how to have a living room with a personality: a look into my living room makeover
This is the first home I moved into after being married. It was a 700+ sqft upper portion of….wait for it…my in-laws’ house. Yes yes, I know. The horror! I know we’re here to impart cultural design most days, but in this case, here’s some cultural info: Living with in-laws in Pakistan is a common tradition. Fortunately for me, mine are amazing and so generous, and made changing their space into my own a really fun and easy process.
When my husband and I moved in, a couple of months later, I was up most nights, thinking of - excited about - ways to transform it into a space that truly reflected our personality, as a couple. We’re both creative and love color and unique things.
My in-laws had tried to keep the canvas as blank as possible because they wanted me to come in and make the space my own, do my thang. But also had done a bunch of stuff to make it feel still welcoming when I actually moved in. They had painted the walls gray with a teal accent wall, put some floral curtains, a vintage rug, an antique coffee table, and a really confusing sofa. They had built a cute little kitchen and a breakfast nook as well. I wanted to keep these things but also find a way to have them work with what I had in mind for the space.
Once I was done with this room, in retrospect I noticed that these are the four major design things - you can call them tips, if you may - I had focused on which gave the room a heap of personality:
1. Embrace (or Add) Architectural Features:
The first decision I had to make was whether to add a brick wall. We decided to go for it, and it turned out to be the best decision for the space. The old-timey vibe of the house was something we loved, and the red brick (integral to the traditional architecture in Lahore) accentuated that character even further.
2. Mix Styles and Elements:
Instead of sticking to one style - like mid-century, MCM, boho, industrial - I wanted to use a bit of all of them so it doesn’t feel..predictable and boring. We incorporated a lot of fun art from local designers and artists which organically formed a gallery wall on the teal backdrop and with it, mixed in some traditional furniture pieces (coffee table), some mid-century ones (TV Console) with some trendy colored pieces (heirloom cabinet) and some modern (the sofa).
Another tip is to mix a bunch of natural elements to create an interesting space. We mixed rattan, wood, metal (copper/steel), stone, plants, and a lot of textiles to bring a rich, diverse texture to the room.
3. Utilize Local Craft in Unique Ways:
If our shop was about one thing and one thing alone, it would be this: using local craft in a thoughtful and unique way. For our space, I collaborated with an Instagram page to design handmade mustard-colored rilli curtains, a traditional craft technique that appliques a fabric in unique shapes onto a base fabric. This gave our space such a distinct charm. My tip is to use craft in a way that doesn’t feel too..crafty. (It makes sense, I promise!)
4. Add Unexpected Decor (Or in Unexpected Places)
Adding pops of color in unexpected places can create an element of surprise and unpredictability in the room. Don’t we all love that? For instance, this colorful handwoven and handmade organizer against a brick wall.
Or these ceramic plates above an archway or layered behind a plant.
If possible, add unexpected tech too like this vintage TV with unique character, which some questioned, but its charm perfectly complemented the space.
As we began filling the room with pretty things like fun decor, plants, throw pillows, the living room started to get a whole new, bold personality - which of course, is driven from our peronalities. The introduction of a 70-year-old Turkish rug tied all the colors together. The colors oddly all complemented each other but also contrasted with each other. And this is the confusing hit-or-miss color theory I always follow: Stay within the same color family but also find something that's different within that color family. For instance, when deciding on a color for my sofa, I knew a mustard would look good with a teal wall. But mustard was too obvious a choice, so I went with a bright orange instead (because it would be considered part of the same family, but it was still different and still very non-mustard). Hope that makes sense!
Another design thing I notice myself incorporating a lot is that when I’m using a lot of color, just so it doesn’t feel very scattered and looks like a color vomit, I kind of ground it and bring it all in with a black-and-white accent.
In the end, the living room became a true representation of who we are, and every detail held a special story or memory. The space evolved and made being at home during the pandemic so much more comforting, and even happy.
Though interior design is an ever-evolving process, these four tips – embracing unique architectural features, mixing styles and elements, using local craft uniquely, and adding unexpected decor – served as guiding principles to create a living room that oozed personality and charm. The transformation of the canvas into our dream space was such a fun journey, and it taught us that there are no rules.
P.S. You can watch a detailed video I made eons ago on this makeover here.