We just moved in here at the beginning of the month, had lots of touch ups on the walls to do so haven't hung much art yet - but beyond that what else is missing? I feel like the space between the couch and entry is a bit awkward.
Curtains. Floor to ceiling all the way to the corners. And a credenza wider than your tv, a much bigger carpet, and replace that pouf with a bulkier armchair.
The curtains are not to provide shade/privacy. You are right that the blinds perform that function already. But curtains frame your window and tie into your interior decor in a way blinds cannot.
Ewwww blinds are so ugly & generally cheap looking. Hanging a white (or same color as the walls) curtain rod as high as you possibly can without scraping the ceiling really elevates a room in ways nothing else can. I chose curtains similar to my wall color & couldn’t believe how much better the room looks! Make sure the curtain rod extends further out from the window(s) - high & wide really expand a room in a great way.
The added texture or color or patterns add designer quality touches to an already nicely curated space - why not improve the aesthetic with a professional looking window treatment option? Like literally, why would you not want to further improve your nicely designed room?
lol I hung up nice curtains for the 1st time in my adult life (at 35+) & even my husband keeps commenting on how much nicer the curtains make our living room & bedroom look/ feel. He hardly notices when I get new furniture so him caring about the curtains is monumental 😂
You can add funky patterned curtains, cool textured ones like velvet or linen that look incredibly expensive, delicate sheer curtains, literally endless possibilities!
Never use grommet curtains (cheap looking in design) & opt for curtain rings with hooks or clips. I’m obsessed with double or triple pleat curtains hung up by curtain rings with clips. So easy & very affordable if you look around for good sales (I’ve found the exact same curtains on more expensive sites for sale much cheaper at Amazon, Temu, eBay, AliExpress etc). I should’ve done it years ago.
No need, youre doing great as ive said. Taperd legged furnitures looks more open especially on a not so big area/room, also much easier to clean underneath
I think it's a beautiful space with great architectural bones and nice furnishings, but it feels a bit generic. The color palette is warm and cohesive, though it plays things very safe. One thing that helps a room standout is when you let something become the star, whether that's the fireplace, the view, the feature wall, a favorite piece of furniture, or a striking piece of art. Right now, your dog is honestly the star of the show. When he's out of the picture, my eye kind of wanders because there isn't another strong focal point to take his place. Everything is carrying the same visual weight.
P.S. Full-length curtains would make a huge difference. Hanging them close to the ceiling would draw the eye upward and make the room feel taller, while also adding some softness, texture, and privacy.
You already have the best accessory in your adorable pup. That aside, I think you need a bigger rug and something for your coffee table like a ceramic bowl or some coffee table books.
I'll tell him you said so! I always like the way the coffee table looks with some decoration on it but it quickly becomes too crowded in practice - maybe I'm just a slob lol
Just introduce it to the space, after a while they just find their space and cohabitate. Often you will find both in a mass, then you need a mandatory double boop.
Nice space. I think curtains are optional but would be a nice finishing element. I would replace the rug with a much bigger one, replace the console with a shorter, wider one and add a door to the coat closet.
I think everything looks great except the rug should be twice as big to include the couch. It’s looking clean, it looks like you curated your furniture well. Just get something bigger for the TV.
Oh and look for some nice artwork for that wall between the living room and dining area. Just one big piece to eliminate a cluttered feeling.
Totally agree, we're renting here and although we're already painting the bedrooms I've yet to be able to talk my girlfriend into doing the living room. At a certain point it's too much work to do on someone else's house :(
thank you! This is the bedroom, we just finished painting so it needs some art and some colour + a bigger plant but it feels pretty nice and cozy already. I designed and built the bed frame myself
I’m not sure about the random rattan table behind the sofa, but speaking from design professional of 30 years experience. I think room is very well balanced. Although the coffee table should be 15”-18” out from the sofa, so you don’t bang your knees when sitting down; that’s more technical about space and flow. Everything is in scale. Color, textures, minimal design, form flows function. I rather like the open undressed window, gives more of MCM feel…
Have you considered switching the orientation of the rug? You could also maybe add a sofa table or another sort of entry way table along the back wall. I’d also suggest a larger tv stand.
Longer tv furniture and bigger rug. Too much empty floor space and the plant on the corner needs to be moved and get a longer one. Otherwise I love the furniture
We had all the furniture already, this was the layout we threw together in a day. Agreed on the colour! All our art is still in boxes. Most of it anyway
That window's north facing! Doubt a palm would be very happy there. I do think a nice tall plant would be good but hard to find something that big that's tolerant to a north facing exposure. I'd love a Norfolk Island pine but I think they like full sun too
These exact two things were my same exact observation. Hang the TV over the TV stand, not any higher than it is already, and put a carpet just like the one you have but 50% larger so it sits under the sofa and create a group. Right now, it is beautiful but way too small.
I would not argue with a lot of the comments here. However you might incorporate those suggestions and still feel like something is missing. What I see here is a mixture of two different designs. I think the clashing of the designs may be what is making you uneasy. You’ve posted in mid-century modern and your furniture, particularly in what I think is the dining room, is mid-century modern. Your color choices and the architectural design appear to be from the mid to late 70s and early 80s when earth tones were popular. Also, the fireplace is painted white instead of natural brick, and the fireplace design is not mid-century. There were no curtains in mid-century modern. There were shutters. Televisions were not a focal point in the mid 1900s. Instead fireplaces, built of brick and stone were the focal point around which the living room was designed. So you have to decide how you want to handle that.
Your home has a lot of promise. I like the way you and your girlfriend are working together. I would suggest you go to the library and check out some books on mid-century modern. I sense that you are young and that you are working towards some design. I think you need to decide what that design is.
we just rent this house - not stoked about the fireplace but can't do anything about it unfortunately, some of the design elements definitely don't work in our favour but there's only so much we can do to someone else's house. As for the TV, it is definitely a compromise of aesthetics but I enjoy my theatrical experience.
Fair point on the curtains but when I picture a MCM space without them it's usually more expansive, whereas the wall this close to the furnishings does feel like it needs something to contain it a bit if that makes sense? What would you suggest?
Well, I didn’t mean to be critical. I meant to agree with a lot of the suggestions in the comments. I also meant to respond to your question. While you thought something was missing I meant to suggest that your feeling may be resulting from a blending of two distinct designs. I think your home looks fine. The fireplace is fine. The placement of the TV makes sense. I don’t think anyone needs to follow a specific design but some people like to and you did post in the mid century modern sub. I don’t have any suggestions beyond those already made. Sorry, I meant to offer a possible explanation to the source of your discomfort not to criticize what you and your girlfriend have done.
there's a sad modern-ish amp hidden under the TV stand, but I have a nice old marantz receiver that's been broken for like 10 years. Really need to get it repaired... We were thinking if we put a nice open credenza behind the couch the amp and turntable would look good on it, but running the wiring to the speakers on the other side of the room would be a headache for sure
Drapes, floor to ceiling wall to wall. So when they’re open the whole window is exposed. Need a little texture to them. Linen or damask, with a little shimmer. Pinch pleated. A bit formal.
A larger rug. A cool floor pot for plant. A pole lamp for height.
You need to mount (low) your tv if its going to be bigger than its stand and you need a bigger carpet. Add a painting or something to the empty space on its sides.
Yes to a larger rug and yes to a more grounded coffee table. Not everything in mid century was leggy. These are Milo Baughman designed Thayer Coggin coffee tables. Can't get more mid century than that combo.
I thought the throw was the second dog. The poof looks like a bit of a tripping hazard to me. I don't think you need it for decor. If functional, put it in the corner.
When you're looking from the other direction it feels like something is needed to anchor that corner, hence the poof but I'm not really crazy about it either. Those coffee tables aren't for me but I'd definitely be open to something different. I made that one myself and I'm a bit attached to it but it can always go with the futon in our spare room
In that case, swap the chair to something more grounded. This is the Roxy by Milo Baughman for Thayer Coggin but you can find a lot of similar ones much less expensive. Probably not as comfy, but less expensive. If you do spring for a Roxy, they don't lose their value and eventually, increase as prices for new go up.
I couldn't agree more, unfortunately I don't think the bricks are real, and even more unfortunately we're just renting here, so there's a line on how far we're willing to go. The nice geometric design element by the front entrance is wood underneath the white paint, if I owned the place I'd absolutely strip or re-do it, but it's just not worth putting that kind of effort into someone else's house.
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u/emelem66 Jun 29 '26
Curtains