Relaxed Coastal Modern Living Room Makeover

Today I’m sharing ideas on how to add extra seating, storage and beauty to your living room with a little work and a surprisingly modest budget. Easily achievable with fresh paint and a few key furniture pieces. Our end result using the above, is a relaxed combination living & music room with an eclectic coastal feel that’s a little bit classic and a mix of rustic and modern!

Hey friends! I’m back at Ben & Amber’s this month, helping to turn their formerly blue living room into a calm, relaxed spot to unwind. One day last month, while I was working on the dining room, Amber and I were chatting about this & that, and decorating and what styles we liked, and she shared some of her hopes for their home. Well, she happened to mention to me that she’d love to repaint the living room, and take it from it’s blue shade, to a restful white.

And you know me… my ears perked up, and my wheels started spinning!

Let me interrupt here for a second. In case you are new here, it’s my pleasure to partner with Better Homes & Gardens each month, to share the exclusive line of home decor available at Walmart with you.

Okay now back to my story. You see, I had already received my assignment from Better Homes & Gardens for September, and I knew it was going to be flexible enough that I could share my product budget again and do work in someone else’s home, instead of my own! I was hopeful that Amber would be able to squeeze painting in, and I offered her my services. You see, Ben and Amber try to do one big project a year during the Summertime, and this seasons time, budget and energy was already going to putting in a new poured and stamped concrete addition to their outdoor space. And while that was happening, Amber managed to get the living room painted. Vaulted ceilings and all.

Before I could even get before pictures of the room in blue. She was fast!

I stopped by and they already had a first coat on, and some kind of unfortunately situated lighting removed. You can just spy the box location where the wall meets the ceiling in the photo above. There were previously very large vanity style lights along both walls, and Amber was not in love with them.

And one more before, with a peek into the section of the room the piano is in.

The white paint really set the tone for the whole room, and I can not take credit for any of that. Paint. It is amazing! The color is Snowbound, and it’s from Sherwin Williams.

Now, For Some Pretty Reveal Photos

Welcome to the fresh new combination living & music room.

When we chatted about what they needed most in the room, it was hands-down, seating! They had a wonderful sofa, but that was it. Luckily, I found the perfect chairs for them, that coordinated well with the existing down-filled sofa. The softer grey fabric of the new chairs mimics the accent fabric on the sofa cushions perfectly!

And we love the drift wood look of the wooden legs. Plus, the nail-head trim is delicious, and also mimics the finish detail on the amazing coffee table they own!

While everyone would have loved to add a big, over-sized area rug, it’s just not practical for them with a dog, and three rescue kitties. We have to live in our homes and sometimes, function over form just has to win. For our sanity. I totally understood that choice having pets of my own.

We threw in a smaller, less expensive to replace runner instead to soften up the space.

The toss pillows we added were fun too, and add color and texture to the room. The abstract design and the blues and grey coordinate with the dining room rug that is visible from this room, and Amber loved them when I brought them in. The tiny ikat’ish design on the other set, adds another gold/brass element to the room.

All the draperies were changed out from a charcoal grey tweed look, to a simple linen like panel. Those made a tremendous change to the look of the room, and added a soft elegance. Most noticeably, in the piano room.

To decorate in here, I kept is simple. They definitely appreciate a more edited home, and I tried hard to adhere to that as I decorated the room. I added a tray, seashell (a nod to our coastline) and some flowers that will never die. Perfect for these two busy teachers. Plus, a wedding photo in the place of honor. I love how elegant it looks now.

One day, when I’m hunting for a project, I’m hoping Amber will let me paint the piano.

You might recognize it from the dining room… yes, I stole the brass and glass lamp, and it just shines in here! It’s perfect. There was a little hiccup with the end table I ordered, but I found these two smaller accent tables and they are working out great. Super versatile too. And that is always a bonus.

I don’t have anyplace in my house for this lamp, but I love it their home! It is just so pretty.

In addition to the seating, and lighting, we added two of these fantastic cube storage pieces to their space.

I’m telling you, the black metal feet on these storage pieces make all the difference. In fact, I had ordered the longer, lower set and when it was assembled, they liked it so much, I ordered another one for them! I had originally bought it for this wall here, but they liked it for a TV stand, and the price couldn’t be beat!

There were no furnishings on this wall before, so this is all extra storage for them! I didn’t fill every cubbie with a bin, but you sure could if you needed too.

In speaking to Amber, I gathered she wanted a kind of “eclectic coastal feel” so I based the colors and styles of what I selected and presented to her from this vintage seascape they already owned and loved.

I gifted my elephant to them with a new houseplant. I think he’s adorable in their living room. 

Like I said, they were going to hold off on purchasing a new media cabinet, but when (mom’s helper) Austin finished putting together that first piece, the price made it a no brainer to grab another one. They weren’t opposed to slipping the cable box down below, so it works just fine.

I’ll link them both at the end of the post for you. This one with the TV on it, is two rows of four cubes. The other is three rows of three and it’s taller and shorter. They are both RUSTIC GREY.

As far as the bookcase goes, again, I kept it simple and easy. I colorized the books a bit and peppered in a few art objects. The extras were relocated to the guest bedroom. When decorating shelves, it’s okay to have space for the eye to rest, you don’t have to over-decorate them or even fill them with decorator items. I actually used their books, and I think it looks beautiful.

And that’ll have us landing right back in the middle.

I think it’s important to acknowledge and respect that sometimes men live in our homes too. I know right? But seriously, our guys need to be comfortable in their own homes. I promised Ben when we started in the living room, that I wouldn’t touch his sofa, coffee table or TV.

And I kept my promise.

Truth be told, I’d steal that coffee table if I could lift the thing. hehe. Seriously though, it is massively heavy, and so super fabulous. It’s that kind of wood that is only going to get better and better, the more you use it. Wear looks good on it. And what a great feature for a coffee table in a busy, well used living room.

I very lightly styled it, and it’s so large, you could still put your feet up and not touch the decor!

Keeping it simple, with end of the season Hydrangeas in a rope wrapped vase, a fresh plant in some cool pottery they owned, a few hard cover books, a candle, and a nod to their profession with the bell, the table top feels personal and collected.

Our assignment this month was to create a relaxing place in your home to spend your Sunday. So what did you think – Did I achieve it for Ben & Amber?

I hope so, because I can’t think of anyone who deserves to unwind, relax and recharge on a Sunday, more than a teacher. For those that didn’t catch last months post (you can read it here) Amber & Ben are both teachers. Amber teaches music theory, and band. Which includes marching band, symphonic band and jazz band, and Ben, is a special education teacher. They are both amazing humans. And I’m happy to report that this project was completed and ready for them just in time for this first Sunday of the new school year.

Thank you so much for joining me here on the blog! I hope you enjoyed today’s post and that I shared an idea or two that might work for you in your home. As always, I wouldn’t be here if no one was reading, so thank YOU. xo Shannon

Better Homes & Gardens Items Used:

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means, if you make a purchase, I may get a small commission, but your purchase price stays exactly the same – you don’t pay a penny more! This support helps with the costs associated with running the blog. Thank you so much!

• Better Homes & Gardens Brass And Marble Lamp [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens 9 Cube Storage Organizer [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens 8 Cube Storage Organizer [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Rolled Arm Accent Chair [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Triangle Geo Pillow (blue) [click here]

• Better Homes & Gardens Storage Cubes, Assorted [in store]

• OTHER: If you see something I didn’t list above, please comment and I’ll be happy to try and help!

I’ve had incredible luck over the years ordering my Better Homes & Gardens goods online at Walmart. It’s extra-super handy when you are ordering furniture and I’ve really enjoyed that right-to-my-door delivery. Also great for having access to the entire line! There are so many products available online. I think you might be surprised.

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