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Earlier this month, we revealed the big news…we’re taking on another makeover with Lowe’s Home Improvement and one lucky Chicago homeowner will receive a FREE makeover this fall! So exciting, right?! But our readers are located all over the place (literally all over the world!), and we wish we could help each and every one of you with your design dilemmas.
DIY Playbook, Save our Space!
And that’s when #DIYPlaybookSOS was born. Essentially, it’s a way for you to say, “DIY Playbook, Save our Space!” You guys have been emailing us and tagging your rooms that need a little TLC with this hashtag on social media, and we’ve been able to get a little glimpse into some of the dilemmas you’re having when it comes to decorating.
Our plan for #DIYPlaybookSOS is to take a reader’s space and (virtually) offer tips & tricks on how to improve it. We figure this is a good idea for a few reasons…
- You may have the exact same design dilemma as one of the featured spaces, so hearing some decorating advice could help you tackle your own home!
- We can showcase various styles that may be different from ours.
- It’s fun to shake things up! So why the heck not give it a try?!
This month, we decided to take one of those spaces and offer some decorating tips on how this reader could take her space to the next level.
Here’s a snippet of an email we received from our very sweet reader, Lisa…
“Your post on finding your personal style really hit home with me (you can find that post here btw) because I struggle with that so much. I am a stay at home mom with 2 daughters, and with how much I’m here in my space, I’m always finding something to work on. I want you to be brutally honest! I have attached some photos of my family room. Just looking to see what your ideas would be on accessorizing, furniture placement (should I move the couch off the wall?) and any other ideas/suggestions. Paint color, slip cover for couch?”
Here are the pics she sent along of her living room space.
Reader Living Room Space – THE BEFORE
We’ve gotta admit…we were blown away by her natural talent for decorating!! She already had a great start to this space (don’t you just love that grid of frames above the couch?). But there’s always room for improvement in any space, and sometimes it just takes a set of fresh eyes to see those small tweaks! And after we took a good look, here are some of the tips we told Lisa…
Our Design Tips
- A large rug would look amazing in this space and would break up the brown floor and the brown coffee table. Maybe something lighter? And definitely go big so it is under (at least) the front legs of all of the furniture. 8×10 or 9×12 are always a good bet!
Here are some of our top rug picks (affiliate links used for convenience).
- Remove the runner in front of the mantel. Gorgeous piece, but you can use it elsewhere in your home.
- Add some alternating heights to the fireplace mantel decor. You can even layer in a mirror or another vertical frame!
Inspiration Photo via Park and Oak Interior Design
- Although we really like the wine cellar piece above the wet bar, what about adding some type of long rustic shelving to make that whole bar area functional, yet super fashionable? We like the idea of having more storage space AND the opportunity to layer in art, photos, cute glasses, your wine bottles, possible decanters, and all those other cute “bar cart” items. It would even add some more visual interest over to that side of the room and make that whole area more of a statement.
Inspiration Photo via Ivory Lane
We sent our suggestions back to Lisa about a month ago, and GUESS WHAT?! She implemented all of our ideas. That girl works fast and we are so impressed with her quick progress. Take a look at the updated photos she sent our way…
Reader Living Room Space – THE PROGRESS
Large rug to lighten up the space — check!
Alternating Heights on the Fireplace + a new focal point — check! 
Gorgeous and FUNCTIONAL new shelves above the bar to bring a rustic flair over to that space of the room, while decluttering the counter space– check!
And major BONUS points for Lisa because she used our DIY Industrial Pipe Shelves Tutorial!
Just a few small changes, and this space is already looking so much better! The rug did wonders to brighten up the space, and we are loving the rustic shelving over the wet bar. But most importantly, Lisa is excited about these changes and her refreshed space! <— Our favorite part!
We wish we could come to ALL of your homes to hang out, drink coffee, and help solve your design dilemmas (#dreamjob!). Sadly, we can’t BUT that doesn’t mean we still can’t drink coffee and help solve some of these design dilemmas from afar! If you want your space to be the next #diyplaybookSOS feature, all you have to do is share a photo on Instagram or Facebook, tag @diyplaybook and use the #diyplaybooksos. Tell us about your design dilemma and your space could be our next #diyplaybooksos feature!
Bridget&Casey
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