Mid-Century Modern Living Room Update

Just as trends change, our own style preference changes as well.  Mine probably changes too often, but that keeps things exciting, right?  This is part of what led to our mid-century modern living room update.

We had the common ever-so-trendy farmhouse look in our living room.  While I still liked it, my style was starting to lean toward a more modern, clean look.  Our recently renovated guest bathroom reflected that a little bit more along with some decor pieces in other rooms, so it was time for the main room of the house to reflect the style change as well.

The main thing on the list was new furniture.  The big brown couches were awfully comfy, but far from the style I was shooting for.  We also have dogs, so we decided to try and go for a leather couch to make it a little easier on keeping up with the never-ending supply of dog hair left behind.  Now started the long journey to finding the perfect couch.  I knew a caramel or cognac colored leather with clean lines would be the main style aspects we’d be looking for.  I just never realized how many I’d run across and the amount on their price tags.  Yikes! 😬

If you’re anything like me, you like to read review after review to make sure you’re getting something you won’t regret.  To be honest, that’s probably what took the longest amount of time while shopping for furniture.  After a few months of research, I stumbled across what I believe to be the holy grail of modern style furniture.  [insert angels singing]  Article.  Their Timber Charme Tan Sofa was exactly what I’d been looking for!

Article carries some of the prettiest mid-century modern style furniture a lot like some carried by West Elm, Crate and Barrel and the like.  While they’re a little more expensive than your everyday sofa, their prices are still a fraction of those you find anywhere else.  To top it off, the quality is top notch.  I’ll likely continue to buy several needed (as well as not needed) furniture pieces from Article in the future.

The decision was made early on to get inexpensive chairs for the living room.  We were moving from having a big, cushy loveseat to two smaller armchairs instead, so the comfort level was a little concern.  We didn’t want to be too invested in them in case we didn’t end up liking them.  There were several pricier chairs I had my eye on, but the reviews were so back and forth that I had too many doubts.  Sure, we could always send them back, but let’s be honest.  I would never get around to disassembling the chairs and boxing them back up.

The search for armchairs probably took longer than looking for the couch, because I had no idea what style I wanted.  Thankfully, my brother-in-law, Andrew, came to the rescue by introducing me to the KOARP armchair at Ikea.  They were perfect for the overall look!  The gunnared beige colored fabric brought some brightness into the room, while the black metal base complemented our coffee table and floor lamp.  The VITTSJO coffee table was another cheap find from Ikea.  Despite the stigma Ikea furniture sometimes has, all of the pieces we’ve purchased so far look more expensive than they are and hold up great!

You may be wondering why we don’t have a rug.  You can see in the before pictures there was a nice rug, which I had originally planned on using.  We rolled it back out briefly after the new furniture came in, but it just couldn’t stay clean enough to my liking.  The rug was made of polypropylene, which made it virtually stain-resistant.  However, the thick shag didn’t agree with three dogs and the constant tracking in of dirt and mud from the backyard.  I actually don’t mind the look of not having a rug now, and it’s definitely much easier to keep the floor clean without one.  Maybe a shorter pile rug will come in the future.

Here I am raving on about the furniture when the obvious showstopper in the room is the paintings.  I’m sorry to say I can’t link these gorgeous pieces for you.  These paintings are originals by Kevin’s very talented uncle, Kent.  Kent was generous enough to give us the opportunity to display them in our home, and we couldn’t be more thankful.

Overall, I’m so happy with the way our living room transformation turned out.  And I hope it gives you the inspiration you may be looking for.  Are you planning a living room update in your future?  Or, have you recently finished one that you want to share?  Let us know in the comments!  Also, please feel free to ask any questions!

P.S.  I’ve rounded up some links to a few decor items similar to those you see in the pictures above. Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.  This support is what allows me to continue bringing content to you each week.  Thank you, friend! ❤️