Modern Traditional Living Room: ORC Reveal One

Modern traditional living room decor.

It’s so easy to create a fresh look with traditional furnishings by adding a few modern or contemporary pieces. This post explains how.

Modern Traditional Living Room

Affiliate links included for your convenience. See Full Disclosure here

Well Friends, here we are at Week 6 of the Spring One Room Challenge and I’m scrambling to the finish line. And by scrambling, I mean I’m approaching unfinished critical mass. Gaaaaah! But you know my motto, the higher the stress level, the more we need humor. So here ya go…

My roses aren’t red,

my violets not blue.

My room isn’t finished,

so what should I do? 🙁

LOL… 

Then, it occurred to me to just be honest…and to fill these pages with a humorous work-in-progess.

So here goes.

We know that under the best of circumstances, doing a full room renovation live in six weeks is not for the faint of heart. Right? I mean, I usually work several weeks ahead because I’m waaaay too Type A and waaaaay too slow to work live. But this time, life had been upended since January and, in Week 2 of this challenge, my dear, sweet mom was sent to hospice care. I was able to keep going because, for the most part, posts had been written and saved ahead.

Then, miracle of miracles, mom defied all the odds and was actually released from hospice! Can you believe it? So over the last three weeks, she was prepared for and then transferred to a nursing home.

When I got back home on Tuesday (she lives 8 hours away), I looked at the living room and realized how badly it had gone off the rails. Honestly, it had more personalities than Sybil. Remember that movie? It was a 1970’s film about a woman with something like 17 personalities.

Well, let me tall ya, Miss Sybil and my living room were definitely living parallel lives.

To get my arms around this mess project, I spent the next day clearing out and cleaning the space. That’s right. I’m less than seven days from the big reveal and my room is almost empty. Now ordinarily, I’d be sounding the alarm, wailing on all the panic buttons, and have the guys running for cover.

But not this time.

Funny how facing life and death puts things in perspective.

What I did instead was calmly reorganize the pile of junk furnishings that had been moved to the dining room. And then, I switched things around…and around…..AND around until the living room began to make sense. At the very least, I hoped it would find its one true identity.

At the end of the day, only one of the three walls (the window wall) was complete.  

But, oh hey, three cheers because the piano wall is about 85% complete. It just needs light fixtures over the artwork and an electrician to install them. 

But wall three. That’s another story. It’s about as blank as an author with writer’s block. We’re talking white, whiter, whitest paint. And that is all.

But like I said, no need to panic. Instead, let’s just say I hit the jackpot by getting to whip up a super-duper second reveal post. #keeponthesunnyside

Now, how about a peek at the complete and nearly complete sections of the room?

~~ LIVING ROOM TOUR ~~

In case you’re wondering, my vision for this space is a mix of vintage traditional with modern/contemporary furnishings. Out in the decorating world, this combination is called Modern Traditional. Sound possible? Well maybe, but at this point, all I know is that –early on— the room went all Sybil on me.

Nevertheless, I didn’t abandon the plan. And as I rebuilt the room for a second time, everything seemed to fall into place. The prints, which form a gallery on the piano wall, are all vintage. And, I again remind you that they are in desperate need of picture lights at the top. Oh, sweet lighting sponsors, can you hear me?  #kidding/notkidding

The new wing chair in the corner is flanked by a serpentine chest that I refinished in a sage green neutral (link at the bottom) and a unique side chair refinished in Fusion Mineral Paint’s color ~ Algonquin.

The token color pop begins with an array of hot corals in blue and white chinoiserie vases. Yes, as wild as this sounds, chinoiserie is considered a staple element in modern traditional decor. Who knew???

To the left of the color sprays is a traditional chair that I slipcovered in greige linen (how-to link at the bottom). The coral stripe in this fabric was actually the inspiration for the hot coral pops of color.

Total aside, but this vintage trumpet hasn’t been played since 1978. #notlyin #truthteller

And bonus points if you get the irony of a trumpet nestled on a piece of music for clavier.

But I digress.

Anyway, the point I am trying to make, in my own distracted way, is that to the right of the color sprays is a little ottoman that I recovered in hot coral houndstooth fabric (link not live yet). Yea. Hot coral houndstooth. Do you know how hard it is to find hot coral houndstooth in this town? #shoppedtillIdropped

But the little pop of color dropped the coral to the floor and got it moving around the room. Love the movement created by the pattern, too.

I really like color pops dribbled throughout a space, but without the forever commitment. Case in point, during Thanksgiving or Christmas, I can pull the coral items out of this space if they clash with the holiday decor. Or, I can do a quick sew slipcover in a neutral for the ottoman. It’s a super-easy one piece of fabric that fits over the houndstooth. Just sew the hem, cinch the fabric at the corners, and you’re good to go. I made one of these slipcovers for this ottoman a year or so ago. I’ll add the link at the bottom of this post. 

And there you have the first reveal. I have a rather long list of items to locate and order. But as soon as the piano wall gets some lights, I’ll post an update since it’s almost finished now.

In the meantime, if you have any ideas for a coffee table, two pillows for the traditional chair, a side chair, a console table….or the lights for the piano wall, please leave a comment. I truly would love to hear your ideas and/or sources.

And that’s all there is to it. One room about 60% complete. LOL.. #chipup #staystrong 

But seriously, as long as Mom stays stable, I’ll try to have the room done in the next few weeks. Hope you will stay tuned for Reveal Two. 

In the meantime, here’s the current view from the corner of the dining room.

And across the foyer from the staircase.

I’m lovin’ the light and airy. How about you? Like the light and bright?

If you enjoyed this post, please……pin one or both of the photos below.

Shop Modern Traditional (affiliate links):

• Wing Chair (similar)
• Eyelash Shag Rug (similar)
• Gray and White Layered Rug (similar)
• Contemporary Table Lamps 
• Contemporary Floor Lamps
• Contemporary Coffee Table Glass top/Wood bottom
• Contemporary Coffee Table Nesting All glass
• Contemporary Nesting Coffee or Side Nesting Acrylic
• Ottoman Ideas

Posts related to the Living Room Makeover:

• Week 1 – The Plan (click here)
• Week 2 – Design and Install Picture Frame Moulding for Walls (click here)
• Week 3 – How to Make Faux Flowers Look Real (click here)
• Week 4 – How to Save a Bundle Using Remnants (click here)
• Week 5 – DIY Slipcover Basics (click here)
• Week 6 – Final Week Reveal – You are here
• Serpentine Chest Makeover (click here)
• One Piece Ottoman Slipcover (click here)

ORC Hosts and Links

And don’t forget to say hello to our gracious hosts, Calling It Home and House Beautiful), and visit over 200 bloggers by clicking Designer Challenge and/or clicking Blogger Challenge. #oneroomchallenge #ORC #housebeautiful

Thanks so much for stopping by!

#moderntraditionallivingroom #moderntraditional #livingroom