5 steps to a well-styled living room

text by   SHANI SILVER
photography by  SARAH SWEENEY
tips by   JACLYN JOSLIN

Redesigning a room can often feel like an unfathomable chore. Where do you start? What is really required? Sometimes it takes a practiced hand to show you that you’re really not far away from a complete, cohesive room with plenty of polish. Jaclyn Joslin, Founder & Designer ofCoveted Home, was kind enough to break down a room redo into five steps that will work in any space.

HOW DID THIS PROJECT COME ABOUT?

I met my clients during their visit to my Kansas City based home furnishings store, also named Coveted Home, where they inquired about my design services.

WHAT WERE YOUR CLIENT’S GOALS FOR THIS SPACE? 

My clients wanted a clean and modern space with a comfortable and relaxed vibe. The husband and wife had different ideas for its design. She is very drawn to a neutral color palette, while he is more interested in color. I satisfied both of their wants by using a maroon colored printed wallpaper and emerald green velvet bench in the entry, and keeping the family room’s palette more neutral with the use of soft grays, creams, white and black.

WHAT DOES YOUR CLIENT LOVE MOST ABOUT THE FINAL RESULT? 

His favorite pieces are the hide rug and oversized sofa, while her favorite pieces are the marble coffee table and black leather chairs. I’m thrilled that they both love the custom bookshelf and really think the ultimate outcome was a blend of what they both wanted!

Jaclyn’s Steps For A Well-Styled Room!

STEP 1. the stylish shelfie:

The bookshelf was a custom piece designed in collaboration with and made by Matt Castilleja. I used the masculine appeal of wood and steel to balance out some of the lighter, more feminine aspects of the room. The shelves were styled fairly minimally with pieces that are unique and designed to make a big impact. With such a beautiful piece of handmade furniture, I really wanted to let it speak for itself without being over-decorated.

STEP 2. the statement art:

Choosing a large statement piece of art to hang above the sofa was a two-fold decision. First, I wanted to create a completely different look than what formerly occupied the space: a

Secondly, the Restoration Hardware sofa is oversized and calls for an equally high impact piece to balance the aesthetic. When selecting art, it was important to keep it neural, within the soft gray, cream, white and black color palette. This abstract Zoe Bios piece fit the bill perfectly!

STEP 3. the bold focal point:

Our decision to paint the mantle a dark gray color was one of the first made to transform the space. The walls were originally a dark khaki grasscloth, and while I love grasscloth in many other applications, it felt drab and dated here. We opted for a fresh, clean look and painted the walls Wimborne White by Farrow & Ball. We followed by painting the mantle Raccoon Fur by Benjamin Moore. Ultimately, these choices helped to set the tone and direction for the rest of the room, including inspiring the selection of the stunning black leather chairs.

STEP 4. the rug stack:

I’m a big fan of

and chose to do so in this space to add more texture and interest without adding color. I started with the simple sisal rug, which was then layered with a hide. I really consider the marble topped coffee table as a completion of the rug stack, sticking with the room’s neutral palette while adding intrigue.

STEP 5. personal touches:

The accessories are a mixture of pieces from Coveted Home, some vintage or thrifted items and some pieces found at Target. I’m a big believer that a diverse collection of pieces can ultimately work together to create a styled and harmonious result. For instance, on the coffee table, I mixed a wooden vessel and a vintage ashtray with a thrifted acrylic prism with Himalayan pink quartz. The look is truly one-of-a-kind!

SEE MORE FROM JACLYN!
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Facebook: The Coveted Home
Twitter: @covetedhome
Website: covetedhome.com