She wanted a living room that looked like a forest witch lived there 🧙‍♀️✨

Last week I popped out to Grand Rapids for another fun Designed in a Day session. My clients were ready to tackle their living and dining room areas in an open concept main floor.

With four kiddos between 8-12, they wanted the space to be functional, cozy, and warm but also very practical—no light upholstery, lots of seating for movie nights, and just generally kid-friendly all around. Nothing formal or precious!

Here are the spaces in question:

The spaces are open to the kitchen, which may be a project down the road, but we wanted something that would mesh well with the existing oak cabinets. Paint was also a priority for my clients, as the current space had 3-4 different paint colors that didn't blend well at all.

Style wise, my client said she wanted her space to feel like a forest which lived there 🧙‍♀️✨ how fun is that? Organic, eclectic, lots of nods to nature and layers of textures...

Here's some of her inspo images:

She particularly loved the olive greens mixed with some burnt orange and mustard yellow, and had lots of images of vintage rugs paired with lots of wood tones and plants.

The Living and Dining Room Layouts

We utilized an L-shaped sectional in the living room to maximize seating and also create a feel of two separate spaces. Along the opposite wall from the sectional, we planned for an oversized wall of bookshelves (book storage was a big priority for them!), and we planned for a round coffee table with a couple small ottomans for extra seating that could move around the space.

A side table and lamp would sit on the fireplace end of the sofa, and behind it—on the dining room side—we'd do a narrow console table with basket storage below. Table lamps were also a priority in this space, because if you look at the original photos, you'll notice the only lighting in the space is overhead.

If you're going for a cozy forest-witch vibe, you'll pretty much ONLY want to use soft lamp lighting. So we planned for three new table lamps to be dotted throughout the space.

The TV would now live over the fireplace, and we also added in some new artwork, as well as curtains on the windows.

In the dining area, we'd us a similar size table to their existing one, but a tad smaller rug. The whiteboards over the sofa are essential to the household logistics, etc, so we wanted those to stay, however we planned to add a large storage piece below them with another lamp as well.

Lastly, we planned to select a light for over the table that had the ability to be swagged and centered over the table, since currently it hangs off center.

The Library & Dining Room Furniture Design Plans

Since we knew we didn't want to go light with our sofa, I chose her favorite color—green!—for our sofa color. I went with a performance velvet, which is a great option when you've got kiddos.

I balanced out the dark coolness of the green with two different options for a warmer rusty rug, and used a light wood book shelving system for the opposite wall.

Rug Option #1

For the ottomans, I selected a light caramel leather to contrast the material and color of the sofa, and a round light wood coffee table for the center. For the side table, I chose a black stained wood table and a woven lamp (great for spaces where it might get knocked over!).

Rug Option #2

I found some cute framed mushroom art on Etsy, and decided on Spanish Olive as a great choice for the walls throughout the main floor. Behind the sofa, we chose a light oak console table with an interesting profile, and a large woven basket that would sit below it for storage.

Console Table View

Additionally, I selected a light oatmeal linen curtain panel to flank the large living room window and add a little breezy softness into the space. Below, you'll see a few accessories I selected that would be fun accents to dot throughout the space to add to the eclectic vibe.

In the dining room, I chose a wood trestle table with a vintage vibe, paired with some heftier dining chairs in a reddish brown tone. Under the table we chose a fun vintage green rug with a pattern that plays nicely with either living room rug, and for the sideboard I chose a piece with a black oak stain.

Over the table I chose a fun flower-inspired pendant light to replace the old dated one, and we planned for an additional wood table lamp (also great for spaces where something ceramic could be a hazard!) to sit on the sideboard.

If you'd like to see an example of my clients full design plan, click here to view that.

The Wrap Up

I was really pleased with the way this space came together!

And the best part? We were able to create this entire design, which my client can now execute on their own timing, all in a single 5-hour Designed in a Day session.

I find that setting aside this focused, limited amount of time helps my clients to get really clear on their desires and come to our session very prepared. It also lends to quicker decision making, along with coming up with some very creative solutions.

My clients left this session with a fully customized design plan.

This included the style boards for each room to showcase how the pieces will work together, along with PDFs of the layouts so they know how to set everything up when they arrive, as well as links to the individual items where they are able to source the items I've suggested.

(BTW, if you like any of the items in this design, they are all available for purchase! Message me in the contact form and I'll send you pricing.)

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Is "Designed in a Day" Right for You?

Designed in a Day has hands down become my most popular service, and it's easy to see why!

It's cost and time effective, and it's super flexible as far as the kinds of projects we can tackle, the range of budgets it fits, and the kinds of styles and functionality needs that clients have.

If you'd like to find out more, you can click here to view the service, and then complete my project intake form here. I'll reach out to schedule a discovery call to discuss your project.

Can't wait to help you create a space that works for you!!