This newlywed couple didn’t know where to begin with their awkward living room. Here’s how they found a plan they could both agree on.

The Backstory

When a couple’s new awkward living room just didn’t work for either of them

My husband and I had just moved from Houston into our new home in Waco, Texas. He is a native Texan, and I’m from Miami – two very different places that sort of reflect our two very distinct styles! And while we both agree that we like a rustic style, my version of rustic is a bit less traditional. I tend to be drawn towards more clean lines and symmetry than you might typically associate with a “rustic” style.

When we moved in, I had every intention of repainting the grey walls in the living room (which I was not looking forward to!) only to find out my husband loved the color. To me, the dark grey paired with the espresso floors made the room feel heavy. In an effort to compromise, I began searching for ways to brighten and warm up the space, while keeping the original wall color.

When it came to the layout for our space, we both agreed that we wanted a natural flow from the front door into the living area, and onto the adjoining rooms. I did not want to block the fireplace in our living room, but we have a return grate for our A/C on the opposite wall that would have to work very hard if it was covered.

Ashley’s Living Room Before

The Design Dilemma

Limited layout options, a wall color she wasn’t sold on, and furniture they couldn’t agree on

We felt extremely limited in how we could set up our new living room. We tried couches on opposite walls but the front door has a large glass window that lets people see right in… But placing a couch on a perpendicular wall meant covering the A/C return or blocking the fireplace, which I wanted to keep as a focal point.

To make our layout struggles more complex, none of the walls in the room are the same length and they each have various attributes that make designing difficult (like French doors to the back yard or a small recessed area). It was just a huge challenge trying to figure out how to arrange our furniture.

“It was just a huge challenge trying to figure out how to arrange our furniture.”

My husband and I had run out of ideas on how to arrange our living room, and I was skeptical about all that grey… But, since he liked the color I really wanted to keep it. I just could not imagine how to incorporate it into a design that worked for both of us.

Ultimately we wanted a space that reflected both of our styles. And I wanted a design that would make me fall in love with our grey walls.

Ashley’s Living Room Before

The Modsy Moment

Finding inspiration (and a solution) from a favorite blogger

I first heard about Modsy through Kate Bryan of The Small Things blog. She was having a hard time designing an awkwardly shaped office and that was exactly how I felt about my living room.

We got started with Modsy almost immediately. It was so simple to use – I did most of it on my phone.

Since our living room has a bit of an odd shape, I actually ignored the recessed corner next to the fireplace when measuring the room. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Modsy had factored in that space into my designs anyway!

Ashley’s Modsy design #2

How Modsy’s Renderings Helped Ashley:

Solving all three challenges in one design plan

Being a computer technician, I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of Modsy’s 3D renderings. I noticed they included so many fine details, like our wall color, location of outlets and switches, and the recessed area I had originally left out!

Bird’s eye view of Ashley’s designs

Our first Modsy design plan had a very interesting layout and we initially wanted to arrange our space this way. We liked how it put the space to use and it seemed to be a good arrangement for entertaining. We also had not considered getting rid of one of our bigger couches in favor of two accent armchairs. That was a new idea Modsy gave us.

Ashley’s Modsy design #1

We liked the furniture arrangement in this design. Modsy’s idea to put a valet table along the back wall was also great, since our entryway is small and unable to accommodate one. It felt like Modsy was able to create two rooms in one.

Ashley’s Modsy design #2

We ended up going with Modsy’s second design plan since it made the room feel more open. I liked the abundance of light-colored accents Modsy chose, which really helped offset the dark walls and floors. The soft-colored rug made the room feel so open and light – it really balanced out all the dark colors.

Ashley’s Modsy design #2

My husband and I both loved the industrial and natural elements of the bookshelf and the coffee table. The bookshelf became the piece we were most excited about adding to the room. We are both avid readers but we never thought of showcasing that since we didn’t feel like there was enough space.

Ashley’s Modsy design #2

I loved how open and warm all of our design plans looked, and how Modsy really was able to blend our styles and design wants together. It was such a relief, after taking the style quiz and then seeing the renderings to finally having both of us agree on a layout and design. As newlyweds, it was great to have help creating a look that expressed both our styles but still felt cohesive.

As newlyweds, it was great to have help creating a look that expressed both our styles but still felt cohesive.

Our plan is to replicate the second design as closely as we can. We’ve already added the rug to our home! Soon we’ll be adding the coffee table and bookshelf, which we actually are planning on building ourselves.

See Ashley’s Favorite Design in 360

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