Welcome to the very first volume of my new feature, Room Rx! This feature was born out of the VERY COMMON every day struggle to turn inspiration into reality in our own homes (why is it so hard!?). I promise to you that much of what you see on Pinterest IS attainable in your own home - sometimes it just takes extra eyes, and that is what we are here for!

My hope with this is that we all chime in! Can I tell you a secret? No designer knows everything! Not even the ones that seem like they do. So I am here to give it my best shot, but this is an open forum, and the more help, the better!

My other hope with this feature is that the more we all share and pitch in to solve these room probz, the rest of you guys can have some good takeaways to apply to your own homes or in areas you feel stuck! I’ve got some pretty good helpful tips for how to see your space with fresh eyes which is like 60% of getting started - and it’s HARD.

Alright let’s do this.

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Welcome to Angela’s living room / dining room! I chose to tackle this one first, for a couple of reasons:

This particular living room layout is a SUPER common one in the midwest and the south.
This space needs to serve as a multi-use space, as their kitchen has no room for dining in it (also a common problem! Trust me - I made her send me pics of her kitchen. haha!)

In her own words, this is what she has to say about the space.

We are stuck with just about everything in this room. All of the furniture (except the dining table and the two circular lamps) were carryovers from our previous home. We were so excited to move into this home, that we essentially hung up the TV, slapped furniture around it, and called it a day. More specifically, we're not sure if this is the best layout for the room. It is a rectangle, but we have to worry about the entrance as well as two other doorways (entrance to the kitchen and to the hallway) which makes it tricky for us. We're quite certain the couch is not the best fit for the room, but have yet to replace it since we're not quite sure what would work best.

Does anybody else relate so far? A fast move-in, some quick fixes, and some furniture that you already had that might not work with the space. Right? Read on!

As for budget, I'm gonna say we are open to spending at least $5,000. We'd expect to spend the most on a new couch, but maybe even a new chair or two for a spot to entertain? We are open to a new rug as well, but we like this one because it's washable (a must at this stage in our family). We also highly desire more storage in this room. We dream of floor to ceiling shelving on one wall which could hold our books, movies, music, photo books, and knick knacks. Right now I'm just trying to strategically hide these items wherever I can.

This is a family with young kids, and as any dummy knows, kids come with a LOT OF STUFF everywhere. It’s like it multiplies overnight. (How? Why?) This is a very common problem! And real quick - a common mindset when you have young kids is that you can’t have nice things. You might as well hold off until they are older. Have you had thoughts like this? The truth is that you CAN have nice things. You just have to be a little more strategic about your decisions. And just know that buying a white sofa is setting yourself up for failure!!

So to summarize, here is their list of MUST HAVES:

Must have a TV watching / entertaining area with furniture that is is a proportionate size to the space.
Must have a dedicated dining area that doesn’t feel like an afterthought.
Rug and furniture MUST be kid-friendly
More storage for kid stuff and life in general
Double layers of curtains for privacy
Must still have an entry drop for keys and things
Must keep the circular lamps
Must stay under $5k budget

So full disclosure - I didn’t have all of the dimensions and I just guessed! You’ll probably have to make some changes to the end layout here (like keeping your console dresser where it is, and not on the other side of the doorway, and the window is much larger than pictured) but nothing really huge. Here is how I would imagine your space to look like as far as layout goes. And below, you’ll find an inspiration board for the actual decor, and a little shopping list to keep you on your budget. :)

These renderings are to show my proposed layout for your living room! Let’s hit the main points!

If there’s nowhere else for your dining room to go, I say we make it look like it’s supposed to be there. Right? Add a pendant light (if you can’t hardwire a new one, a plug-in one would work! Run it up the wall and put the large mirror over the cord to hide it). I do think a round dining table would serve you better as a family, save a little bit on space,
and generally be easier to move around it.
Making your living room its own dedicated space separates the two rooms using the sofa as the barrier. Adding vertical shelving on either side of the TV helps the TV not feel so like, HELLO IT’S A TV ON THE WALL. I like to think that shelves hug the TV so it doesn’t feel alone. Yes, I am the Kenneth Ellen Parcell of the design world. Shelves are great for storage for kids - throw some woven baskets on the bottom two shelves for kid stuff, kid books, crafts, markers, whatever! I also think you could (probably) use your existing console under the TV, though I’m not there to measure it, so double check before you take my word for it!
RUG! I did update the rug in your design, but only because I love this one from Ruggable. This is totally not sponsored, I’ve just had many clients love their Ruggable rugs. I’m thisclose to converting our rug at home. I like the lighter design on the wood floor, and note: I also lightened the curtains! I recommend bringing in a bamboo shade onto the window (Blinds.com has really affordable ones that you can have custom made to the size of your window!) so use the blinds for total privacy, and then the curtains for the daytime. If the idea of the bamboo shade isn’t quite your thing, I’d recommend doing two sets of the same curtains from West Elm - one set lined, one set unlined. They also have a linen sheer curtain if you still prefer throwing some sheers up there.

And now for the mood board! Sources AND prices listed below:

LIVING ROOM

Sofa: THIS ONE in Heathered Tweed, Charcoal ($1200)

Rug: Thalia Black Rug in 8x10 ($400, but $250 if you already have a Ruggable pad)

Curtains: These are my all time faves! They come as a set of 2 - currently on sale ($164)

Shelving: These are some great dupes to the CB2 ones, and I love that they come in light wood and white. ($130 each, so $260 for two)

Plants: I would always recommend real plants or trees in your home first, but with the little one, if a faux tree is more up your alley, you can NOT beat this one from QVC. It looks so real and it’s only $58. Definitely invest in some kind of taller tree or plant though, whether it be a Dragon Tree, or something that thrives on neglect. A taller plant will help visually balance the room!

Coffee table: A great basic one for $115. Love a good round coffee table with kids. Bonus is finding something with storage.

Chairs: YES these chairs are a splurge ($700 each, so 2 for $1400) but YES they are worth it.

Lamp: Everyone needs some gold. ($112 for this gorgeous lamp.)

Wall sconce: Plug-in wall sconces are all of our new BFF. This one is no exception. They’re great for space saving and directing light at the same time. I LOVE this one and it’s a steal at $100.

Storage baskets: Target? Done and done. These are so cheap- I always recommending getting more than you think you’ll need, so in the future when you need more baskets, they will still all match, and you won’t end up with a collection of different baskets all over your shelves that feel cluttered. Uniformity in your storage is a good trick. ;)

Art: I’m VERY into the whole collection from Juniper Print Shop. Here’s 3 of my favorites for this particular design: Oro I, Trails, Garden Roses I.

Console: I recommend keeping your existing console if the length allows for it! If not, these are great pieces to find second hand on Offer Up, vintage shops, etc. I did not include a new console in the budget. Also - play around with keeping your existing side tables, and if you decided to delay the big expenses initially, your sofa might work just turned to face the other wall (just a guess - hard to say without exact dimensions!).

TOTAL LIVING ROOM COST: $3809

(Note! This does not include the art, baskets, wood shade, shipping, taxes, etc. The art is just a visual suggestion, but it’s pretty cheap at $20 per digital file! The bamboo window shade is subjective to the size of the window. Baskets depend on quantity, but estimating 6 of them, would add $80.)

DINING ROOM

Wallpaper: If you’re looking at the rendering, imagine the dark wall behind the dining area is wallpaper! This pattern from I found on Spoonflower by Holli Zollinger just felt right. Consult with an expert before you purchase to double-check my estimates, but I’m estimating you would need 5 rolls at $60 each ($300).

Dining Table: I mentioned before, but I think a round table would better suit the space (sorry!!) This one from CB2 is a favorite, super sturdy, and much better quality than the Ikea one (only $30 more!). It takes wear and tear a whole lot better as well. ($229)

Dining chairs: Against the dark and busy background of the wallpaper, I’m thinking white chairs would be perfect. I also have these chairs in orange, and they’re super easy to clean. You don’t have to be afraid of white things in your home as long as the material is a beast!! (White dining chairs are $49 each, x4 is $200)

Pendant light: THIS one by Selamat catches my eye every time! ($200)

Mirror: This mirror is giant at 37” and such a good price ($150)

The dresser that’s your landing space- I would keep it as-is! It’s cute, and perfect spot for collecting mail, keys, etc.

TOTAL DINING ROOM COST: $1079

(Again, this doesn’t include any shipping, taxes, etc.)

LIVING + DINING ROOM GRAND TOTAL: $4888

There you have it! Angela - if you take on this Room Rx, please check back in and show us, ok! If you post the process to Instagram use the tag #parohomeroomrx. I hope this helps! Everyone else - feel free to weigh in below!

If you’re interested in this service (local or ANYWHERE) with a little more of a hands-on approach (exact measurements, skype meetings, etc.) send me an email: sarah@parohome.com! It could be one room or your whole house. Whatever! We are down to talk more, always. There’s always a solution! Rates are different depending on the size of project and your budget, so let’s talk.

Hey guys, also! I do include some affiliate links. I would like to keep offering this feature for free, and just to offset my business costs, I use affiliate links when I can! :) Thanks for using my links. If you have any questions about this don’t be shy about asking. My choices are not motivated by the affiliate kickback, and in a lot of cases, I love recommending things that have offer no affiliate commission. It’s my policy to always recommend things sincerely, because your trust means a lot to me. Thank you!