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Adam Levine, Adam Levine house, Blue drapes, Blue living rooms, Blue sofa, Couch, Hanging drapes, interior design, Living room, Living room inspiration, Maroon 5, Picture molding, Teal sofas
I love formal living rooms, but I think they must be an inviting and comfortable space, otherwise it’s a waste. I also subscribe to the belief of full access and my children sit, play and use our living room – I’ve been called crazy more then once because of this! We have silk and velvet sofas and antiques, but I have taught them from a young age not to jump on the sofas, take their shoes off if they want to lie down on them and to take any toys they bring in, out.
Now, my dogs? That’s another story! I let them on the furniture in the rest of my house, but not in there, although at least once a week, I walk in on one of them lounging on a sofa. They do not like to put their tushies on the floor…spoiled puppies!
That’s why when a reader asked me to help her with her living room design and needed some design inspiration, I was more than happy to help. There’s a skew towards blue since that was the color she was dealing with. I hope you enjoy:

Taking the shade of color from the furniture and putting it on the wall and drapes (which are hung my favorite way – high!) With this, a cream rug or carpet is the perfect foil. Note the classic stacked crystal orb lamp, which complements the crystal of the chandelier.

A blue-grey (bley??? just source me if you use!), which I find very appealing if accented with silver, chrome, etc. For me, and I have crow-like tendencies and love shiny things, without reflective items, it can become a little drab.

Another example of pulling the same color up on the wall and drapes.Note the artwork. Why not attempt it? Go to you craft store and buy a big canvas and paints. If you mess up, you paint over the canvas and try it again. After your are done painting, instead of framing, you can paint the edges a dark color or gold or silver leaf them (also sold at craft stores).If this seems confusing, comment and I can do a post on this process.

Taking the color from the sofa to the end of the spectrum. The fabric on the upholstered bench is fabulous! And tying the chandelier shades and candles and the mantle shows attention to detail. The way the picture is hung from the picture molding is a beautiful (and historic) touch.

Whoopsie! How did the living room of Adam Levine (Maroon 5) slip in here? No idea 😉 I love the rich plum of the velvet sofa offset with the creamy white.

The color from the furniture is taken to the floor and walls with a pattern on the drapes. The sofas here, however, does not look comfortable. Blue can go with so many colors and here it is paired with brown with pops of berry.

I choose this because this is similar to the color of the readers furniture and I wanted to show her what it would like like on the wall and also I love pictures hung like this. Having tall ceilings, it is hard to find art to fill all the wall space, so I always look for compositions like this.

The first thing I notices was how deep the seats were! The problem is that you couldn’t lean back and have your feet on the ground; you would have to have your feet curled up in order to be comfortable! The sofa is more like a daybed.Here is a room feature that frequently are left unaddressed or not address properly: if you have a fireplace like the above, you need to address either side. I have a million pictures because I have 7 fireplaces in our house and they all have this set up. On one, we built bookshelves on either side, which I will blog about that DIY! On another I put demilunes and lamps.The main upholstery fabric color is shifted and lightened for the walls as wells.
With blue there are many viable options for accent colors, like orange, yellow, green, cream, white, brown, pink and probably others that I can’t think of right now. Try to think of the feel you want. Is it serene? Then you might want to consider just shades of blue and a cream rug. A little more? Bring in some pattern in the pillows and rugs. Even more? Color.
But if you ask me, make sure you have some shine and sparkle 🙂
~~~
Impressive
Thank you, Charlie!
our living room is a lovely sea green/teal blue mixed with bold white and black patterns.. I’ve been thinking about changing the bedroom to incorporate the blue as well- but I’ll have to hold back or it will soon be the whole apartment!
Oh, that sounds gorgeous!! For the bedroom, it would be so serene too…and a bath, I could see it too!! I’ve see the most sophisticated kitchens with that color as well. Yep, just about everywhere!!!
Love deep seats. We have a sofa like that and it’s comfortable beyond belief.
I do too! Comfort is paramount! The depth on the last sofas are better for curling up, not a conversation setting, because if guests were wearing dresses, it would be hard for them to get comfortable. Those would be great for reading, lounging, watching movies with mohair blankets…
That’s exactly what we use ours for. It’s very much a lounging area. And my son loves to lie on all the cushions and flick through his books. Can wholly recommend.
I love that!! I lie on ours too…so do our children!
I love blue! We painted our living room a light robin’s egg blue, and it’s very soothing. I’m trying to decide on wall decor – I like the look of the room you posted with the complementary colors. Might give me some ideas, thanks!
That’s a beautiful color!! I am going to do a second post with more pictures…I had to stop this one at 3:30 am!! I’ll see if there are some that have wall decor for you. What are you looking for?
Thanks! I’d love to do a large vintage mirror – round or oval preferably, or even a colection of smaller oval/round vintage mirrors. The other ideas we had were ceiling medallions hung on the wall, or a couple of shelves displaying bud vases. We have a picture gallery in our foyer that you can see from the same room, so I don’t think I want more pictures hung. I’d love to see your ideas!
ps – sorry did not mean to leave my first comment twice! You can remove the duplicate!
What kind of design style do you like??
hmm.. to give it a name – mostly traditional, with a bit of shabby/vintage thrown in : )
For the black and white bathroom post, I was researching mirrors (not bathroom) and pricing and the *best* had to be ebay’s antique section – if you search venetian mirror in their antique section, I thought it was just amazing! After what I had seen for new, mass produced mirrors, these were unique and better (IMHO). Poke around there sometime when you have the time and let me know what you think of it…I want someone else’s opinion!! I did this at the wee hours of the morning, which is when I work on my blog, and I haven’t looked at it since!
Did you see today’s post? I put a picture in for you…look at Aerin Lauder’s living room. You had mentioned bud vases and she had done something similar…
Thank you! Neat idea – I actually have a couple of the blue and white porcelain dishes from my grandparents – now that would be a clever way to use them, even to mix them with white bud vases! Thanks for thinking of me and including the photo!
Oh, and thank you for the ebay antiques section recommendation – checked it out and am eyeing a few things – I haven’t used ebay in a long time and didn’t even know they had an antiques section – thanks!!!!
Loving your blog and loving this post! Inspiring me to clean up the living room because it currently is a clash of Christmas meets Spring – been a little crazy busy lately. I wonder if that could be a design ChristmasSpring Clash – ha! Have a Great Day!
Lol! “Chring” or “Springmas”!! You might be on to a new trend 😉 I hope you have a great day too and things get a little less crazy!!
Those curtains in the second photo I want in my bedroom! Now I can show Anonymous exactly what I want!
Those might be hard to find and were probably custom. What I would do would be find drapes that have the pattern you like, the fuse the trim around them by either sewing it on or buying the iron fusing.
Custom drapes can be so costly and if you can find the base in stores, you can customize them and give them an expensive look!
Good to know! Thank you.
We use our formal living room to relax in year round and in the winter with the fireplace glowing. It is to be used and enjoyed…as you stated.
Thanks for sharing a colorful post. Jay
I love to hear that!!
I like blue, but these rooms (except for the two ‘oopsies’ you threw in), are a little too blue for me. I prefer color mixes in a room. But this is a nice post anyway. 🙂 Good job.
This was for a particular reader and her living room, thus the blue…I may follow up with one more for her before opening it up to all kinds of gorgeous, gorgeous living rooms…
I like blue but it has to be a soft blue and not too blue, if you know what I mean. Love the photos.
Love your posts! You are so right about hanging drapes a ceiling level. They look beautiful in large rooms but can really help to enlarge small rooms by bring the eye up.
Love the blue. I’ll be designing a living room soon and I’ll be sure to ask you for some inspiration. I agree that the room needs to be cozy and inviting, not stuffy.
Of course! Let me know when the time gets close and I’d be more than happy to dig through my files!
the blue shades give me a feeling of relaxed mode. love it
My favorites are the first one and the “bley” one (all credit sourced to you!). The bley seems a little cold but I think I’m drawn to the contrast with the white chairs.
Btw, seven fireplaces- that’s a lot of wood 🙂
Thanks for the inspiration!
I sure hope “Bley” catches on!!! I was writing this post in the wee hours and was giddy when I came up with it! Did you hear “griege”? It was (I think) the color of the Oscars? If this term hits it big, I want them to mention my blog 😉 Haha!!
Although, once a blogger lifted my ideas and a photo, complete with my observations, that she would have *no* access to and posted it the *very* next day. I was just flabbergasted
I’m glad you like the inspiration…after the “blue period”, I’m going to do just fabulous living rooms…yay!!
OMG! I can’t believe that happened to you!!! Did you say anything???
In my mind, yes!! Of course, very scathing!! But I never did. Her whole blog was filled with pictures that I’d seen on other blogs! And it was probably for that reason, she only had a few following her, which made me feel better 😀
Ah yes I think your family should have full use of your livingroom, what is the point of it otherwise? So let the kids in! My sis was just telling me that her friend has a “Good” livingroom, decorated and styled to within an inch of it’s life, and even her visitors are not allowed in. Her mother jokes that she should put a glass door on it and just let people look in!! What a waste of a room. Get in, kick your shoes off and relax. Thats what a livingroom is for.
Haha!! Put a glass door on it!! I would be insulted as a guest not to be invited into that room…geesh!! I do know many people who don’t allow their children in what they deem to be their better rooms; those are the children that come into our living room acting like it’s their first time in a house!
The blue is so soft and breezy. Reminds me of waking up near the beach. I love the combination of beige and blue. I am actually working on a quilt in those colours right now. I will be posting about it next week. Would love for you to check it out and get your opinion from a colours/style point of view. Thanks as always for the great post… So many colours and not enough houses to try them all out 🙂
The combo of blue and beige or “bleige” as I like to call it!! Be sure to quote me on that term (with source), I’m hoping to set some trends here and go viral 😉 I’d love to see your work!! Is there anything you don’t do?
Yes many many things. But I am not bad with the domestic duties I must admit :). When I post my quilt I will reference your bleige and give you all credit! Have a lovely Easter.
Love the “bley”.
Kearney, in your hands blue never looked so good.
Thanks, Hattie!!
I love every room–the animal print bench with sparkly chandelier, saturated blue walls, your patented “bley,” and the purple sofa. I have purple velet sofa in our formal living room where the kids practice piano and they too are allowed free reign in the scotch guared room—and I need to update the green accents with creamy white-thank you for all the ideas!
I covet your purple sofa!
Loving the blue, but a recent interior decorating consult told me we need to stay neutral because that’s what’s in. Does it really matter, especially if we’re considering selling in the future? … Thanks for sharing … Dorothy 🙂
I don’t think it’s always wise to do what’s “in”, because trends change and you will have to spend money changing trendy items, I don’t even think that’s necessarily “in” anyway!
BUT, when selling your house, you want to appeal to as *many* buyers as possible, so neutral colors are a good idea. This is commonly told by realtors to their clients to prevent any wildly personal taste.
Blue (especially a softer blue) however, is one of those colors that appeal to both sexes, all age ranges, etc., so most perspective buyers could envision themselves in your house.
Thanks for that … I’ll keep blue in mind for my next house … 🙂
Lovely! Especially picture #1
I’m doing a lot of blues in the house. That color, in my opinion, is the most calming. (And the prettiest IMNSHO). (:^)
I love tone-on-tone! I was thinking about using that pic for inspiration for our family room…but I’m still not over painting that room from the first time!!
I’m getting ready to paint one of the upstairs bathrooms. I’ve bought a framed beveled mirror to replace that sterile, plain mirror the builder installed. Those are so incredibly boring. The color of the paint will be? Blue of course!
Ooohhh!!! That’s going to be lovely!!!! You have excellent taste!! btw – did I mention that is the color of one of my bathrooms? 😉 You and I see eye to eye on SO many things!
Cool! Yes, I feel you and I are a real bloggy-buddy find! I had already done the downstairs powder room in blue last year and I wanted to echo that upstairs as well. I want to create a sense of warmth with these bathrooms. Before they were so “antiseptic”. 🙂
Love the “bley” and totally giving you credit for the term. The third photo is the cozy feel I would like to convey in my livingroom complete with “bley walls” but I can’t tell whether the bookcase and the table behind are black or brown. I think that a dark brown would soften the look to the room vs black. We live on a lake so incorporating natural colors seem to fit the relaxing mode.
Love the number of lamps in the rooms. As I get older the need for good lighting for reading is important and adds to the feeling of the room vs a overhead light. I especially like the unique table for the coffee in the “bley room”.
I think the I would use the brown from photo five as an accent wall and incorporate the cool picture from picture six to complete the look.
Comfort above all with plenty of places for all my favorite people to be in the same place at the same time.
Love the different moods each of the rooms you presented. It helps to look at different ideas in the same theme (blue in this case) to discern what appeals to me and what doesn’t. Great job and enjoyable read!
I think Bley is a sophisticated, smart color and can work so many ways! I looks at the pic last night when I read your msg and it is so hard to tell…I think the table behind is a dark brown (just from looking where the lamp light is shining) and would be gorgeous for a home on a lake. A shiny black would be gorgeous for a home/owner that wanted to give a more metropolitan feel.
You bring up a *great* point with lighting…good lighting is key and there should be lots of lighting!!!
AND although chandeliers are divine, lighting from them are actually are not flattering to the face because they cast shadows down on our face.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading this post! I love living rooms!
I love these colors of blue and really like the idea of a statement piece.
I do too, especially if it is one that you can just sit, stare at and get lost in!
I love blue. Nice one.
Thank you!
I love blue and I love the idea of using different shades of the same color with different textures to create a dynamic space.
I do too! Nicely put!
I simply love all of the shades if blue you’ve found. And I love all the accessories that tie in with the color as well. These are spectacular rooms
A friend just put a lovely shade of light blue with a hint of gray undertone on her living room walls. It reminded me–as does your post–how absolutely fabulous a room can feel in that color!
Great pictures and ideas. I don’t know why I can’t see your posts in my feed anymore, was wondering where u were
Oh no!! I did a post the other day and it didn’t email out! I just got a new Mac delivered today (yay!), so maybe that will help. I’ll look at the feed settings today. I’m so sorry!
No worries, I’ll keep finding you 🙂 congrats on the Mac. They’re awesome, you’re gonna love it
I absolutely love the color of blue on the walls in the second photo! It’s really eye popping and catchy, but tasteful.
Ashley
Would love to see a post on shelves flanking a fireplace. That is just what I need!
I will post some for you soon! I have a bunch of pics!
This is brilliant – just what I wanted. My battery is about to go, so I’ll have to be quick, but the picture with the really deep seats is the look I’m going to try for. I’m running ideas past hubby as we speak and I’ll reply and blog properly when I’m home at the end of the week.
Many, many thanks for this.
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Hi, just arrived home.
I really like the pink in the picture of the chair (which has the same shade as my sofas) and the berry tones you point out in the picture above.
Here’s my plan:
Replace the mirror
Get a coffee table
Rug – cream maybe?
Change layout so that the sofas face each other
Move the tv
Try to persuade hubby that we need to replace the curtains
Get a chandalier to replace the fan
It won’t all happen at once, lack of money rather challenging, but I’ll post as I go along.
Once again, many thanks for helping me with this. I haven’t felt so positive about this room since… well, ever, actually.
If money is a challenge, here’s an option: instead of buying a new mirror, use the same mirror, but gold or silver leaf the frame. They sell the kits at craft stores, costs about $7 in the US. If the mirror doesn’t have the right backing to hang vertically, buy eye hooks and wire at a hardware store. Screw the eye hooks in the side and thread the wire. Just a thought.
For the chandelier, you can also look at used ones and spray paint them. I love the idea of berry as an accent color!!! I talked about how to do your own framed artwork in my black and white bathroom part 2 post as well. It would be nice to pick up some berry tones in the art!
I’m excited for you!
Mmm. Think I might give that mirror a go. Even if it doesn’t end up being what I want, it sounds fun. I’ll keep you posted as to my success.
I love doing my own art. I think I’ll also have a go at something with some berry colours, though I don’t know what as yet. I lack confidence, but it won’t matter if it is for my own wall (if that makes sense).
I love trying DIY stuff! If you can find some art that you like, you can try to copy it – art is subjective and doesn’t have to be perfect! I also have cut apart books to use pretty pictures and framed them. Inexpensive and you can change it out if you get bored. Good luck!
Oh! I forgot! I would also at some point add tables on either side of the fireplace OR build bookshelves, which would be lovely if the backs were painted in the berry color. I’m going to do a post on building bookshelves as we did it on either side of our fireplace too! I would also think about adding some crown molding…or moulding as it would be spelled across the pond 🙂
If you do the tables: have a picture hung above and a lamp on each table OR have a mirror behind each lamp on the table and have a picture above your mantle. Sorry if I’m hitting you with too much…you asked for help and my mind keeps thinking of things for your room ever since I saw the picture!!
Kearney, I love how you open my mind to possibilities! It’s always wonderful to visit here.
I’m getting there.
I’ve moved the sofas – instant improvement. Hubby impressed.
Moving the piano is proving more contentious, but I’m working on it. Hubby has agreed (in theory) to moving the tv (can’t see it now the sofas have moved) and is willing to look at chandeliers and to possibly give up the fan he loves so much. It isn’t really hot and sunny in the UK so I think I’ll win that one! We have one that will do as a stop-gap.
I’ve bought a coffee table and have chosen a rug which won’t come until next month.
We have tried over the years to improve the mismatched flooring, but dispite several ‘goes’ it just looks a bit rubbish. Something else I need to work on.
I’ve decided to replace the mirror as the glass is slightly warped – guess that is why it was cheap.
My friend just put up the flowered wallpaper to go with the sofa, so I’d best not change that just yet (she’d kill me).
We’ve put up bookselves either side of the fireplace you can’t see from the picture – the room has a strange layout – which we completed some time ago. I think I need to revisit this area and put in some of your suggestions there.
Have settled on berry as the accent colour, but as yet haven’t found anything suitable and haven’t had time to try some art, so have just added pink tulips for now. However this does look really great.
I have a long way to go, but already I’m much happier with the room. Many thanks again.
Oh, I forgot.
That weird box contains all the fuses for the house. I know that is strange but this house certainly does have ‘unusual features’. Hubby assures me that we can’t do a thing about it. We painted it cream in the hope it might blend in a bit better.
Update. I’ve posted a picture with how far I’ve got on my blog if you’d like to see. Still a long way to go.
I have a few berry colours going on but they clashed a bit with the flowers and I forgot when I took the picture to put them back so I’ll update again.
Changed my mind about the rug – several times – but am still working on it. I’ve got a small chandalier cleaned up but now it is hot Hubby doesn’t want to lose the fan (honestly, one day a year of sun we get!)
Have an preliminary agreement about moving the tv, but no action as yet. It’s a very complex procedure apparently.
Thanks again for your help.