living room inspiration

So I mentioned yesterday that we did a bit of shopping on Sunday.  It's been fun to start making decorating decisions, instead of just building and finish decisions.   It's a little intimidating, as well.  After all, I work in accounting, not interior design.

We purchased our current sofa and loveseat from a discount furniture store in town just after we got married seven years ago.  It's a light brown color with some green undertones and, while it fit into our apartment well, it was always a bit large for our house.  I've been on a mission to find something new for a couple of years and really fell in love with the idea of a linen-colored sofa.  Crazy with a little one, right?  In an attempt to balance pretty with functional, I finally decided on a washable, slip-covered sofa. The problem?  Most of the ones I like cost a small fortune.  And, with as much as my taste changes, I'm not willing to spend a small fortune.  I'm also not willing to take the gamble that my linen-colored sofa idea is a great one.  So, we've been on the lookout for something affordable, but nice.  Something that will hold up decently to being lived in, but is still comfortable.  Enter IKEA.

As hesitant as I was at first, I really think their Ektorp sofa and chair are going to meet our needs.  The sofa is $499 and the chair is $399 - completely affordable.  Plus, they were super comfortable - and most importantly - washable!  We held off on actually buying anything and are going to wait until we can move them directly to the new house.  Now, I'm on the lookout for another coordinating chair.  Preferably something that is a tad smaller than the Ektorp chair and contains a bit of a pattern.  Any suggestions?

The inspiration board below is the look I think I'm going for:

The couch, chair and ottoman are all from IKEA.  We purchased the rug from Rugs USA during their recent (and still ongoing) 50% off sale - it's the Keno Nava Trellis rug in Slate and the price was right.  The reviews are good, but I haven't yet seen it in person.

I'm thinking of carrying the same wall color from the kitchen and dining area into the living room.  I like the shade of gray and I really think the continuity will be nice.

The throw pillows, artwork and decorative accents will be the tough part.  I don't like spending a ton of money on "pretty" things, but I really want everything to look nice and pulled together.  After browsing at least fifteen website for throw pillows, I was able to narrow down a selection that will hopefully help set the tone for the room.  I love the casual mix of patterns and I think the colors are neutral enough that I can pull in some brighter art for the walls.  Says the accountant...  I really have no idea what I'm doing.

The sources of the pillows are:
1. Sculpted Origami Pillow Cover in Heather Gray from West Elm - $34.00
2. Honeycomb Crewel Pillow Cover in Blue/Ivory from West Elm - $39.00
3. Keyes Decorative Pillow in Charcoal/White from Home Decorators Collection - $54.00
4. Piper Decorative Pillow in Yellow/White from Home Decorators Collection - $54.00
5. Deco Dot Down Filled Pillow in Spa Blue and Ivory from Shades of Light - $42.00
6. Nate Berkus for Target Gray Geometric Applique Pillow from Target - $24.99
7. Medallion Flocked Lumbar Pillow from World Market - $14.98

I'm hoping Marshalls/HomeGoods/TJ Maxx/Tuesday Morning will have similar pillows for much less.  The prices above are much more than I'd like to pay for decorative pillows.  I did hit up Kohl's tonight (yay for 30% off coupons!) and was able to pick up some pillows for the spare bedroom, but I didn't find anything for the living room.  Bummer.

We made a few more purchases on Sunday for the dining area and spare bedroom, plus Hubby's mom is hard at work on a project for E's room.  I think I have somewhat of an idea of the design direction in those rooms - and will share details soon.  Now, to figure out the rest of E's room, the main bath, the master bedroom and the flex room. 

In the mean time, here's a sneak peek of a few items we did end up purchasing from IKEA:

From L to R: LAPPLJUNG panel curtains, HENRIKSDAL upholstered chair, KAUSTBY wooden chair (note: the KAUSTBY chair we purchased is similar to the above, but larger and sturdier - and $10 more)