Creating a home isn’t something that happens overnight, it’s an evolution of honoring what you have while introducing new pieces that collectively work together to create a space that’s cohesive, functional and unique to who you are. After being in our home for a couple years, I think we’ve narrowed down our style- elevated casual. While it’s taken some time, even from when we first started, I didn’t want to slap something together only to end up taking a hit on Craigslist and hearing my husband say “didn’t you just buy that chair?”….ha. It sounds a little quirky, but from a holistic approach to interiors, I think your home will tell you what it needs if you’re patient.
Even though we love light-colored neutrals, we want our home to be a big ball (or square?) of elevated casual cozy by choosing fabrics and materials that can actually be used. Someday we might add on a game room on the second floor but for now, our living room/dining space is where all the hanging out happens. I chose furniture that’s practical for a family but also is a reflection of the season we’re in. Our kiddos are all high school aged except our youngest but he fits right in being the youngest with older siblings.
“Your home should tell the story of who you are,
and be a collection of what you love brought together under one roof.”
-Nate Berkus
Our new coffee table really grounds the space and makes it feel complete. When I found this Brass & Burl coffee table I knew she was the one. The parsons style of this Square Feathers table will forever be my favorite (nod to our dining table!) and getting to choose between finishes felt like she was made just for us. Oh wait, she was! Made in the USA (Austin to be exact) and generously proportioned, she completes our living room. I chose the ‘Hide Grey’ option which is somewhat of a shagreen feel mixed with soft texture making it completely drinks/playing cards/ family friendly and that elevated casual vibe we love. For the same reason we added a sheet of glass to our dining table (be sure to check out the end of the post for details on that!), I didn’t want a coffee table with a finish where every tiny little scratch would be amplified with the blazing afternoon sun that streams in our back doors.
Elevated casual means everything works for our family, but we still feel like we live in a grown-up space. As a mom, I think it’s so important to maintain areas in the home where you can recharge and relax. I have a meditation pillow coming soon that’ll fit right under the coffee table. As many mornings as I can, I plop right now on that squishy soft rug and meditate, even if it’s only for five minutes.
We chose Crypton fabric for our sofas and it truly does live up to its reputation. That stuff is magic. Since this is the only hangout spot in the house, we wanted our sofas to stand the test of time both in upholstery and style. I love the combination of the shelter arm (that’s a fancy way of saying the sofa has clean lines) and the loose back cushions. I know the less cushion look is super in right now and while I love that look, I wanted to choose sofas that are both on trend and timeless. They’re super cozy and have held up well being I sit in the same spot (a lot!) and you can’t tell where that spot is. Any guesses? If you’ve been following here for a while, you know how much I love adding sheepskin to our sofas. Since the sofas are so light, it prevents stuff like self-tanner (who me?) or dirty feet mucking them all up.
The only drawback with the low sofas is there seems to be a temptation to sit on the back of the sofa. But no worries- problem solved with this beautiful hefty block of a bench. The Sarreid bench is sleek and boxy all at once and is the perfect sofa length. You’d think that would be easy to find, but this definitely is the Goldilocks of benches. A traditional sofa table would be too tall for our low sofas and I wanted something a little different. My husband said the bench reminds him of the beams at San Marcos Brewery in California that are reclaimed pieces of wood from a pier in San Diego. So sweet! We’ll have to add that spot to our bucket list because I’ve never been before. Hearing that story makes me love this bench even more.
Let’s talk color. Color stresses me out. There. I said it. I like color from nature but my version of interior color is texture. A home can never ever have too much texture. The coziest way to add texture is by adding throws….everywhere. These beautiful throws from Alicia Adams Alpaca are artisan-made and designed ‘farm-to-shelf’. They are seriously the most luxurious quality. The Ibiza throw in ‘pearl grey’ is probably my favorite color right now. Oops! Did I just say favorite COLOR? Really though, it’s grey but a silver spa type color. Which, if I had to choose another way to describe the vibe I want to feel in our home is a spa-like resort-away-from-home-vacation kind of vibe. These photos really don’t do the color justice. It’s one of those colors you have to FEEL! I think it should be called Spa Grey. It’s a lightweight throw which is perfect for afternoon naps when the sun is streaming in this room. I’m pretty skilled at taking that type of nap, I have lots of experience. My other favorite is the reversible throw in Camel and Light Grey. The two-tone ties the grey swivel chairs into the room and the camel marries the umber shade of the dining table into the space. It’s incredibly soft and elevates the space in coziness.
Our all-time favorite rug is this Safavieh rug from Plush Rugs. I like it so much that when I decided I wanted a bigger rug for this space, I chose a bigger version of this same rug. It’s affordable and super soft and yes, embodies that elevated casual vibe. Even though it’s light in color, it truly doesn’t show dirt like you’d expect. Of course one could argue that the whole rug is super dirty so the whole thing looks clean (seems logical) but a quick move of the sofas and it’s the same color everywhere. The rug photographs lighter than it appears in person but like most rugs, one angle appears brighter. One negative a reviewer mentioned is that you can see feet marks and vacuum lines in the rug which is a tad true, but that doesn’t bother me. Vacuum lines are beautiful in my opinion. OCD much?
Instead of the traditional rule of thumb for having lots of different levels of decor on the coffee table, I opted for a few stacks of books and this wood bowl from filled with black beach pebble, an incense holder and a candle we got on our recent trip to Hawaii. The books represent where we’re from and what we’re into (New Mexico Photography, Georgia O’Keeffe’s art, interiors etc.) and we have photo albums on the bench behind the sofa. I’m a little behind on those but there’s a stack so I’ll take it as a win. It’s so important to have items in your home that mean something to you and your family so it doesn’t look like a showroom or a model home. Infusing personal traits through artwork and books and decor tells the story of the people who live there. Thanks for taking a little time out of your day to pop into our home! Have specific questions about our house? DM me on Instagram or message us at hello@aedriel.com.
**’Elevated Casual : Living Room Tour‘ Post sponsored by Alicia Adams Alpaca, Brass & Burl, Hudson Valley Lighting, Plush Rugs and Sarreid Limited. For more details visit our Disclosure link.
Enjoy these discount codes!
Alicia Adams Alpaca– 15% off sitewide with code- weluvaedriel|
Brass & Burl – 10% off sitewide – email contact@brassandburl.com (Mention this post to receive discount)
Check out details on our lighting here.
SOURCE LIST :
Coffee Table – Brass & Burl – Bedford by Square Feathers
Similar coffee table here
Throws – Alicia Adams Alpaca
Sofa Bench – Sarreid Limited Big Chip Bench – also available at Brass & Burl
Living Room Chandelier – Circo Chandelier by Corbett
Dining Room Chandelier – Alpine Chandelier by Livex
Task Lighting – Hillcrest Floor Lamp by Hudson Valley Lighting
Coffee Table Books – Amazon
Wood Bowl – Santa Barbara Design Studio
Swivel Chairs – West Elm Luther Chair (Similar here and here)
Vase on Coffee Table – Crystal Block Vase by Williams Sonoma
Vases on Sofa Bench- Homegoods (similar here
Paint Color – on walls Dunn Edward ‘Antique Paper’, on fireplace Dunn Edwards ‘Blackjack’
Pillows – Kelly Wearstler by Willa Skye Home , Colorblock pillows Willa Skye Home
Dining Table – Big Sur Table by Crate & Barrel – no longer available (Similar here, or here)
Glass on Dining Table- a local glass dealer cut and delivered the glass for about $130
white slipcovered dining chairs
Sofas – Custom Upholstered Astor Sofa without Nailhead Trim by Ethan Allen
Black End Table- Frontgate -no longer available