Relaxed Casual Elegance: Living Room Makeover: Reveal!

Relaxed casual elegance makeover of our formal living room that takes it from stuffy to family, friend and pet friendly! Learn how we repurposed this space to suit this season of our lives and get some tips along the way. P.S. Scroll all the way down for sources.

In decorating, as in life…we tend to go through seasons. I’m not talking about seasonally in this case, rather times often defined by the decades or what our lives are focusing on through the years. We are in the empty nest phase with our kids grown and are not yet retired, but have decided to step back from the demands of full time work. That said, we enjoy being home and have decided to do some upgrades to enjoy spending our relaxing moments here.

Our living room has been a space that was never utilized much in the 30+ years that we’ve living in our sprawling Florida ranch home. It’s the first room on the right that you see when you enter the house and for those who’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you’re quite familiar with it! A recent “before” image below.

You might notice a few things that we’ve done right off the bat. Our major objective was comfort and while I enjoyed the before for many years, my husband did not. And we hardly ever sat in it because that French button tufted sofa was not comfortable. Let’s go over some points on casual elegance and what I was hoping to achieve, and please note that the room isn’t 100% finished yet with some millwork and paint still to come.

Key Points Of Casual Elegance In Interior Design

Casual elegance in interior design is a blend of relaxed comfort and refined sophistication. It’s about creating a space that feels inviting and approachable while still exuding a sense of style and grace. It’s not about being a minimalist but also not about clutter or excess.

1. Comfortable Furnishings: Choose furniture pieces that are cozy and inviting, such as plush sofas and chairs with soft upholstery. Opt for pieces that encourage relaxation and lounging.
2. Neutral Color Palette: Stick to a palette of soft, neutral colors like beige, cream, gray, and taupe. These hues create a serene and calming atmosphere while allowing other design elements to stand out.
3. Natural Materials: Incorporate natural materials like wood, stone, and linen to add warmth and texture to the space. These elements bring a sense of authenticity and earthiness to the design.
4. Mix of Styles: Blend different design styles together to create visual interest and depth. For example, mix traditional and modern elements or incorporate eclectic pieces for a more personalized touch.
5. Subtle Accents: Keep accessories and decorative accents understated and minimal. Choose a few statement pieces, such as a beautiful piece of artwork or a unique lighting fixture, to add personality to the space without overwhelming it.
6. Open and Airy Layout: Aim for an open and spacious layout that allows for easy movement and flow throughout the room. Avoid clutter and opt for streamlined furniture arrangements to maintain a sense of openness.
7. Attention to Detail: Pay attention to the finer details, such as quality craftsmanship and thoughtful finishing touches. This attention to detail elevates the overall aesthetic and adds a sense of refinement to the space.

Several months ago I was invited to an influencer event at Arhaus, which opened it’s first store in the Miami area. I had heard about Arhaus for several years through Instagram and knew about the made in the US quality of their upholstered pieces. I’ve been approached as an influencer to work with many brands for product over the years (and have in the past), but the quality has been disappointing and from now on I only want quality pieces.

Back to Arhaus I went with my husband in tow to test out several sofas that I had my eye on. I would say that their brand is perfect for the casual elegance lover and well worth the price for quality.

We sat and sat, tested and tested and ordered a pair of the Remington Sofas (link) in the 84″ length with the performance fabric Crypton Nomad Snow. Many sofas from other companies that we’ve considered sit too low or don’t have a high enough back. These Remington Sofas are perfect and we don’t feel like we are sitting close to the floor! It’s taken me several months to get around to writing this post and we’ve had these sofas since January. They’ve been sat on by us, guests, dogs, cat and still look and feel exactly the same as delivery day with no fluffing! Highly recommend if you’re looking, and this is not a sponsored post.

As for the old sofa, I was fortunate to sell the vintage French button tufted sofa (and several other pieces) to a friend who owns a lovely vintage shop up near our beach home.

Last fall we built an outdoor fireplace (see the full DIY tutorial here) and enjoyed having it, especially over the holiday season! However, it’s just too hot here most of the time to comfortably sit outdoors and our elderly dogs don’t want to hang out there either. We decided to use the electric fireplace in the living room as a focal point and rolled it indoors to see if it would fit.

We measured and knew that it would be a close fit, but the look was too rustic to fit into the mantel, which I wanted to keep. We painted it black, but it wasn’t the look that I was going for. If at first you don’t succeed.

Next we covered the wood panels with 1/4″ concrete board after deciding to do a venetian plaster finish to coordinate better with our aesthetic.

My husband applying plaster to the painted concrete board. He’s really an expert at plastering since his early days of being a general contractor gave him lots of opportunity to plaster.

Adding the venetian plaster effect, which basically is just tinted plaster application that you layer on and then buff when it’s dry. Our home has plaster walls so it’s a perfect complement as a finish. If you want to try your hand at Venetian plaster, this is the tintable base that you need to purchase. You take it to your local paint store (we used an Ace Hardware store’s paint dept.) and have them tint it to the color that you want. We had the paint store divide the base coat into two cans. We had them add a light Sherwin Williams Alabaster for the first coat and a slightly darker color for the second coat.

After both coats were dry we buffed the fireplace surround with my favorite wax, which is this one. Lastly we placed the glass fireplace back inside and slide the structure into the vintage French style fireplace mantel. We had to make a few cuts and add some wood trim, but overall it worked out great!

I love how cozy it is and gives us a nice focal point in our casual elegance living room!

What Else Did We Do In This Casually Elegant Living Room?

The new sofas and the fireplace were the main objects to start this room renovation.

Brass And Glass “Bamboo Style” Coffee Table

We replaced the larger brass and glass square coffee table with this beautiful casually elegance style rectangular one. It’s very sturdy with a heavy glass top and modern details. I did find it a bit too gold when I put it together, so I gave it a quick antiquing with this tinted wax and it’s much improved!

New Large Neutral Rug

I did look at some expensive rugs but with one of our dogs being 17 years old (Toby) and somewhat incontinent, that wasn’t going to work. This 9′ x 12′ champagne and cream rug from SAFAVIEH (around $200) is the perfect inexpensive alternative and I’ve always had great experiences with their products.

As I mentioned we aren’t 100% finished and besides the millwork I’m still looking for some art and considering what to do with a cabinet that’s in the room. But a house is always in progress, so if you’re remodeling or redecorating as well, I encourage you to take your time!

Overall, casual elegance in interior design is about creating a space that feels both sophisticated and comfortable, where every element works together harmoniously to achieve a sense of effortless beauty. I hope to enjoy this room now for years to come!