A more mellow living room

When I first moved into my apartment, I started off with very few furniture and little to no idea as to how to decorate it. But I did that on purpose because I didn't want to rush and I wanted to take my time figuring out what style I was going for. That look ending up being splashes of bold color, really cozy and homey and putting all my loves (books, travel, art, photos of friends & family) on display. My apartment basically just screams me.

My living room was the first area I took on as a project and while little things have changed here and there, it's largely stayed the same for the last two years. I would just move things around when I got bored or added new knick-knacks as time went on. Oh and of course my book collection continued to grow and grow (and grow). About two months ago, I realized that: one, I was bored with the room; two, I wanted a softer color palette; and three, I had accumulated a lot of things over the years. I don't like a lot of clutter but I also don't like that super minimalist style that looks like no one actually lives there. I've always been somewhere in the middle and lately, things were definitely more on the cluttered side.

I tried my best not to go too crazy since wedding season was not kind to my wallet but that ended up being a good thing. It really made think about what to change and to look for the best deals possible. I just finished a few weeks ago and wanted to share because I'm so happy with how it turned out.

Here's the before:

Don't get me wrong, I do think the "before" picture still looks nice! But I hadv vibrant pink and orange canvas, my purple rug (which I still adore), turquoise and purple pillows and then a yellow side table (I also have a yellow mirror hanging up). It was just a lot. And this is only one side of the room.

Now, here's the after:

It may not seem like much and you may be shaking your head at me, but I swear I find the new colors and less clutter so peaceful. My main print is still of Paris (of course!) and I went with a larger size so it would make more of a statement. I got the pillows from Lulu & Georgia and H&M. And I replaced my yellow plastic side table with something that more closely matched my coffee table, which I also cleaned up by only having a small vase of real flowers and gold geometric shapes.

Also, it wasn't until I took this picture that I realized how much I loved ordering the books by color on the vertical bookcase!

Some extras:

I forgot to take before pictures of this but trust me when I say I've been steadily piling things on my TV/media stand for years (the TV is attached to the wall above this). I decided refresh photos and frames, add some new ones and place some of the prints I already owned here as well. I got rid of a few "coffee table" books I didn't want anymore and just simplified.

I did the same thing here! Despite my minimal desk, I was starting to pile on too much and cluttering up my bookcases. Again, I simplified and just kept my one print, added a desk organizer from Target and splurged on this succulent sculpture (I love it, ok?). Then with my bookcases, I added more shelves so I could fit more books, rearranged the accents I had (less is more!) and put all my Funkos on one special shelf designated for them (it might be hard to see).

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What do you think of my living room updates?

And what do you consider when decorating your space?