Living Room Update – AGAIN – Our New Sofa, My Dream Floral Chaise And The Pop Of Red I Always Wanted In My Life

184 thoughts on “Living Room Update – AGAIN – Our New Sofa, My Dream Floral Chaise And The Pop Of Red I Always Wanted In My Life”

1. This definitely seems like the freshest version – so pretty!! Still obsessed with that wooden coffee table after all these years and those target chairs are true work horses. Would definitely like to see that original red rug back…talk about statement pieces…sigh. Glad you lightened up the fireplace side by getting rid of some tables back there, and also glad not to see that black and white art over the fireplace – I know you loved it, and that’s what art is for, but it was VERY distracting in photos. The chaise lounge is GORGEOUS (I’ve been toying with the idea of recovering an antique chair and would love to read an article from someone who has done a diy version on here), but not quite sure it’s working with the rest of the room… maybe just a nice plant in that corner? Overall, seems much more playful and classic EHD. ☺️

   1. thank you!! I absolutely love it in the corner, but I think that’s because I would love it anywhere. I so wish I had the red rug back, too. maybe we can photoshop it and see if its worth trying to track one down?

      1. Great idea about photoshopping that rug! . I loved that rug so much. I’m loving this latest version. Except for the rug. Though I certainly love the idea of it being so soft and comfortable. I had a hard time with the black and white picture over the fireplace but as she said if you loved it.. it works. Anyway love what is happening now. And continue to love your metamorphosis as you hone your skills and treat us to it all.

      2. Could you layer a smaller more colorful rug with some red in it over the big pale rug?

   2. This comment is a better written version of anything i was going to say (except i love the chaise where it is). Yeah, just really really love this refresh and learning through the journey. I’m longing for that kava bowl. Also have to applaud the use of “shant” in the post – surely the influence of English Eccentricity!!

   3. What about a smaller (4×6; 5×7) darker rug (oriental?) on top of large pale rug, under coffee table?

      1. Chiming in on the layered rug idea …. Miss Em, perhaps there’s one you have tucked away somewhere already that would give the option to try it out, before the need to search and purchase the perfect one. Another shop your home hunt!

2. Oooooh I love it so much!!! I am IN LOVE WITH THAT SOFA and I love how it allowed you to bring back some other of your treasures – I have always loved the vintage floral pillow and it looks like these two were made for each other! The lady on the fireplace is another favourite of mine and I think she looks great there – soulful and quite modern at the same time. The reupholstered chaise looks INSANELY good – what a fabric find!!!??! And the pop of red from the circular chair is just right!! SO MANY EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!! It looks exciting but also lets you breaaathe and I just love everything so much. It feels like a space you could style, play in everyday but also live in and – like you said in your last paragraph – like it is really comming into its own but still leaving you space to experiment later on if you want to. I LOVE IT – well done Emily and Team!!!

   1. Oh and I feel like I should emphasise again HOW MUCH I LOVE THAT SOFA!!!! Just in case that didn’t come across in the first comment haha… the COLOUR, the SHAPE ugh it looks just right!

      1. THANK YOU LISA!!! I also love that you know my pieces – its so touching. Yes, to that portrait (I forgot to mention) and that pillow, my pillow, i’m just so glad its back. thank you thank you. xx

         1. I know, when I first started reading I thought, Isn’t that Emily’s pillow from long ago Yes! I love that you are keeping things that you love and incorporating them throughout the house. Keep it up!

            1. I noticed the pillow right away as well! I have loved the pillow since the first time you showcased in the first home you bought. It is neck and neck with the new sofa for my favorite piece in this room!

      2. Agree.
         Love the pillow is back.i have followed that pillow.true Emily color palette
         And style.Have followed you since early days. Brass petal , moving to LA,
         Staying with friends and you and Orlando .the best combo. True and authentic.

   2. Ditto to everything Lisa said!! It’s exciting but also let’s you breathe. That is the perfect description of what I’m trying to accomplish in my own home and Emily has nailed it here!

3. I love the new sofa! Beautiful colour and shape and love that it has one cushion to sit on but two on the back. It’s perfect! And the target chairs are stunning. There is no need to find vintage chairs to replace them, when they work so well in this room. I also love what you did with the vintage chaise, it’s more beautiful than ever. So great job!!!! It’s nice to see so many older things that you have kept over the years, like the bells and your floral pillow and the always so stunning coffee table. One thing I’m not crazy about is the red chair. It just feels little bit off in this space. But I really love your new vintage trunk, that colour is so so pretty. Over all the colour sceme in the room is so beautiful, light and bright and happy. Can’t wait to see how it evolves and what you’ll do next!

4. Love the sofa….comfort, style, fabric and Color! Also the chaise and the pop of red. But to be honest, the first thing that I noticed was the coffee table. Funny, but I think I’m the only one who doesn’t care for it! Maybe it’s the color, not sure…..it’s light (at least in the photo) and the rug is light. Since you love the rug, have you considered just layering a smaller vintage rug over it?

   1. I agree on the coffee table, by itself it is a lovely piece but seems a little small in this space? I think it’s the pedestal base that doesn’t have a lot to anchor it. I would like to see a leather bench or something to balance the two sides of the room. BUT, all that to say I really like the overall changes and the new sofa is gorgeous and looks really comfy, as does the updated chaise!

      1. interesting! I could totally see that. if only i didn’t love it so much i’d probably try to get a big rectangle that might anchor and ground the space more (and then I wouldn’t think about the rug?).

         1. Nnnooooooooo!!!
            That coffee table is you and it’s way better than the oval.
            To me, the cushion, the bells, the coffee table and that fabulous blimp (which I strangely miss seeing so much!) are YOU!

         2. Maybe if the couch and target chairs were pulled closer to the coffee table it would connect them together and “ground” it?

            1. I have always thought the same thing… bring in seating in closer to the coffee table on both sides! The room feels too stiff at the distance they sit from the coffee table, Just my humble opinion.

         3. It’s too tall! It would feel so much better and more grounded if you could cut off part of the base!

         4. Play with the idea for sure bc that’s why we love EHD…but that table just exudes making the eclectic indoors part of your backyard. Such a great connection to your love of trees!

         5. Plugging once again here for a layered rug option; adding contrast, balancing the beams, and can gather the coffee table, couch and chairs together. Ya know, thoughts from a gal using a 5 X 7 too small rug in a small living room and 3/4 gallery wall, with a DIY vintage bookshelf hack waiting attention in the backyard … obviously I have no trouble pulling a room together!
            Love the process, thanks for re-stying and sharing your home. Dang, we’ve all needed it!

   2. I really, REALLY wanted to love the new version, but I find myself just feeling kinda “meh” about it. Truthfully, the original 2017 version with the colorful rug is still my favorite, if the room was de-cluttered a bit. Now I feel like the coffee table (which I have always loved) is too small for the space and just floats in the middle of the room, like an island on a sea of beige. Also, the airiness of the Target chairs (which I also like) seem unbalanced with the heaviness of a darker sofa. And the plain rug feels like a missed opportunity for something a little more interesting. -Ah well, all that really matters is that Emily loves it.

      1. The colors, prints and textures are VERY Emily but I agree the coffee table looks too small for the space OR the furniture needs to be pulled in a but more so the coffee table doesn’t look like it’s floating. I also think the built-in shelves look a little too cluttered and would look better with a few items removed.

5. hey Em, (yes, I call you that because we’re close friends in my mind) I was reading the part about the black shade next to the chaise longue and it made me think about how good would it be for reading. Then I’ve tried to imagine the light at night and this led me to realise we’ve never seen the room at night!(at least that I remember) I know it must be painful to photograph but just out of curiosity, would you give us a night tour of the house? I think it could be interesting for learning to correctly illuminate a room and how the type of lights and their distribution can affect the space and create different moods. Btw, I love the “new” living room, the sofa looks great and I’m so glad that vintage floral pillow is still around!!

   1. Love the idea of a post giving a “night tour” and talking about lighting! Also agree with another reader’s suggestion of perhaps layering a smaller, bolder rug over the large one.

   2. Yes, I’m curious about what the filtered light through the black shades is like. I love the black elements but I have sort of a thing about what kind of diffused light different sources produce, and it makes me wary of exciting lampshades.

   3. OOh i love the idea of a night tour, too! I can promise you this – NO ONE, i mean NO ONE cares about good ambient lighting at night more than me. Its a huge joke amongst my friends that if they don’t have good lamp lights when they invite me over for drinks that i’ll likely bring my own. thus the sconces. I love lamp 🙂

      1. I love the new lights over the bookcases too!

6. Lovely, best version yet! Love your pillow soooo much. Well done

7. Maybe I’m easy to please because I’ve loved pretty much every incarnation of this room. It’s a terrific space. But I think I might like this update the best. The furniture is the true star here — the sofa and that SPECTACULAR chaise. Oh my gosh, do I want that chaise in my house. And I am Team Trunk all the way. (I, too, loved that red rug but I don’t think it would work with this furniture. Too busy.)

   There is some stuff in this room but not too much. It feels airy and spacious yet inviting.

   I’d be happy to move in if you need a house sitter. 😉

8. Love love love it! It’s fresh and weird and interesting. I love the dose of vintage, the carefully curated art and the Showstoppers of the furniture. It’s very old Emily but also it’s a more refined, classic version which is timeless.

   I finally love this room too!

   1. ah. thank you!!! it took some time and learned some lessons. I think for some of us we never finish finding our style just like we never finish figuring out who we are (because we change) but we get closer and closer and closer.

9. It’s looking great! LOVE the chaise! Noticed one version of the living room is missing – what about the green couch with the blue rug? I loved that!

   1. oh i forgot about that! we really only had that for a bit after the holidays (you know, your ‘holiday’ living room set) but I should throw it in the post. it didn’t work for a myriad of reasons which we knew immediately, so I forgot about it!

10. I do prefer this version of all of them (but I too miss the red rug). I think you’re now mixing “Eccentric English Grandma” with “Thirty-something American Granddaughter” and I like it (but then I like a mix of styles). I much prefer the chaise longue now, and love the red chair. In fact I think a dash of the same red at the other end of the sofa would be great too. Also, European here, would you consider angling the two armchairs very slightly towards each other, rather than have them perfectly parallel? A tiny change that can have a significant impact on the “conviviality factor”.

    But actually I think the reason you’ve always struggled with this room is the fireplace. It’s a bit of a nothing where it should be a definite something. It’s not “Eccentric English Grandma” and it’s not Tudor, which you’ve said is the style of your house – I appreciate this may mean something different in the US, and maybe it is in fact “American Tudor”. And it’s the natural focal point of the room, yet your eye keeps sliding away from it. Even the photos in this post look so much better when it isn’t in them, or when there is a large piece of greenery partly obscuring it.

    I think if you put in a proper fireplace, one that is more than knee-high, with a non-contoured chimney breast (or perhaps no chimney breast at all) and with a less rustic hearth, it will make a huge difference. Especially if you also take the opportunity to do something with those recessed shelves, which are also not working and I think this is why you’ve always had trouble styling them, too. Maybe you could even take out the shelves altogether, reshape the top and leave them as shallow alcoves, which would be perfect to hang art pieces in. Or else if you bring everything forward to obscure the current chimney breast contour, it will automatically make them deeper. I think the whole setup could really work as “TV show living room” where they nearly always have the fireplace behind the furniture, which faces away from it, rather than having everything pointed towards it. It makes a lot more sense that your furniture orients towards your magnificent French doors and terrace.

    Sorry, I expect this is a big constructioney job, but I think it would definitely be worth doing some photoshop mock-ups to see how it changes things.

    1. Ooh! I don’t know anything about Tudor architecture so I looked it up and you’re so right! This fireplace is much more Spanish-inspired than Tudor revival, and the proportions would be way better if it was changed.

       I like the light colored stone-looking version with the slightly pointy arch for this room. It would have some weight to it without necessarily looking heavy.

       Totally agree it’s a big project, though!

       (Love the room, Emily!!)

    2. I don’t disagree at all and yet, yah, that sounds like a JOB. the house was built by a carpenter/architect in the 1920’s. He and his brother built the first two houses on this street in Los Feliz, and my best friend lives in his brothers house next door. Literally the only charm left of the original house is the fireplace and those shelves (and of course all the windows and doors, actually) and I just can’t bring myself to change them. but that could also be because A. it would cost a lost and B. I might mess it up…. but I do agree that its american tudor which might not really be a thing 🙂

    3. You are right about the style being an American version of Tudor revival. In California, Spanish revival was also a very popular style in the 1920s (which is when I assume this house was built), so you often see both influences at the same time. Emily’s exterior is more traditionally Tudor imho.

    4. I agree about the fireplace being a challenge. It seems to me like you are trying to make it disappear, it is refusing to be ignored and that creates a disconnect. It wouldn’t have to be painted a bright “feature wall” color to give it some definition, but I think a little color on the fireplace and built-ins would help.

       1. Maybe some gorgeous tile? I am doing a Spanish Revival right now and bring in some beautiful tiles on the fireplaces.

    5. Perfect post (from another European!) Perhaps a way out of the conundrum would be to look for a vintage fireplace, something more Tudor-like? I also liked the juxtaposition of the black metal frame with the wood, and it picks up so nicely the dark floral. So I’m wondering whether this is another direction for the chairs that would replace the target ones – black paulistano chairs, may be?

11. Unequivocally, the best version yet! The room seems “settled” with the lights and darks, the colors and the neutrals well-distributed throughout the space. Thanks for showing us the room from all angles – we can almost imagine we are invited in to sink into the gorgeous blue pool of that sofa – wow.

12. A “heavier” rug might work better in photos but I think the one you had before would take away the specialness of the red chair. It wouldn’t “pop” against such a similar color. Stick with the lighter rug for now since it’s so comfortable and you have little kids.

    1. Oh that’s so true! I think the red chair and the chaise would get “lost” with a busier red rug. I like light rugs in general, and I really think it works in here.

13. I love it. And I’m so happy you changed out the fabric on the chaise. For some reason, it just never worked for me but the updated fabric is amazing. And The Vanishing Half…soooooooo good. Just finished it last night!

14. Emily, every version looks great!

15. one problem might be that you’re trying to make it one cohesive room with a central focal point. that room is long and needs to be subdivided and more intimate. there should be 2-3 smaller focal points.

    1. Totally agree with this. I think you could have two seating areas in this very large room.

       I also like someone else’s good idea to remove the shelves and just leave open alcoves where you could display some art. The busyness of the bookshelves still seems to compete with the rest of the room.

       Having said all of that – I REALLY like the changes and the direction this room has taken. New sofa is AH-mazing, and even though the floral on the chaise doesn’t appeal to me personally, I think it’s all really working together. I do like the idea of a simple rug, but the lack of color in this one feels sort of sad to me. I really think a bit of color on the floor would make the whole thing fully come together.

       1. I think the artwork on the left bookcase helps it feel less cluttered. Wondering if doing the same on the right with a neutral piece would calm down that corner, working with the gallery wall and letting the chaise breath a bit more.

16. Love the feel and the couch. I want to sit in it and drink tea with your eccentric grandma who is only visiting these days 🙂
    One thing that I struggle with is the art selection. Art can be transformative. Do you love the vintage art in the room? Too me it’s dark and doesn’t inspire — so doesn’t fit with the rest!

17. Love the new sofa! I would (1) add this rug: https://www.chairish.com/product/761857/traditional-handmade-rug-10-x-14. The rug would play nicely with the red chair and blue sofa. It has pattern but is dark enough not to be considered “busy” IMO. AND (2) I would switch coffee tables. As much as I love the live edge coffee table I would switch it back to the original surfboard coffee table which is currently in the Mountain House I think? And I think the live edge coffee table would look so much better in the Mountain House with the trees in the background. Enjoy your new living room. It’s lovely whatever you decide.

18. I love it. The coffee table is so much better, and the pops of black really ground it cleanly.

19. very fresh! thanks for taking out the stuff, thanks for the use of vintage pieces.

    i liked seeing the view of the piano and kitchen from the living room. they feel more cohesive now. the cream/blue/green/wood tones experience. also, so much storage. yaaasss! and wonderful funky lighting. *heart eyes*

20. Loveeeee the new fabric for the chaise! I wish it had a more front-and-center role in the room because it’s just so gosh darn pretty! Overall I’m really loving this iteration of the room. I was one of the readers who felt like the first room looked too chaotic but the later iterations felt too boring. This is really striking that balance of being welcoming and fun. I’ll echo what another commenter said and say that I’m glad you moved that black and white art that you had above the fireplace—it’s really cool but it was all you could look at when you had it up there. Maybe it would be better on a wall in a hallway or somewhere else unexpected? Maybe a nook in a kitchen? Though I love your kitchen as-is. 🙂

    1. Yeah, I agree! The chaise is amazing (I loved it before but am obsessed with it now) and I think if it was more of a focal point, in the pulled out shot especially, it would change the vibe of the room much more to English grandmother because that floral is exactly that tone, in the best way. I knew it was in the first picture but specifically looked for it, and I wish I didn’t have to look 🙂

21. I LOVE the way that the shape of the new black side table, the white vase on the coffee table, and the black lamp with the navy shade kind of echo each other. It really moves your eye around the space, creating a little trio around the new couch!

22. I’ve been fighting against red for so long, and yesterday fell in LOVE with a rug featuring a very present pop of red. I guess I’m accepting red again, here we go!

23. They’re all pretty! But the best one is what makes you happy!

24. I’m so not nearly as funky or confetti-fun in my decor as you are…Totally Scandi. However, I really think this is the best this room has looked yet! And it is very you, but even still, I really do like it. Well done. – For a year until you change it again and it is even possibly better.

    1. OMG> Confetti-fun! I love this description and this is my goal in life. Well, as far as I can compromise that style with my husband who is kinda the opposite.

25. Emily, I love your new sofa, it’s a great color! The chairs and trunk across from it are nice but I’ve always felt a matching sofa would ground the space. I love the red chair and the new fabric on the chaise (I finally like the remade version!). Your updates feel fresh and fun, thanks for sharing. I’m so happy to see the changes and updates in your home, feels like old times!!!

26. It’s nice but I don’t see how this sofa is modern English grandma, especially compared to the first blue sofa, which was perfectly on point. Was it uncomfortable?

27. The chaise just gave the end of the room a major glow up. English granny but the kind that photogs snap photos of as she walks into London fashion week! The lighter rug I think really works with the new sofa and target chairs. I think this is my favorite version by far! The view out to the patio is “chefs kiss.”

28. It’s a beautiful room and that new sofa is perfect. The entire space feels warm, livable, chic and playful all at the same time. That said, the chaise does not fit. In fact, that entire back part of the room seems to be telling a different story than the middle of the room. Like the back part of the room is eccentric English grandma and then the rest of the room is California modern. So each vignette is gorgeous, but as a whole, it doesn’t feel quite coherent. The biggest issue is the chaise, I think. It is beautiful but whereas the rest of that back area could be made to be somewhat connected to the front (that red chair, for example, is bold and brilliant and somehow fits), to my eye, the chaise does not.

    1. Yes, I agree with this too.

    2. There is so much to love about the individual zones/pieces, but each are telling a different story. I agree about the Chaise. I loved it before you recovered it. I would have moved it to a Master bedroom before recovering it. It shouted, Sink into me and read a book.”
       Now the floral chaise says, “Yeah, I do not necessarily work in this room, but Emily spent $ reupholstering me and I need to go in here because she wants to add the new English Grandma trend.”

       It is similar to the kid’s bedroom and that canopy. Your tip toeing into English Grandma does not seem to be working well for you.
       If you are going to do EG then be like the guy who did the pink dining room- he leaned in hard, owned it and it was fabulous.

       This long living room needs curved pathways.

29. This seems much more in line with your personal vision, a happy medium between the style of your house and your personal style. Congrats, I know you worked for it!
    The one thing that I notice in every photo of this misfit room is the shelves flanking the fireplace. Have you ever considered doors or shutters? I see the necessity of the storage but that end of the room is always feeling a bit busier. Just a thought…

30. I am so in love with what you’ve done! I feel like this is the most YOU version, love love love!!!

31. I like the new horizontal sconces by fireplace-less visually busy.

    I like adding touches of red with books, small objects or art. However, I like the “pop” from the chair.

    Is it just me? Do others feel one large piece would be better over the piano? Balancing out the fireplace and minimizing the visual busyness view of all the stuff on the piano, the kitchen chairs and what is going on over the gray cabinet.

    Would angling the two chairs with a round table breakup the airport runway feeling I get looking into the living room towards the fireplace. “Enter” here and “Exit” on the other side.

32. Absolutely in love with couch. It is my dream couch in every way. I think the coffee table works really well in here too. It is big and chonky and adds a nice organic shape. Fabric in the chaise is gorgeous and I love that the little gallery wall goes to the floor. Agree about looking for a darker/heavier rug to balance out the beams but I think the one you have works fine for the time being. The only thing I don’t love is the darker trunk by the red chair. I wish it didn’t stick out from the wall as much and was a few inches taller. Though I loved the very first version of this room, I think I like this one the best. It’s a good balance of the color and excitement of the first room while toning it down a bit so it’s not overwhelming for every day life. Beautiful!!!

33. Kamala Harris and Emily Henderson’s new living room giving me hope for the future!

34. This is sooooo charming! It’s modern and romantic. I don’t think paring down and being more minimalist makes you less of a stylist; if anything it ups your game! A curated collection is totally a stylist’s calling card.
    I have one small critique and it’s soooo tiny but that picture mounted on the bookshelf is making that corner feel off to me. It’s a lot of black in that corner. It kind of works in that vignette shot where you can’t see the black lamp that’s next to the couch.
    Just my two cents.
    But really I am in love with this version and am so happy that you are happier too!
    Bravo!

    1. Yes! That was literally my only quip with any of this lovely, reimagined space.

35. Wow! That chaise looks gorgeous in that fabric!! I had to scroll down right away looking for the close up! And this version of the room is by far my favorite! I think the red rug would take away from the chaise and make the room too busy. A darker solid or textured rug would be my choice. The only thing I don’t like is the art over the fireplace. I would leave that naked and just add seasonal flowers or greenery there as it is so sculptural and beautiful on it’s own imho. Great job and I want to curl up on that chaise next to the fire!

36. I love it! Have you seen the book ‘The Cozy Minimalist’ by Myquillyn Smith? Her tagline is the most amount of style with the least amount of stuff, and that’s the vibe I’m getting from this post.

    1. YES! It made me think the exact same thing!

37. Okay. I have so much to say.
    1. this is my FAVORITE iteration of your living room. Though i do agree, that first rug was stunning. I understand the regret of selling a beautiful rug.
    2. i love the fireplace art. i’ve seen you use it in so many spaces and it is soooooooo you. it really needed to be in there.
    3. that sofa is divine. i am currently waiting on a new sectional from Medley that is probably the most expensive thing that i’ve ever bought after my house and car. which means that thing will be with me until i die. and then it will be buried with me. i sooooooooo wanted it in lavender (i want to live in a pastel dream) and the swatch I got was so good. BUT, since this will have to last our entire lives and i have 2 messy kids and a messy husband, and we will be living on this thing (our living room is also our family room), we went with a very dark blue. it’s nice and has a great texture and will hide all kinds of mess. but it’s not the dream. sooooo, all that to say i’m so jealous (in a nice way) of your dream color sofa. also, i love the arms.
    4. the chaise. that fabric is not my style/colors, but it is so perfect in that room, and for you, and for the style you’re going for. great choice.
    5. totally get the whole thing about less stuff. my whole life was about maximalism in style, until i had kids. then that changed real quick. less stuff is so much easier and less chaotic/stressful. i love this room. so much airier and easier on the eyes than the first iteration (which I did like).
    6. i don’t love red in home styling/furniture/decor, but i think this little pop actually looks great. color me surprised!
    7. your trunks are great. your tables are great. your pieces are all great. i love the whole thing where you said, “I’m really starting to create an inventory that I won’t ever let go of.” This is soooo the goal. As someone that has been selling vintage furniture for almost a decade, i’ve had many lessons on sellers-regret. there are so many exceptionally beautiful and unique things i’ve sold that i wish I hadn’t. sigh. so now that i’ve learned that lesson, i’m now keeping the things that are too special and i’m trying to “create an inventory that I won’t ever let go of.”
    8. love your mentor’s sentiment “pretty always looks good next to pretty”. yes times 1000000.
    9. i’m in love with the whole feel of this post. it’s has a whole feeling of you finally having found what you want this room to be. and its a collection of everything “you” and not just styling for a shoot that could be for anyone.

38. Beautiful! Love the portraits the most. They make me happy. I have to ask… how do you play the piano in a chair with arms? I keep stumbling on that. I also love those wall sconces. Gotta have those in my house asap.

39. I think a vintage rug would make the room sing and bridge the chaise and the sofa.

40. This. Is. Massively. Better! 🙂

    I looked and looked and gazed and zoomed in and out and scrutinized and…..
    It works because of the CURVES!!!

    The fireplace curve, the gorgeous new curvy sofa, the red balloon chair circle-curve, the natural curves of the awesome coffee rable, the curved arms of the target chair and…the oh-so-luverly chaise curves!!!

    You did it, Emily! Yaaay!

    Now that chaise…honestly, I used to hate it. It looked like it might have an odd odour or something, the fringe was too much and….now ….. I LOVE IT! You brought that lady back to life!!!! You quintessential supreme stylist, you!

    Yes, maybe a more grounding rug would be a nice tweak, byt, seriously…this is fabulous and it feels like the fun, quirky you is baaaaack! Pandemic or not, you’re you again!

    This post made me happy to the core. I’m happy for you, because the journey of this room has been long and difficult. Now, the room breathes a huge sigh of styled relief. ❤

41. THE CHAISE!!! Perfect fabric choice.
    The white hot air balloon lamp is so darling and interesting.

42. The sofa and chaise are SO GOOD. I’m dying for a little more funk/ excitement in some of the styling (edgy or eclectic granny) . That rug is probably beautiful in person but definitely feels flat in the photos. BUT I love that you show us progress photos & I love that you’re happier with the room.

43. I let out a deep breath and said to myself and the dog, “you’ve done it. It’s so perfect”. As if it’s my home. The colors, the scale, the vibe is perfection. Weird but a pretty weird. Just enough stuff with out being cluttered and those floral fabrics in the chaise and pillow are sublime.

44. It’s perfect Emily! The darker pieces in the corners give you that balance you are looking for and with the wood elements and great sofa, it’s cozy, but still light and bright. I like the rug, because the nuetrality of it lets everything else pop. It’s easy on the eye, makes the room appear bigger and really lets that great coffee table be a showcase! Don’t change a thing! You nailed it!

45. I want to paint your fireplace a darker color. My eye gets to the end of the room and can’t find a focal point to rest on. Other than that, I love the room!

46. The room is gorgeous and just a perfect combination of fresh and vintage, beau teal and eclectic. You did it!!

47. I’m wondering if you should do just books in your bookshelves on the top shelves, and wicker baskets on the bottom shelves to tone down the visual chaos. With adjacent gallery walls there’s too many small items on that end of the room.

48. Loved this trip down memory lane! It’s reflective of your personal journey & I truly love every version of that beautiful space.

49. I love this iteration of your room…that sofa, that chaise…Ah-Mah-Zing!!! To me the new sofa leans a little more towards teal which I love, while the tufted sofa seemed to read navy heading towards dark indigo (didn’t love so much). And in keeping with ye olde english vocab, the whole look feels like an updated version of Emily of yore – effervescent and fresh, with a dash of quirky accessories and a foundation of good bones. I love it!

50. Man, this is GOOD. Like, so GOOD.

51. It looks lovely! I love the different art above the fireplace. I love the chaise lounge so much more. I don’t think you need a lamp there, at least in pictures. I think it distracts from your beautiful gallery wall.
    I also think the red chair sort of distracts from that pretty corner.

52. I’ve been following your living room dilemma with interest and sympathy for several years now, and as a writer, I think I can relate to your problem—when you revise a piece over and over it becomes difficult to see it with “fresh eyes” and identify what’s working and what’s not. I love the new couch—but the room isn’t working as a whole for me as yet. The pieces are okay together, but they don’t sing. I think part of the issue is that your contrast isn’t distributed evenly around the space. With the light wood coffee table and light rug, you essentially have a large, undifferentiated beige blob in the center of your space. It can’t hold its own against the darker elements sprinkle around the periphery and the ceiling beams. I would love to see the coffee table replaced with a low, chunky black table, such as the dynasty table in black from Ethan Allen. (I scored it as a floor sample, and the size and scale are just awesome. The finish is subtle and gives it character.)
    https://www.ethanallen.com/en_US/shop-furniture-living-room-coffee-tables/dynasty-rectangular-coffee-table/138000.html?dwvar_138000_finish=305#q=Cocktail+table&lang=en_US&start=1
    I think a dark table would connect with your dark peripheral elements and make the room feel like a cohesive whole. Right now, though the chaise is lovely, it doesn’t resonate with your main seating area, nor does it contrast in a pleasing way. From a distance it reads as black. A black table would, I think, make the chaise seem like it belongs. The second, related observation I would make is that your furniture pieces themselves don’t have a pleasing distribution of lightness/leggyness and groundedness. All your seating pieces are leggy. The only piece in the main seating area that feels grounded is the trunk, and it just feels odd and off balance to have an accessory element have the most visual weight. If would love to see you replace the target armchairs with a pair of cool little barrel shaped swivel chairs. (My grandmother had just such a pair.) Something like the Otis swivel chair from Room and Board. It would be great if you pulled a color from your chaise to upholster the chairs. I would also like to see the gorgeous green-blue from your fireplace painting pulled into the center of the space, perhaps in a ceramic piece on the coffee table and/or throw pillows.

53. It feels like you are really leaning into the true history of the house. If I’m correct, it was built right after the war, so it really is a “modern” interpretation of English Tudor, not unlike our newly built suburban “farmhouses” in the 2010-20’s. When it was newly built, I can imagine that it was furnished with some traditional turn of the century pieces the owners had or acquired, (like paintings, trunks, some upholstery) and then gradually they began to lean into the “modernism” that was taking form in Europe at that time. In my imagination, what you are now doing is what the house looked like, but more importantly, felt like back then, and I imagine her smiling and fondly remembering her youth.

54. I IMMEDIATELY recognized your handmade pillow from ages ago. <3

55. I absolutely ADORE the sofa (and the revamped chaise and the red chair, too), but really THE SOFA.

    QQ about it: I’m guessing one reason it’s so comfortable for you is that it’s nice and deep and you can pull your legs up and sit with them underneath you – is that right? Does Brian, being taller, feel the same way?

56. Lovely! I really like the shots where you can see the back patio and into the kitchen and dining room. Seeing how this room flows into your other spaces really brought it to life for me 🙂 What a fun space to go treasure hunting in!

57. What a beautiful, beautiful room! Love the sofa, the red chair, the chaise, the coffee table, the portraits. So, so pretty. Fun and playful, but still enough restraint to prevent it from becoming overly busy. And on that note, I LOVE the rug. Please, please don’t put a busy vintage rug back in this room. I fear it will distract from that gorgeous sofa and that amazing upholstery on the chaise. Let them be the stars that they deserve to be! Also, if I could change one thing it would be to streamline the accessories in the corner by the chaise. The combination of the shelf styling, the upholstery on the chaise (which is STUNNING), and the gallery wall feels like too much. Too many little things. I feel like that lovely upholstery is getting lost in the mix. I might try hanging one large art piece on the wall by the chaise, in place of the gallery wall. But really, such great work. Love it.

58. If you like it that’s all that matters, but it still is a lot. I mean .. a lot.

59. I absolutely love each vignette, but the overall room vibe doesn’t sing like your first version. Thanks for sharing!!

60. It’s gorgeous and it looks so you!

    In defense of the lighter rug, I like the way it creates a neutral envelope with the walls and allows the beams to call to the other woods in the room, like the piano and the arms of the side chairs and the lamp next to the chaise. It gives the space of freshness and lightness that I really appreciate, and I imagine it’s lovely to live with.

    All of the iterations have been beautiful, but I love this!

61. Glorious. It’s a stunning room and it’s been fun watching it grow – thank you 🙂

62. I love the new sofa! the blue is perfect with the chaise and the red of the chair. After seeing this (and also for my own sake – I’d love to see an article that talks through different sofa and love seat combos that work together. I recently moved from a living room with a sofa and a chair to a house that can accommodate a sectional OR a sofa and a love seat. BUT most stuff online or on pintrest is either a sofa and chairs or matching sets. After seeing the image for this sofa and it kinda reminding me of my own sofa (a grey english roll arm) – i’m dying to see what fun combinations of love seat would go with it!

63. I think the issue with this room has always been the seating configuration. As is, it looks like a long bowling alley with nothing to break it up, and no real symmetry or relationship between pieces/vignettes. I think orienting the couch toward the fireplace as a jumping off point would be a great start. I get you guys are obsessed with comfy TV watching, but you could put a TV in a cabinet to the side of the fireplace and have it come out on an adjustable swing arm, like Brady just did at his house.

64. It turned out so beautiful and that powder blue sofa looks so incredibly comfortable (I’m ready for a nap! haha)! I love watching you style different spaces so much! I saw a nice glimpse into the kitchen and I loved the green kitchen cabinets! Do you have a blog post going over the kitchen? If so, please send me to it so I can read it! I love what I’m able to see!   

65. This version is beautiful and warm. I thought I had read a post featuring a friend’s home in which you had gifted her this coffee table? About once a week I poke around the internet hunting for a look alike!

66. I love this iteration! The new sofa plays so well with the new red chair and the recovered chaise (I die!). My only beef: I HATE the art hanging on the front of the bookcase. Absolutely hate it. Like break into your house and do you a favor by taking it down (but not stealing it – I would never steal it) and hiding it so you don’t ever think about putting it back up hate it. But all the rest – glorious.

67. FRONCH makes me laugh every time. I want that chaise!!!

68. I loooooove it! V2 was my previous favorite with the first blue sofa, but this one is just so much better and brighter! I also love that you came back to the blues and greens. AND I can not even stand how amazing that chaise is, it all looks amazing!

69. My fundamental issue with this room stems from your need to watch TV in it. Which I get. But I grew up in a house with a living that shared some of these issues: long with entrance on a short side, fireplace opposite that entrance, windows you don’t want to block, a big exit on one long side (in our case to a sun room,) period details (mock Tudor). My mother split it into two halves, one seating area gathered around the fireplace, and one featured a sofa that faced the entrance. If I remember, she put an oval table between the two areas. It was beautiful.

    To me, this living room is always going to feel stilted because the two chairs are too far away from the sofa and the coffee table. A group of adults/teens/older children isn’t going to have a good time talking there. I imagine that when people are in here the furniture gets moved to accommodate the activity, and that often you wind out sitting on the floor of the playroom;).

    tl:dr this is really pretty to look at but makes me uncomfortable from a social use standpoint.

    1. Exactly! You don’t really sit that far apart when you talk to people so it just doesn’t feel like real life.

70. Hi! Love the new sofa. My area of concern is on the other side. The Target chairs are great. I think the problem is the trunk. When you look at the right side, you see chair, trunk, chair, chaise. They all read as the same scale, and there is no sense of grouping or hierarchy. I’m sure the spacing looks better in real life… but I know it’s important that the main pic of the room also look well composed. I would get rid of the trunk and put in a smaller round side table made of something light and unobtrusive. That coffee table is the star and doesn’t need the competition. Then you could move those Target chairs closer together and create a cozier vibe.

71. This final iteration is amazing! I didn’t think I liked the new sofa when you shared it in earlier planning, but I really love it. And the chaise corner is everything – the fabric choice, the gallery wall, the vintage lamp. I love the mix of modern and vintage. I love that it feels collected, and IS collected. The only thing I wish is that you had the original rug. I think it would really finish it off. But I agree, searching for just the right rug and getting colors right when you are shopping online is so hard. This is a wonderful reveal!

72. This is the best the room has looked since the first version with the oriental rug. I loved the first, more traditional looking style with the oriental, but this latest version looks comfortable and relaxed for life with little kids. Nicely done!

    Just scoot that coffee table a bit closer to the sofa so it looks functional instead of like a useless styling prop you have to avoid tripping over.

73. I love everything you do and often think, “what would Emily Henderson do” when styling my mid century home in the Oakland Hills. I have 3 children under 8 and a baby grand piano and am always trying to go for function and clean while adding in a bit of playfulness and luxury (cause I work damn hard). Mostly I just hate clutter, so all of this post speaks to me.

74. Love it all!!! And I can’t wait to see the eventual new rug!

75. I honestly still love the very first version so much – I think that’s where my heart is. I love antiques, and that space felt the most “old-world, updated” to me. Every iteration since just moves farther and farther away from the Tudor Revival soul of the house.

    That said, I do like this latest version much more than the cool, serene grays and blues of yesteryear. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pop of red in the room (missing that red rug, it seems), and the new sofa looks really comfortable. I’m also a sucker for a vintage trunk, so the fact that you have two in the room now makes me happy.

    Finally, THANK YOU for not covering up those lovely built-in bookshelves on the fireplace wall. They add architectural interest, and I think the room would just look too plain at that end without them. I also never get tired of seeing books in a living space.

    It’s great to see you styling again!

76. The chaise turned out terrific. It’s easily my favorite part of the room now. I think this space would be a nice, serene place to be. Version 1 is clearly the most editorial, but I can see why that wasn’t the most practical for day to day living. If the rug stays, then I’d maybe like to see something more sculptural with the chairs. Likewise, if the Target chairs are to stay, then maybe bring out a more unique rug choice? Right now, those seem to be the two elements that aren’t really singing for me. I agree with some of the other comments that the coffee table feels a little small now, but it could just be getting lost on the neutral rug.

77. GAH!! This is IT!!! I love every single thing about it. Obsessing over every detail.

78. Love the new living room! The couch is beautiful, and the red chair looks great in front of the fireplace. I do miss your black and white print, it’s always been one of my favorites. Hope you get to enjoy this living room again soon.

79. Love the new sofa! I think the coffee table is still a bit off – it feels too tall and too small for the middle of the room. If you could cut like six inches of the bottom it would work so much better, and maybe give it a companion table to fill the space. It just seems to float a bit in the middle of nowhere. Also, why not just paint the beams? It would make the space so much less busy! I know they seem so special, but they would still be beautiful in a less dramatic way.

80. I was SO happy to see that OG Emily floral pillow back! That gorgeous vintage fabric always spoke to me.

81. …gives you that “ah” feeling when you see the photos. Also seems the right balance between light and dark elements at last.

82. Please share the artist of the wood sculpture in the gallery wall behind the chaise lounge 😍

83. Please share the artist of that amazing wood piece in the gallery wall behind the chaise lounge 😍

84. Yeah, that rug is just so blah. It washes out the room. I love House of Hackney on the chaise longue! They were very helpful when they got an order wrong (they actually sent me a piece that cost three times what the piece I ordered cost, and they asked if I just wanted to keep it because it was similar, but bigger). It looks so much better without the 80s fringe. It looks both more modern AND more 19th century.

85. Lawson-Fenning Dillon chairs are the answer.

86. Yes – I love the red. I think you could add more

87. Love that little ladder on the art wall! Its got a special touch of whimsy, is there a story behind it?

88. It looks great! Taking out the multiple credenzas and tables against the walls really helps draw your eyes to the beautiful architecture!

89. I love it. The color of the sofa is dreamy. I am so in love with your floral chaise. But, I must say one of my most favorite pieces in the room is your vintage 60’s fabric throw pillow you made. It’s like everything! I also super love the vases picture you have hanging on your bookshelves behind the gorgeous red chair. The colors in that picture are magical for some reason.

90. It truly is beautiful. I love the blue couch and all of the vintage touches you have brought back into the room. The chaise lounge is absolutely amazing. I have to say though that I don’t love the red chair where it is, sorry. I love the red chair and think it’s a beautiful, unique piece but I think it’s too much for the room. It’s the only thing that I notice. My eye goes right to it and some of the other stuff gets ignored. Otherwise, love it. I have to say I’m sure the red will be gorgeous at Christmas time though 😁

91. The room looks great! Totally agree about a vintage rug with more saturated colours being needed (whether the original red one or a different one). I’m glad there’s less furniture/tables near the fireplace – I think it looks much better. The one thing I would change is the coffee table. I’ve never liked it and I think the rustic rough-hewn style is really the wrong vibe for the space.

92. I like it! I do think you’re going to want a darker/more vibrant rug eventually. Also, I LOVE the fabric for the chaise. Any way to put that long fringe back on, though…I kinda miss it 🙂

93. I really like this version! I don’t actually think it’s “eccentric English granny” at all, though — there would need to be more of a mix of prints (rather than the big solids you’ve got going on) for that to be the case. I do really like this version, though. I might be a minority but I like the quieter rug; while I liked the red rug it always read as too busy for this room for me. I am also SO glad you moved away from the postmodern/abstract black and white graphic art over the fireplace; I know you loved it (so I feel bad!) but it always clashed in the room for me, and didn’t really bring anything to the room. I’ve always thought that one of the biggest problems of this room was that there was too much stuff near the bookshelves, it always seemed busy and cluttered rather than full of life. Even though I loved the hand stool as a piece I’m so glad you’ve removed it; it brings some air to the end of the room! And your two vintage trunks are gorgeous. However, god if you ever decide to part with the vintage greyish cabinet, I will happily take it off your hands! It’s so ridiculously pretty, I dream of finding a similar piece. A good update!

94. Love this iteration……the sofa is so beautiful and the red chair makes takes my breath away.
    Love the art wall with the chaise. This is Emily at her very best. New best—-Emily minimal with her flair for an edge combined with traditional. I adore.

95. What a beautiful room! The new sofa is amazing, and the art over the fireplace is a great change; the colours are perfect. I also think the new chaise turned out bold and gorgeous, love the quirk of the red chair (and that entire corner), the hits of black, the Entler lamp (!!) and the Djembe table, and there’s a sense of openness and light and ease with more punch. I liked the suggestion above to consider something more sculptural or distinctive – adding in more black, maybe – to replace the chairs facing the sofa, and I really feel replacing this rug with an antique one in a saturated hue would be the ticket to help ground and pull things together…maybe a bit more leaning into the EE in EEG 🙂

96. I love it. I still miss that first rug, and do think a darker one would be good balance here, but the sofa and the red chair and the chaise are all perfect. And I like that you have less stuff against the wall at the fireplace end.

97. Tell us more about the lady over the fireplace. I’ve been in love with her since 2012.

98. the coffee table looks lost in the middle and where do you put your beverage when on couch?? .. and I wish the grandma lounge got her fringe back, she looks kinda bland .. or maybe just undressed!!

99. Would love to see how it looks if you filled the bookshelves with books, packed in tight, like a library, and nothing else. Maybe all dark bound books in black, blue, deep red, green, or all white bound books. Something that would read solid shape but with the interest in the words and bindings.

100. I’m OBSESSSSSSED with that moody floral print. Like legit obsessed. I LOVE House of Hackney and basically any and everything British design so I LOOOOVE that even though the 2017 room didn’t work for you (it was my fave:)), you still have a bit of it’s feel in here with this print. Also the lines of this sofa are so so good!

101. I love the red chair, the trunks, your portraits. To me the coffee table looks lost..( and too far for my coffee!) My brother turned me onto his bench for a coffee table habit. They are narrow enough to set nearer to couch, bring a little vintage to that area, and would ground that side.
     I like the mix of vintage and modern, but it feels like most of the vintage is away from the couch area. I do feel the lady looks sadly undressed with out her fringe. I redid a vintage wingback couch in a modern stripe and added a fluffy cording detil.. a bit of confetti fun for the lady please? at least a fringe pil;low!?!

     1. oh.. some one VERY wise once said don’t be afraid to play w paint.. maybe a tonal paint to highlight the beautiful curves of the fireplace, pale gold for the lady ?

102. EMILY! THIS IS IT!!!

103. THIS feels like Emily Henderson we know and love. I adore this room update!

104. God Bless, Brian. The man must have the patience of a saint.

     1. And why would that be? Emily is an interior designer by profession, she runs a successful blog and her designs are what appear to predominantly support their livelihood and that of her team and employees.

        Additionally, Emily mentioned the kids and Brian are at the mountain house while she was styling a few rooms.

        I hate passive aggressive comments such as these directed at string, successful women.

        1. Strong*

105. Put the chaise in your bedroom! Gorgeous fabric.

106. The room looks much more cohesive and liveable, well done. The colours work better and the sofa now looks like one you can stretch out on and snooze, or be inviting for guests to sit down and relax until you get them something to drink and some cake.
     Can I suggest something which may help some readers with an alternative to rugs which are invariably expensive? To buy carpet to the size you need and get the edges bound. Much cheaper and there are some funky carpet designs out there if you want to go bold.

107. I actually really like the target chairs with that super cool couch. I think they finally feel right. This living room feels like Southern California to me 🙂 the cool funky free airy part of CA culture.

     1. just realized. The pillows are a constant. The striped pillows feel too preppy sunroom to me than cool. Maybe it’s just the photo and distance.

108. It seems like this room takes a little bit from multiple Emily house/room designs 😉. Maybe that’s why I feel like the furnishings and decor are competing rather than harmonizing. I’m more of a minimalist, so I’d be inclined to pair down even more and put more attention toward the room’s architectural details to make it stand out. For example, the fireplace could be made a beautiful focal point – minus the artwork and other distractors.

109. There was just something about that original rug that tied everything together and grounded it. I would try to find another and then I think you’ll be perfectly satisfied esp as it will complement the color of that fab new sofa!

110. I absolutely love all of your pieces! To me, the issue is always going to be the furniture configuration in the (very long) room. What if you put the gorgeous sofa in front of the fireplace and placed one chair on either side? That way tv could still be viewed from most of the seating and the chaise—which I adore!—could be a special cozy moment by the fireplace behind the main living room.

111. I love this room! I don’t think you would want the original rug with the new floral chaise. I think the only thing you could do eventually is a natural fiber rug? It would balance out the beams and add more warmth. There are so many good indoor/options now too.

112. I have a question. Since a coffee table is traditionally meant to set a cup of coffee on it, why is it so far from the sofa? The two chairs already have a place to put a beverage so people sitting in them do not need to use the coffee table. Someone sitting on the sofa would have to lean over way too far to reach a glass or cup. Couldn’t the coffee table be moved closer to the sofa? Is there a decorating guideline that says to center the coffee table? It just looks off to me, and I am not intending to be a mean girl. Just asking a question and making a suggestion. Thank you for all that you share with us.

113. I think it’s perfect, Emily! The neutral rug allows the sofa and chaise to shine. I like how the lines of the sofa are echoed in the Target chairs. The vintage chaise is probably my favorite part!

114. Reading this post through for the second time brought me so much joy!!! This might be cheesy/overblown but listening to you talk about the things you love and find beautiful and how you pair them together so unexpectedly gives me the same kind of “WOW” awe and admiration and happiness that I get watching people play live music or athletes in amazing feats or whatever else– you truly are an artist and posts like this and your wonderful, unique voice and eye remind me of the many, many reasons I read this blog every single day for 8 years running!!!! xx j.

115. I think I’m the rare bird who has loved every iteration of this room. Maybe I’m just a fan of Emily’s style. Sure, some things work better than others, but I’ve loved every version. I’m sure I will love the next as well!

116. I always feel weird about criticizing a room that really is beautiful. For instance, if I stayed in an Airbnb that had this living room, I would be thrilled. The difference is that I’m staring at pictures and thinking about what I would change if it was MY home and I had unlimited money and time. With that being said, if you’re happy then you should never change to appease others.

     Here is the room from my perspective. FYI – I really like color, really dislike most farmhouse styles and love super old antique furniture even though it in no way fits my ’58 ranch style home.

     It seems like there are three styles: grandma/vintage, Scandinavian, and modern/mid-mod

     I agree with some of the other comments that talk about each vignette making sense but together it’s less cohesive. I also agree there is a lot of dark in the back of the room and a lot of neutrals in the middle. Here’s what I find interesting…
     Grandma/Vintage – trunks, paintings, chaise, wall sconces, gray cabinet near entry
     Scandi – wooden knickknacks on the bookshelves, art beside of chaise, target chairs, coffee table, rug
     Modern/Mid-mod – all lamp bases (except the floor lamp), all lamp shades, couch, black table beside of the sofa, vases, piano

     I think the lamps all being modern is interesting but would be a good place to reevaluate. For instance, I think a patterned lamp base or shade on the piano would tie in the grandma style. I think the original navy couch was a better compliment to the chaise, however, I understand the love of a deep couch. I think bringing back the (presumably) vintage caster table that was to the left of the sofa would be a nice change from the black and I would remove the trunk between the two small chairs for something like the small black table beside of the sofa. This would seem like a more natural situation for conversing with someone. Ideally those two chairs would have a more grandma feel to balance how modern the sofa is, but I fear that side of the room will feel more grandma than the sofa side. If the gallery wall is a keep, I would add more variance to the frames and would forego any decor on the bookshelves. I think wall-to-wall books with baskets on the bottom shelf would relax the eye. Alternatively, keep the decor on the bookshelves and go with one large piece of art beside of the chaise. I liked the red rug, but I don’t think it’d work with the new couch color (although I love the color). I agree that darker rug would be great. I love the coffee table, but I think a dark wood tone vintage coffee table would really balance the modern couch and chairs.

     It’s so much work to try new things out and I totally recognize this. Like I said, this is just my opinion on the room. You have really great stuff to work with, I just think it’d be a lot more cohesive if there were two styles as opposed to three. I think the Scandi style would be the easiest to remove since you literally just bought the couch.

     1. Also, I think a very small table for a cup of tea beside of the chaise would be logical and look nice. Maybe a brass base with a marble top? You would probably notice this is missing once you start living in the house again.

117. I have always wanted to see a little color added the back of the bookshelves. It would really help make all the accessories a little less busy. I have painted the back of my bookshelves a dark gray and I absolutely love the effect it gives.

     And while I am being picky, I don’t love the fact that you have 2 trunks in the room. I would replace the one between the 2 chairs to something simple and less heavy.

118. For open, wooden arm chairs—have you checked Stowed Home? Their Caro and Avril chairs might work.

119. I appreciate the tinkering, but it’s too chair-leggy for me and looks like the line up of chairs on the wall opposite the couch. Also, maybe turn the chest vertically between the two arm chairs to bring them closer together and move the coffee table closer to the couch. I’m a tinkerer too, so I get wanting to keep playing with it all.

120. I’m glad the modern/graphic art black and white art is gone. It just didn’t do with any style and the vibe of the house.

121. I love this room and I hope you never stop tinkering with it. These are my favorite type of posts. I’m happy to see the pretty lady painting again over the mantel

122. Love it! It took awhile but it seems “right” now. The only thing I would change is the rug. Its just too light. I would definitely try finding one like the original oriental you had. Not necessarily red, but something in the same tonal range. So glad its come together for you!!!

123. You didn’t mention that coffee table!!! I thought you sold it or gave it away when you moved into this house! It looks great with the sofa and I love the sofa indeed. Although, I REALLY loved the old sofa!!! What will you do with it? If you need to sell it, I’m ready!

124. The room looks great but…..I absolutely feel the newly reupholstered chaise to be the BEST ever!!! The fabric is luscious ❤️ I hope you enjoy lounging there when you get a chance 😊

125. I feel very seen by your detailed explanation of this process! The room just keeps getting better. Can you tell me about the square print (painting?) of the three girls over the chaise.

126. I have loved your styling for a very long time and I think this room is perfection! The sofa is gorgeous and it is so refreshing to see some color in rooms, nowadays. I am so very tired of these “all neutral” living rooms!! They might include a lot of texture, but they are still boring to me. LOVE it! 🥰

127. I have loved your styling for a long time and this room is perfection! The sofa is absolutely gorgeous. I love the fact that there is color and not another “all neutral” living room that I see so often. I do not think it looks too busy anywhere, including the shelving. You have art, family photos, books, etc. and it all gives the room a very homey feeling. The ONLY thing I might change is to put a bench in front of the piano, instead of that chair. It would give a more “yes we actually use this piano” look to that area! 🥰

128. What a magnificent change! A true work in progress that has found its stride. It would be fun to photoshop that first rug into your latest photos. Or maybe that would be too heartbreaking if it truly did look amazing. Keep up the fun content!

129. I know this is all just for a fun discussion because ultimately who cares what any of us think, it’s your house and you are the only one who needs to love it! Plus you are a pro and all of your rooms always look great. Every incarnation is better than most people’s houses. You have great bones in that room and tons of options to furnish with due to your career. My favorite is still the first rendition and I think its because the colors in the furniture and rug counteract the massive amount of white on the walls. I don’t really like the bright white walls with the light non-patterned rug and the bright pops of color. I’m not getting eclectic British granny at all though and I think it’s because of the walls. Have you considered painting the walls another color? Farrow and Ball’s instagram has had a great series during lockdown regarding paint colors for different aims, orientations, etc. Or maybe just rename your Inso to eclectic Topanga Canyon granny.

130. I’m not a lover of that chaise, and to be honest I don’t think that the dark fabric is doing much to lift the room in that corner, in the way you anticipated it would. That side of the room now comes across as too blah, with single chairs and chaise virtually all in a row! There’s no definition or stand-out feature to complement the other side of the room. I just feel that the chaise is not balancing that corner, and that this side of the room could benefit from a touch more red to balance and complement it with that lovely red leather chair. To my way of thinking, a patterned carpet will only clash with the heavily patterned fabric on the chaise, but it could work if you layered a smaller, patterned rug over the larger one.

131. Looks awesome! And I have 2 cream vintage siesta chairs
     That I would
     Only part with if they were going to you that would look great in your living room 😉 also love love the fabric in the chaise

132. Version #1 is still my favorite, loved that rug and sofa.

133. Did you ever consider a circle of four chair-and-a-half oversized armchairs in this room? I’ve often thought it could work in your challenging living room. Lauren Liess did it in her hearth room in 2016.

134. I love the new sofa – it looks SO comfortable (and of course, gorgeous).

     What about Mexican-owned businesses representation? Thanks!

135. My first comment disappeared as I was writing so I’ll try to recap what I originally wrote and finish this before it disappears again 😂!
     I want to preface this with my appreciation and love for your work so hopefully my words are not underestimating of my admiration for all things you create!
     That being said, I love the new sofa. It’s amazing. I noticed the “pillow” right away from years again when I first started reading your blog- it’s neck and neck for my favorite piece in the room with your new sofa being a fierce competitor!
     When I see this room, I see stuff and do not feel the simplified paired down description you mentioned aiming for with the latest refresh. If this were a room in my home I would let the beautiful architecture shine in this room because it truly has so many beauties within and I have hard time seeing these with all the vignettes and things around the space. The beauties I see as shining if the room is vastly paired back of things are the stunning windows, woodwork, beams, fireplace and built in shelves but being the home for 1/3 of the items currently on the shelves.

     There are several small vignettes placed within the space seeming unnecessary or distracting, and possibly rarely used making them essentially nonessential? If a few vignettes are eliminated entirely along with a decluttering of shelves to a 1/3 of the items shown with perhaps half the number of lamps styled into this room I think there would be PEACE within this space and allow the architectural stunners shine and be the visible features featured within the space?? I hope this doesn’t come across harshly in any way as it’s not my intention. I just love the bones of the room and feel distracted and underwhelmed with the current (and past) design.
     I would probably walk ina Nd be drawn outdoors for the peace because there is so much to see and take in within the room it just makes it too much all together.
     Pulling in the seating closer to the coffee table, eliminating the “stuff” on the shelving, relocating 3-4 of the extra lamps to other rooms and removing 2 or more vignettes seems like so much as I write this, but I think it would be phenomenal. Move the greenery from the coffee table over to the fireplace area or add some greenery by fireplace and remove branches from table? I think a pair of large Round barrel chairs in a soft light fabric and so comfy would be perfect across from the amazing new sofa.

     Fewer things on the limited wall space may also help or be a different option to try with some of the above suggestions? With the little wall space you have in the room I wouldn’t be afraid to leave them bare because the windows are all you need with the beautiful fireplace and shelves also being an entire wall of art paired with the beautiful wall lighting you added.

     I know you will get to the perfect space you want from this room and have the feelings you’re looking for when in it – don’t give up and don’t be afraid to clear it out and start from a blank slate so you can see it empty and calm before adding in your favorite must haves. Can’t wait to see the next refresh!

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