After Leaving New York City, a Living Room Makeover Finally Made My House Feel Like Home

Seven months into the pandemic, my fiancé and I did what a lot of others did too - we left New York City. Leaving our Brooklyn apartment to move into a three bedroom, two living room house meant many things, one of them being that we definitely did not have enough furniture to properly furnish the space. While we are eternally grateful for having the resources to relocate to a larger home, things that once fit almost too snug in our NYC apartment now looked lonely and out of place in our newfound square footage.

A room that I’ve been specifically stumped on is the front living room. This is the room you see first as soon as you enter the house, so I knew I wanted it to be bright and relaxing, while personal and welcoming at the same time. I was able to achieve just that with some smart, stylish choices from QVC.  

After spending months staying safe inside of a home that just couldn’t be defined as spacious, I felt a strong yearning to preserve the expansive feeling in this new room. This desire unintentionally led me to decorate with only a few chairs, a rug that felt a bit too busy, and a plant. It definitely felt breathable, but was not furnished or designed in a way that truly felt like home.

Three things that this new living room was calling out for were color, texture, and comfort. I was so delighted when I found pieces through QVC that offered all of those things, almost effortlessly.

There was a large portion of time where I was in love with neutral colors in home design. The shades of the desert floor, or the tones of summer shrubbery turning over to autumn were my go-tos. After experiencing living in a larger home, I quickly realized that while I do love those colors, they were part of an effort to keep things feeling calm and tidy in a tiny space. My inspiration to design with diverse colors had bursted wide open and this living room was my muse.

QVC’s accent chair was the perfect piece to start. The style is bold enough to speak for itself, which is then elevated by the velvet texture and yellow color pop. This became my focal point for the room. While it’s a perfect spot to enjoy morning coffee, I continued on my quest to find an additional seating option that I could lounge on with my family while admiring the rolling pasture across from our house.

QVC Home Reflections Accent Chair with Metal Legs $178.50

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Enter the sofa! Sitting beside the scalloped chair, the navy color truly stands out and offers depth to the space.

It’s the perfect firmness and is wide enough to cozy up on to admire the views or take a nap with my dog. It gives the room that restful homey feel that I was aiming to cultivate without falling short on style.

QVC Brookside Kay 85" Two Cushion Track Arm Sofa with Wood Base $859.99

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Another hurdle in this room was lighting. I have long coveted an arc lamp, and now that I had a breathable space, I knew I wanted to fulfill that wish. The marble base, easy step on/off switch, and contemporary shape was enough to sell me on this one, but what really stands out is the diffusion lamp shade.

The light is filtered through perfectly and sets the ultimate relaxing mood during early mornings and evenings.

QVC Safavieh Polaris 84" Arc Floor Lamp $199.99

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To complete this section of the room, I used the smallest of this wicker basket set as a vessel for my cactus.

It compliments the soft texture and shape of the chair by bringing in some defined lines and darker shades of color.

QVC Home Reflections Set of 2 Wicker Baskets $48.00

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In the spirit of comfort and making this a place where rest is inevitable, I knew I needed to keep some of my favorite blankets close by. I used the bigger basket to house them and set it beside the couch where they could be grabbed quickly for an impromptu nap.

Having mostly linen, woven and light weighted blankets, I was happy to make this tie-dye faux fur blanket an addition to my collection for those chillier times. Not only is it the perfect addition of cooler colors + pattern - it’s also pup approved!

QVC Dennis Basso Oversized Tie-Dye Lite Faux Fur Throw $62.00

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I ended on pulling the space together with a coffee table where I could set down my book or beverage of choice, and place it where it can be easily reachable from each seat in the room - a detail I think is easily overlooked.

This industrial inspired piece balanced the design of this space, bringing in some edge with a metal base and a natural material feel with the wooden top. The color scheme also allows me to add some springtime tones through flowers while still keeping a balanced appearance.

QVC Bage Coffee Table by Acme Furniture $246.37

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Transitioning from city living to rural living is a challenge I was expecting in many ways. Something that can feel particularly stressful is the weight of finances while furnishing a larger space. I was able to combat that strain with Easy Pay, offered by QVC, which lets you pay for products over time, while letting you still enjoy them right away. 

Another aspect that surprised me after the move from an apartment to a house was the change in my taste and perspective of interior decorating. Reaching for color and merging design styles were both revelations that I welcomed with open arms, and in the end, I think they made for one amazing living room. If you're looking for me this Spring, you can find me here.