Denver Living Room Rental Redesign: One Room Challenge Week 3

Welcome back! It’s week 3 of the 2018 Fall One Room Challenge event and it’s coinciding perfectly with our move into our Denver townhome rental. Last week, we shared our dining room credenza, sideboard design.

This week, we’re highlighting our living room console decor. The console is from Wayfair, and was assembled by my fave handyman (hubs). I was inspired by some design photos (thank you, Pinterest) I saw of a console behind a sofa, which softens up the room’s look and provides more aesthetic than looking at the back of a couch when guests arrive through the front door. We liked the idea since it feels like it separates the dining room from the living room, even though it’s all one main room.

Just like the dining room credenza, we’ve been displaying different pieces of art, cookbooks, and relics that represent our combined (and separate) interests, while looking balanced, and providing function (hello, vintage stereo). We’ll probably keep moving a few things around until we get it right, or maybe it will be constantly evolving as we use the pieces displayed and change our living element (flowers) up to reflect the seasons.

I read that in a console piece with multiple shelving sections, it helps to balance similar colors or items in more than one spot. For example, if there are books in one slot, feature them also in another spot so the eye sees balance.

We’re really into pops of living color lately, so over the past week, we’ve featured vibrant local, seasonal, October-y marigolds, and then refreshed the same vase for mini deep pink roses. It’s amazing how a different flower and color can change the mood in a room or add a new energy!

We’re also loving the contrast of white against dark wood for a clean, polished feel. I’m all about contrast.

Here’s a shot straight on of where we’ve landed. It’s a harmonious blend of our two interests, including cookbooks (like Ottoleghi’s Jerusalem and the Austin Uchi Cookbook signed by Tyson Cole himself (P.S. there’s a new Denver location we can’t wait to try!), cycling, tea, music, a living element with color, and functional serving pieces – the blue and white tray reminding me of my sister, since it was a gift.

Don’t these brighten your day too?

We also brought this woven natural storage bin from Target housing cozy blankets into our living room near the fireplace. It’s topped with an oversized beverage tray that fits quite nicely, housing drink coasters (from Anthropologie, courtesy of my generous friend Nikki), and we were excited to adorn it with this magical orchid standing tall and proud as it soaks up the Southwestern sun.