TDS Moodboards: White, Blue & Gray Living Rooms

I’m SO excited to be starting a new series this week, “The Design Souk Styles,” where every month I’ll show you how I would go about setting up a different room in a home, and what items I would personally use to decorate the space!

I got the idea while shopping with a friend. She was telling me how much she struggled with putting accessories and items together for her home and that she would have loved seeing visuals. So since I’m a big visual learner, I came up with a simple mood board – with items that you can find at stores in Saudi and Bahrain – so that I can show you how to potentially stage those items in your own home.

This week, I’m going to show you how I would think about decorating and setting up a living room!

Living Room Design Details:

Neutral base with a white, pops of blue, and gray color scheme (surprise, surprise).
Use plants and flowers for a natural pop of green.
I used mostly brass-ish finishes in this room. Industry forecasters are predicting that brass may be on its way out, but I think that as long as you keep it in small decorative pieces and mix and match with other textures, you can make that trend last!
I like lighter finishes in general, so if glass isn’t a good option for you, a light colored material on the tables can have the same airy feel.

As you may already know, I add color through accessories, but if you’re super committed to a color (like I am to blue and green), these shades of blue and white (in an armchair) will work so well in this room!

1. Hattie Upholstered Armchair in PerformanceEveryday Velvet, Navy (Pottery Barn) | 2. Paidge Chair in Performance Velvet, Ink Blue (West Elm) | 3. Townsend Square Arm Upholstered Armchair in Twill Cream (Pottery Barn) | Paidge Chair in Performance Velvet, Dove Gray (West Elm) | 5. Paidge Chair in Performance Velvet, Steel Blue (West Elm) | 6. Cardiff Tufted Upholstered Armchair in Harbor Blue (Pottery Barn) | 7. Paidge Chair, Twisted Slub Nightshade (West Elm) | 8. Aiden Upholstered Armchair, Twill Cadet Navy (Pottery Barn)

Shopping Tips…

Make sure to think about the size of your room and the size of the items you’re bringing it. Always measure to make sure the couch or armchairs aren’t too big or too small for the room.
Try to stick to three different colors in the room and add others through cushion covers, lamps, decorative accessories, etc.
Think about the patterns and solids in the room – if you have a big pattern on a couch, pair it with a solid rug, and vice versa. Use patterned cushion covers with a solid couch and vice versa. Contrasting solids colors can essentially be thought of as a pattern too.
Think about lighter versus darker finishes – types of metal, materials, etc.
Use statement pieces sparingly… If there are too many, they won’t really be statement pieces… 🙂

Scared of white couches? You can opt for a “light” finish (bright white, oatmeal, cream, twill, etc.) and choose a family-friendly material (like Everyday Performance Velvet) or buy some Scotchgard and spray it on every 6 months.

Don’t want to use a light rug? Use a rug that has a lot of pattern on it – it helps hide spills and stains. Use lighter accessories to brighten up the space then.

Item not available? I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me… But then try to buy something that looks similar to the shape and size that you wanted, mix and match items that are in the same shades or hues, have similar finishes, and are within your color scheme. This means that when you pick out a blue, it should mirror a similar blue in the other items in the room…

Have a brass you already like? Use that item to match other types of brass to make sure something isn’t too yellow or too antique. Physically take it to the store if you have to!

For example…

Option 1 has a total glam look to it, especially because of the richer textures (fur, brighter brass items, mother of pearl lamp). This is a great option for people who want something more feminine.