Apartment Decor: Living Room Updates

To say I’ve been living in a bare bones apartment over the last several weeks would be an understatement. I’ve been taking my time making design decisions and it seems like every piece that I have ordered is on backorder for a few more weeks. Up until last week, I had my bed, my couch, and a temporary desk. My counter stools finally came last Friday and I’m not sure what I love more — the classic Parisian vibe or the fact that I actually have somewhere to sit down to eat. My bedroom is essentially finished from a planning stand point. I’ve got a rug, headboard, nightstands, dresser, and a few accent pieces picked out. My kitchen counter goes straight into the entire living room area. So this space is going to double as a true living room, a dining room, and an office. I’ve been toying with ideas of how to “divide” the space, while keeping the layout open and I think I’ve finally got it!

preppy-palm-beach-chic-living-room-decor-navy-blue-velvet-couch

Society Social Sofa ย | ย Jute Rug ย | ย Cane Side Chair ย | ย Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree ย | ย Palm Leaf Pillow ย | ย Giraffe Painting ย | ย Steamline Luggage

Since I moved to Chicago with my belovedย navy blue velvet sofa and I can never getย enough navy blue and white, I knew I wanted to keep my living room a little bit preppy with a coastal feel. Not “beachy” necessarily, but incorporating some natural elements like a jute rug and rattan chair to keep it from feeling overly traditional. When I was envisioning the space in my head, Palm Beachย kept coming to mind. I knew I wanted some plants in the space to make it feel a little bit more lively, so I’ve beenย planning toย get an artificial Fiddle Leaf Fig tree eventually.ย My mom was visiting last weekend andย somehow we walked out of a store with a real tree in hand, even though I most certainly do not have a green thumb. Here goes nothing! (Side note: If you have any care tips for Fiddle Leaf Figs, I’m all ears!)

Seeing asย I’m single now and probably won’t be forever (#knockonwood), I knew I wanted to have fun with my apartment decor. Gender neutral definitely won’t be on the list of words to describe the vibe in my apartment, but hey, I’m the only one that has to live here and I might as well make it a true interpretation of my style while I can! Pink is one of my favorite colors, butย I wasn’t sure if I wanted to incorporate it into my decor or not. When I think of pink interiors, Barbie’s Dream House and myย freshman-year dorm room both come to mind… Neither of which I wish to re-create. To keep it subtle, I figured I would incorporate some pops of pink with throw pillows, fresh flowers, and perhaps the art above my couch. But then I saw the most perfect chair when I was shopping at Jayson Home in Chicago this past weekend… I mean, it has a scalloped back! (I’m so excited for you to see it!! 8 more weeks…) When I saw the chair, I simply knew that sheย needed to be coveredย in pink fabric and placed in my living room. Needless to say, I placed that order without skipping a beat! (Actually, that’s kind of a lie. My mom and I left and kept crossing stores off of our list and came back at the end of the day to place the order. We both knew that it was going to be mine, we were just doing our due diligence!)

After we were browsing around all weekend,ย I finally ordered my media console, a TV, and a rug that I think will work. (Is it just me or are rugs just the worst? They’re so expensive, so bulky to ship/receive/return, and they literally make or break the room!) I’m just so excited that it’s all finally coming together and I finally feel like I’m living in a home instead of a storage unit! I’ve picked out a few different coffee tables that I like so once all of these pieces are in, I’ll reassess and pick the winner.

I’m on the fence about the art above my couch. I can’t decide if I want a larger piece of art or if I want to put together a little gallery wall. I’m leaning towards the gallery wall because I feel like I would never be able to commit to just one piece, but we’ll see!

So, that’s where I’m at right now!ย I’ll be sharing the full living room tour once everything is perfect, but until then, I’ll be sharing little peeks on Instagram and SnapChat (username: jessicasturdy). Be sure to follow along if you’re interested!

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19 Comments

  1. 8.12.15
    Jillian said:

    Lovely picks! I can’t wait to see your pink chair when it arrives! The luggage is too cute also ๐Ÿ™‚
    XO, Jillian
    http://rhymeandreason-jillian.com/

    • 8.12.15
      Jessica Sturdy said:

      Thanks! I bought two small navy/white suitcases when Steamline had a sale last winter. I have them stacked on top of each other as a mini side table. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. 8.12.15
    Shannon said:

    Obsessed with that giraffe print! Even though it’s pink, I think maybe it could be gender neutral…? I mean, all other colors are haha – https://midwestmeanderings.wordpress.com/

  3. 8.12.15

    The giraffe painting is so adorable!!

  4. 8.12.15

    Love the vibe that you are going for. Cannot wait to see a home tour:)
    Jamie
    http://livingincolors.net/

  5. 8.12.15
    Lauren said:

    LOVE those kitchen stools you orderedโ€ฆ they’re amazing and I really want them!! Can’t wait to see your pink, scalloped chair!

    Lauren
    http://oliverstwistblog.com

    • 8.12.15
      Jessica Sturdy said:

      Aren’t they fab?! I’ve been lusting over them for a few years — so glad to finally have them! ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. 8.12.15
    Preeti said:

    love all the details! and definitely make it as girly as possible now! I wish I would’ve had a super feminine place before I moved in with my now husband!

    xoxo, Preeti
    http://www.ninesto5.com

  7. 8.12.15
    Mary Kate said:

    I love Jayson Home!! I always have to stop in before any redecorating to see what all they have!

    Mary Kate

    http://www.mynewchicagolife.com

    • 8.12.15
      Jessica Sturdy said:

      The store is just *so* good!!

  8. 8.12.15
    Sasha said:

    I found the perfect way to keep my Fiddle Leaf alive on Pinterest a few months ago and it works so great! Just give the plant exactly 1 cup of water every week on the same day. Mine was dying before I found this trick and now it is huge! Good luck ๐Ÿ™‚

    • 8.12.15
      Jessica Sturdy said:

      Great tip!! Thanks, going to mark my calendar!

  9. 8.12.15

    That giraffe print! How stinking cute.

    Josh | The Kentucky Gent
    http://thekentuckygent.com

  10. 8.12.15
    Larisa said:

    ugh yes … area rugs suck! they’re great but like… more expensive than anything and can totally ruin the look of the room if you do it wrong. love seeing your snaps of the new place, can’t wait for a full tour!

    xx larisa @ weheartbeauty,com

  11. 8.12.15

    That giraffe print! Omg I love!

    Her Heartland Soul
    http://herheartlandsoul.com

  12. 8.13.15
    Julia said:

    Obsessed! Can’t wait to come visit ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. 8.14.15

    I LOVE the direction you are going with your apartment! So fun and girly ๐Ÿ™‚ I can’t wait to see the progress

  14. 1.6.16

    Awesome pics. love your chair and blue sofa.