Kristina’s Living Room Transformation

I knew Kristina and I were going to be an amazing team when she first got in touch with me a few months before she got to Saudi. Her eagerness to start, excitement about the process, and desire for a space that felt like a home away from home is exactly the kind of attitude my creative juices thrive on!

She told me that she was coming to Saudi with nothing except for her suitcases and a cat, so I was going to be responsible for decorating the entire home from scratch… Luckily, I pretty much did this with my own home, so it was a challenge I was totally ready for.

Since Kristina is super organized, she was very sure of the things that her home needed so that it could function well for her busy lifestyle. She wanted a cozy, romantic, and elegant space with a soft color palette. She was also looking for a soothing space to come home to, but stylish enough to entertain a small group of friends on a regular basis. However, this particular compound home can be slightly challenging to work with because of its size. It is one of the smallest layouts here, but that certainly doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty!

We started off this project by having some beautiful faux gray wood flooring laid on top of the existing tile. As this is a rental home it was important to pick materials that not only look pretty, but that can easily be removed or transported to another home.

I wanted the layout of the room to be as conducive to entertaining as possible, so the furniture was positioned to open up to both rooms so that guests could feel like they’re part of the same space no matter where they’re sitting. I know that the area is generally small already, and it seems like mingling would be easy, but furniture placement is important when considering how to control the general flow of a room.

We also wanted to keep this home very local. What I mean by that is that almost every single item (except for the photos and prints) was purchased or made in Saudi. Shopping takes a while because of the availability of stock here, but we were able to get and make every piece that was needed.

Anyways, enough chatter. Here’s the transformed living space…

| BEFORE |

| AFTER |

Two of my favorite pieces in this room, the gorgeous dining table and white armchair, were made by the incredible team at Desert Designs. We had already bought quite a few white-washed pieces from the store for this space, and wanted the dining table to mirror the same finish and feel. It was also necessary to have pieces within specific size limitations without losing out on aesthetics.

The owner of Desert Designs, Qamar Ahmed (@qamru), and I sat down and designed the stunning dining table with a glass top and white-washed wooden pedestal base.

I really wanted a decorative accent built into the center of the table so that you could appreciate the work that went into it even if you didn’t have a centerpiece. If you look closely you can see the carved wood in the center of the table. I just love how they incorporated my desire for something pretty and unique into this table.

Since this home has only one bedroom upstairs, I thought it would be nice to create a chic little office area across the dining table. Sometimes you just want a dedicated space for work rather than using your dining table for everything!

I don’t think people realize how much of an impact a nice entrance can make to a home – it really sets the mood. So for something pretty, yet functional, we purchased one of my all-time favorite pieces from IKEA, their HEMNES shoe cabinet, and changed out the knobs with metallic ones from Zara Home.

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And there you have it folks! Thanks so much for checking out this small, but super dramatic living room transformation! 

This is part of a larger full home transformation that I’ve been working on, so stay tuned for more information about this project in the coming months!

Follow #projectkking on Instagram for any future updates.

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Product List:

Living Room Details: Wall Color 2004-Y50R (Seashell), Jotun | Flooring, Local Contractor | Couch, West Elm | Custom Arm Chair, Desert Designs | Media Unit, Desert Designs | Cushion Covers, West Elm | Blanket, Pottery Barn | Coffee Table, West Elm | Coffee Table Planter, H&M Home | Succulents, IKEA | Coffee Table Decorative Metal Object, West Elm | Coffee Table Paper Weight, H&M Home | Rug, West Elm | Prints, Minted (shipped from the States) | Frames, Arab Frames | Lamp, Zara Home | Wooden Side Tables, Zara Home

Dining Room Details: Drinks Cabinet, Desert Designs | Wall Mirror, West Elm | Bowls, Zara Home | Vase on drinks cabinet, West Elm | Chandelier, Desert Designs | Custom Dining Table, Desert Designs | Dining Room Chairs, IKEA | Cutlery, Home Center | Dinner plates & Side plates, Zara Home | Metallic candleholder, West Elm | Gold Candleholder, H&M Home | Frames & Prints, IKEA

Office Area Details: Work Desk, IKEA | Chair, IKEA | Desk Lamp, IKEA | Picture ledge, IKEA | Basket, Zara Home

Entryway Details: Shoe Cabinet, IKEA | Knobs, Zara Home | Wall Mirror, Desert Designs | Gold tray, H&M Home | Blue Vase, West Elm | Clear Vase, IKEA | Ring Holder, IKEA | Ceiling Light Fixture, IKEA

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Check out Kristina’s Feminine + Modern Home in the TDS Interiors Portfolio section of the blog for more project highlights of her patio.