design conundrum

living room inspiration from alaina of live creating yourself and the everygirl

it seems my living room/dining area is a continual work in progress. which is, i suppose, what i love most about interior design. design is never really done. there’s always something else to purchase, a flea market find to remake, a new way to arrange your favorite pieces.

next week, our apartment will be getting repainted, courtesy of my landlord (!!) turns out that our apartment complex has a sweet deal that dictates that you can have your entire apartment repainted in a crisp coat of white (or color, if you can convince your painters on the DL) for free every 3 years. hallelujah, praise the design gods! our kitchen will look so much brighter with a fresh coat of paint, as will the hallways and bathrooms. since my bedroom and part of our living area are painted a light, soothing grey, we won’t be having the painters touch those walls – but the front wall (and largest, mind you) of our living room, will be getting some brand new white makeup, and i can’t wait.

my dining area as of last month – gallery wall is a work in progress

this paint job has inspired a whole host of changes in the living area – which is, as in most new york apartments, the central spot of the place – including new side tables (i snagged these from target, and love them), new faux mongolian wool pillows i spotted on a whim last weekend at the tjmaxx near my hometown (SCORE!!!), and the ikea expedit unit i’ve been wanting for years, which will replace my old christmas tree shops (blech) “media stand” (made from the shittest fiberboard “wood” ever). i’m psyched to put the expedit together this weekend with the help of my roomie’s boyfriend (thanks, tom!), as it’ll provide a whole lot more storage space. perhaps i’ll even have space for a little minibar! i’ve been crushing on these glasses for a while now.

mirror over couch inspiration, courtesy of jenny komenda of the little green notebook

so while much of my furniture is being switched out, there are still a few items of importance to deal with. since i’m repainting the front wall, i can take down the shelves i’ve had above the TV since i moved in. they’re filled with little tcotchkes i picked up at chelsea flea, as well as some agate pieces, a candle or two…and while i love them, i think i’m ready for something different. i really am considering splurging on this cb2 mirror to bring even more light into the space (it gets very little natural light), and eventually, maybe this lucite coffee table (again, we need light in the space). i also ordered my beloved for like ever poster a few months back, but have yet to hang it up.

the for like ever poster i will soon hang

so, here’s the question: do i put the tork mirror above the TV, or above the couch? i’m thinking the poster can go on the small side wall to the right of the couch, which is currently empty. the pop of hot pink will look nice against the grey walls. i’ve also got a small sunburst mirror i ordered from joss & main a while back to grapple with (it’s currently above the couch, but i’m not loving it there). i’m thinking the tork mirror may be a better fit for the space (inspired mostly by the image below).