Our Maine Living Room Reveal
Vibey, cozy, quirky, with a mix of modern and vintage - this living room is everything we could’ve dreamed of. With the walls repaired and painted, the floors refinished, and the furniture installed, this room feels completely different. Now, curling up on the couch to watch the tide come in and out, is our favorite thing to do. We are thankful to AllModern for partnering with us on this project!
AllModern SOURCES
// FURNITURE
Favorite Sectional | Wood Side Table | Woven Leather Strap Chair | Leather Lounge Chair | Black End Table | Two-Tiered Wall Shelf | Coffee Table | Walnut Cabinet
// LIGHTING
Tall Shaded Floor Lamp | LED Strip Floor Lamp | Task Floor Lamp | Wall Sconce
// DECOR
Corduroy Pillow Covers | Black Marble Vases | Green Wire Baskets | Ivory Checkered Throw Pillow | Marble Sculpture | Wall Clock | Throw Blanket | Large Resin Planter | Record Player | Pouf | Rug
How It Started
One of the things that made us fall in love with this house is the two story wall of windows overlooking the water.
However, the living room always posed a bit of a challenge because it is kind of a funny shape… the window wall is long and triangular (with a bench seat built in), and the room is quite narrow. On one side of the room there are two steps up to the dining room and a large wood burning stove, which on first glance, consumes a lot of floor space.
In our first month or so in the house we didn’t know quite what to make of the space. We decided it would be much better to just live in it for a while and get a feel for how we end up using it. Over the course of a year, and a few guests later, we had a much better idea of how the space could operate. We highly recommend taking some time to do this if you’re not sure!
Our biggest question in the beginning quickly became answered - the bench seat is staying. It offers so much storage and we always find ourselves perched there. Plus removing it would not provide much more useable space, and we love the cabin-y feel it adds.
The Sitting Area
One thing that was very clear, is that we wanted to optimize for seating. This basically meant filling the space with the largest sectional we could find. It’s not an understatement to say that this sectional is absolutely amazing. The bold color, the luxurious depth of the cushion, and the corduroy fabric makes it feel ultra cozy. We were also really drawn to its lower profile. It truly emulates the “conversation pits” of the era.
// Sectional Note: We actually purchased the couch + two individual pieces to make it this big!
// Bonus: if your dogs are allowed (or decide for themselves) on the couch, dog hair vacuums up easily from this performance fabric - a must for us
While we’ve had the couch and this coffee table for a couple months, it was the area rug and the two accent chairs that pulled this space together. The mid-century orange of the rug is the perfect pop of color against the light wood floors and olive green couch. We also made sure to choose a rug that could withstand muddy paws and boots as it’s right by our back door.
These woven leather chairs are not only pretty, but comfortable - and the straps provide good support! Having them along the edge of the rug creates a distinct and intimate zone. Now, we have enough seating to host more friends - and we have a stack of board games we’ve been waiting to break out.
Possibly our favorite AllModern product that we used in this space, are the shelves. They’re about two feet wide individually, but we put eight together to fill this wall to scale. Instead of using the supplied hangers we piloted holes for brass finish screws to mimic the modular shelving of the era. We’re big believers in the power of hardware and changing it out is a good way to add a personal touch. The shelves not only break up the enormous space, but allow or for functional storage and styling opportunities.
Girl, Put Your records on
The star of this project is definitely our new music listening area. We love our record player in Boston; there’s something extra special and nostalgic about listening to music this way. While it definitely has the old-fashioned charm, the sleek Coda Shelf System has modern functionality.
Another item that you may recognize is the media cabinet that we also used in The Snug. This floating, natural wood cabinet is the perfect way to organize cords, and keep the area from feeling cluttered.
A leather lounger is timeless and makes any room look better - but the curved wooden slats on the back of this one, makes it feel extra funky. Sitting here, with a record on and a glass of wine, is pure bliss. Hopefully the evergreen tree feels the same way, we are going to try and keep it alive inside!
The Finishing touches
The art in this space is something we’re especially fond of and the pieces for the gallery wall were collected over a long period of time. We looked to local artists, thrifts stores, yard sales and Goodwill. Some of these pieces might find their home in other parts of the house as we continue to renovate and design the other spaces. We’ve been trying to remind ourselves that when it comes to design, a room is never “done” and that things like art, can evolve and change.
To help further develop the retro-cabin design, we were looking for a balance of earthy and bold colors, geometric lines, and natural materials. AllModern speaks our love language.
We’re head over heels for this mustard yellow sconce that hangs over the coveted corner spot of our sectional. I guess we’re really in our mustard era because the Orwell clock we used on the bookshelf is also super cute - and is such a classic, retro piece.
Across the room, this super sleek floor lamp and the hexagonal side table on either side of the chair are a playful couple. We like pairing something tall and thin, with something fuller and closer to the floor to add visual interest. This colorful, layered nook is so inviting now.
For textiles we chose a couple neutral wool pillows and this fun, checkered blanket! We are thrilled with how this space came together as well as the quality of these AllModern pieces.
Final Thoughts
We absolutely love how the cabin is coming together, however we know that the retro-cabin style is very niche and doesn’t apply to everyone. When designing any space, these are things we consider:
Color palette
Furniture
Lighting
The combination of old and new pieces
Choose the items that speak to you, are interesting, and make you feel cozy. You’ll end up with a finished product that reflects you! AllModern is a great starting point if you’re shopping for a new room design, or refresh. While some of the items that we chose are very mid century modern, they have high quality products in all styles of modern that would look good in any home.
