Entertainment center: WayFair.com

My personal style is a classy feminine glam with just a touch of rustic comfort. I love bright rooms, with pops of color, and gold- lots of gold. My husband and I have been married for almost 3 years now, and after cycling through hand-me-downs (which we were very grateful for) are finally buying the pieces we need to make our house truly our own.

We’ve been hardcore redecorating for the past six months I would say, and while we still have a few finishing touches to add, I’m finally ready to give ya’ll the tour of our updated living room and dining room, plus the lessons I learned in my recent foray as DIY interior designer.

Incorporate Textures

Love seat: WayFair.com| Accent table: Bargain Hunt (Greenville)

Before I began serial buying pieces for our living and dining rooms, I pulled a Michelle and over analyzed everything. (I like to have a game plan) I bought several copies of home decor magazines and set to work breaking down what I did, and didn’t like in each perfectly styled photo. One thing that the best rooms had in common was texture, and lots of it.

In the photo to your right, I originally tried putting a linen pillow and throw with the love seat since the love seat is also linen, but it just seemed turnkey and forgettable. Once I added the velvet pillow, with the thick wool throw, however, this quickly became a photo perfect spot in the room. If you are looking for texture to add, here are my faves:

• Velvet and faux fur pillows
• Thick textured throws
• Rough unfinished wood
• Greenery and floral accents

Coordinated, Not Matching

Couch: Big Lots

Scroll through Pinterest, or flip through a copy of Southern Homes and Gardens, and you’ll probably notice that most stylized photos of enviable family rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms have something in common. No matter the style- bohemian, formal, rustic, or glam- the furniture all follows the same thread but it doesn’t exactly match.

To be honest, I was slightly terrified to buy living room furniture that wasn’t a matching set. What if the colors didn’t go together, or what if the room ended up looking hodge podge like a college dorm room? When I showed family and friends the different pieces I was ordering, to my anxiety, they began to look worried or uncomfortable.

Now let me preface this with- my original couch that I ordered was a complete blunder- but after returning it, and getting this neutral microfiber couch from Big Lots, I was in love with the new look of my living room. The slightly different sofa and loveseat give it that higher end look, and give me more freedom to add new and different pieces as I go.

Updated Lighting

Chandelier: WayFair.com

Lighting is such a big part of any room. Not only can the fixture itself be an accent piece, but it also sets the stage for your entire room. And here is the best part- you can find great lighting relatively cheap! I found this modern, but slightly quirky chandelier on WayFair.com for- wait for it- less than $100.

Well guys, thanks for following along this journey again. I have more to do in our house, so if you are on the DIY home decor train, keep watching for the next installment, and as always, check out my other posts for beauty tips and travel stories! Sweet dreams and Happy Travels, lovelies!