How Taylor Sterling Refreshed Her Living Room For Stay-At-Home Comfort

You know that room in your house that you keep rearranging but never feel satisfied with? For me, it’s my living room. As you probably have seen, it’s gone through some changes over the past six years. When Sixpenny reached out about trying one of its sofas, I welcomed the opportunity to give this room another refresh. I’ve always wanted a white sofa, but have been terrified to try it with my two kids and dog. When I learned I could spot clean and dry clean Sixpenny’s slipcovers, I decided I would finally go for it!

Sixpenny Neva sofa

The Sofa

I chose Sixpenny’s Neva sofa for its minimal, cozy style. The 84-inch sofa fits perfectly in here. I also chose feather-down fill for extra softness. I love the fresh look that this sofa brings to this space. It feels light and welcoming. The Neva sofa is super comfortable. There is enough room to fit my family of four. The sofa has great durability and can handle all the dance parties my two littles have on it each night. It also holds its shape well. I chose Cotton Linen in Pacific Pearl, which is a very pretty white. I appreciate that this sofa is like a blank slate. I will be able to change the décor in here and the couch will always work. That’s a huge bonus for someone who changes things frequently, like me. I could not be happier with this sofa.

Urban Outfitters throw pillow, Misha & Puff throw blanket, IKEA reading lamp

Sixpenny Neva sofa, (old) Lulu & Georgia coffee table, IKEA rattan stools, West Elm throw pillows, West Elm floor lamp, Modernica planter, Juniper Print Shop floral prints in Framed & Matted frames

The Décor

When it came to the décor, I decided I wanted to utilize as much of what I already owned as I could, which means it would be a more eclectic style. I also lean toward a retro ’60s/’70s vibe, but I love to give it a modern twist. I collect a lot of records, books and vintage tchotchkes—minimalism is not my forte. However, with our smaller space, I look for ways to display them without it feeling overwhelmingly cluttered. I’m someone who needs her surroundings to be tidy and orderly even if there is a lot of stuff. I also live in a rental and there are a lot of things I wish I could change. The fireplace is one of those things. I have to work with it. Mainly I cover it up as much as I can.

Usually I gravitate toward light colors, pastels, soft wood tones (which I did use in this room where I could), but with our black Eames, I found it’s nice to incorporate other black finishes into the room. That way, the chair blends in well and doesn’t feel random. Choosing the art above the couch was an ordeal. I couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere. I’m drawn to the eclectic style of Scandinavian homes. They’re typically busy rooms that look lived-in while also being beautiful and effortlessly cool. These two floral prints from Juniper Print Shop gave me Scandinavian vibes. One day, I would like something with more color, but for now, I’m happy with them.

I snagged the West Elm floor lamp on sale. It’s very, very simple, but that’s exactly what I wanted for this space. It’s stylish, but doesn’t draw too much attention. It also gives off a lot of cozy light, which is something the room needs. We can’t hang any pendant lights in the room, but it’s not large enough to have a ton of lights without being too cluttered. This lamp has been a great solution.

Article media unit, Noguchi paper lamp, Yves Saint Laurent print, black-and-white photo by Emily Scott, wooden puzzle and rainbow by Raduga Grez

Vintage bookends with (mostly) vintage books

Sixpenny Neva sofa

Decisions

You’ll notice I don’t have a rug. This surprised me too since I have some amazing rugs. I moved my vintage rug from Frances Loom to our bedroom. Because our fireplace jets out into the space, it makes it hard to have large rugs in the room. I have to fold the corners to make it work and it’s a pain. I searched high and low for the right rug for this refresh and I just never found it (or I did, but it cost a small fortune!). I decided the room doesn’t have to have a rug. I can wait to find the right one.

It’s a sentiment I have for a lot of pieces in this space. I love this coffee table, but I felt like I’ve shared it so often I needed an update. I decided to just keep it. I wanted a lot more throw pillows on the couch, but I never found the right ones and I didn’t want to frivolously spend money just to make this room exactly how I want it. This is real life, and I assume that most of you are like me and can’t find and buy everything you want for a room in one go.

A room should be fluid; always evolving and adapting. This room isn’t perfectly done, as I would have hoped, but that’s OK. It’s where we cuddle on our sofa and watch a movie, where we have our family dance parties, where we listen to old records and read books—it’s where we come together, and that’s what truly matters.

Comfort at Home

I once wrote a post about how much I like being cozy. Cozy if my favorite thing. Despite the glorious spring weather we’ve started experiencing, I’m still finding ways to make our home a comfortable retreat (especially as we’re spending a lot more time in right now with COVID-19). Here are some of my tips:

Soft lighting: My family jokes about my obsession with lighting. I try to avoid any artificial lighting and rely on natural light. When that no longer works I turn on soft lighting. Buying the right lightbulbs (soft white / warm white) helps. This sounds a little nuts, but I promise it makes a world of difference to your mood. Also, it’s even better if you can install light dimmers.
Throws and pillows: This is an obvious one, but having comfy blankets and pillows is a no-brainer. No one wants to snuggle on the couch with a scratchy pillow.
Music: I believe in having a soundtrack for every experience. We play music while cooking, while reading, and for family dance parties. I like having a record player and my favorite records at-hand, but a good smart speaker works just fine.
Candles: Lighting a candle is one of my favorite soothing rituals. There isn’t anything quite as cozy as a room lit with candles.
A reading spot: If you have space for it, create a reading spot in your living room. It’s great to have a separate room to retreat to, but I like being with the family. I have my Eames-style chair and a reading lamp in our living room, and I usually get cozy there on weekend mornings and read while my kids watch cartoons.
Artwork: I like to have a lot of artwork in a room. It gives the room character and warmth. I find most of mine on Etsy or Chairish, but Society 6 has a lot of great, affordable pieces too.