wall. In this two-story living room, I think it’s fab that my client chose to do an accent wall to provide a dramatic focal point to the space.  I know she are ready to say goodbye to that red, however, so we’re making it a bit more subtle with a gorgeous stormy blue (available at Home Depot).  (And if she has any leftover beige paint from when she painted the main walls, I would recommend painting over the white air vents on the wall above the media center, just to help them blend in a bit).

~ Furniture.

Media Center.  Oh happy day – my client already owned the perfect media center for this room!  (here and here)  I think she’ll love having the media center in this room, and it brings in extra storage to boot!  And filling the lower shelves with these woven baskets will make it easy to corral smaller toys in a jiffy.

Armchairs.  Since we’re keeping the existing sofa, mixing it up with two slipcovered armchairs instead of the matching leather love seat will both increase the visual interest in this room and give my client more flexible seating.  And with slipcovers, she can throw these babies in the laundry or switch them out whenever her heart desires.  The woven basket that is currently sitting next to the fireplace will act as a side table next to the armchair, the perfect place to place a drink or book.

Coffee Table.  This coffee table is oh so fun, and will give this family tons of surface area to kick thier feet up, for display or for a child-sized dance floor.  And it doesn’t hurt that the woven circles are pretty to look at.

~ Curtains. These crisp white curtains will pop against the new accent wall and add a little extra drama.  I would love to see them hung high, at the top of the curved windows – just one on the left side of the room and one on the right (hanging a panel on both sides of each window would make things feel a little cluttered against the fireplace).   And while these panels are almost 10 feet long, I would buy an extra panel in case a little extra length is needed.

~ Lighting. When positioned next to the armchair, this swing-arm lamp will provide the perfect light for cozying up with a good book.  Across the room on the console table, a pair of these fun and funky lamps will bring the natural vibe over to that side of the space, and layering the top of the console with this striped runner will really make those lamps pop.

~ Accessories.

Fireplace Art.  Who says ceiling medallions can only be used on the ceiling?  After receiving a coat of shiny white spray paint, this architectural piece will look amazing centered in the inset above the fireplace.

Woven Stools.  Since this room needs to function for both kids and adults, these woven stools can be scattered around for extra lounging space but then stacked up and stored away when company comes over.

Pillows.  Pillows are the perfect way to bring the color palette onto the seating pieces (which are typically a single, neutral color).  When paired together, the jute-trimmed rectangular pillow and cozy blue chenille pillow add splashes of color to the leather sofa.  And my client can spice up the white armchairs in a flash with the bold stripes of these pillows.

Framed Photos.  The empty wall on the left side of the media center is a great place to display family photos.  Just blow up some great pics of the kiddos and place them in these oversized frames, which will look fab hung in a vertical line.

So there you have it!!  A comfortable, stylish space that the whole family can enjoy.  What do you guys think?

Have a room that’s driving you bananas? Click on the following link to snag some design advice of your very own – Interior Design Services.