Designing a Living Room Based on this Look

I was scrolling through The Hive and The Shoe Hive’s Instagram feed the other day – well every day, let’s be honest – and was struck by this picture of a woman in their Isabel Marant ruffle denim shirt, draped in ivory colored beads, standing in front of reclaimed wood.My mouth fell open and I gasped just a little. Despite the ruffles – which I love, but don’t have much of in my life – this outfit ticks all my favorite boxes. So, I wondered, if this were a Red Barn living room what would it look like? Well, this is what it would look like…Start with a neutral base rug from Dash & Albert. I immediately thought of the Twiggy with its mix of jute and wool. I love how the materials are rustic but it feels luxurious. (BTW, we are having our annual Red Carpet Sale -- always the weekend of the Oscars, for those of you who plan in advance! -- this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. All in-stock and special order rugs will be 20 percent off.)The fabric was easy to choose as well. It had to be a chambray blue. Cisco has many that fit the bill but I finally landed on Camille Blue because it felt less refined than the others. Picking the right sofa proved difficult because I was obsessed with using it to bring in the ruffles. I went from the Acacia to the Rebecca to the Brooke, but nothing felt right...until I shook off the notion that it had to be just a sofa or that it had to represent the ruffles. The Louis sectional was the winner and the rest fell beautifully into place. (And good news for anyone looking for upholstery, we are extending our semi-annual upholstery sale to March 18! We have a Rebecca and Louis on the floor if you want to check them out.)When working with neutrals – and chambray is a neutral in my book – you are working with very little color so it’s important to bring interest to the room with texture. That’s why I chose a jute and wool rug, a linen fabric for the sofa, and the Acacia leather chair.  The leather brings in a sense of ruggedness that balances the linen beautifully. Plus, it’s just cool.For the tables, I struggled with the right balance here. Heavy handed in one material and the whole room feels out of whack. I found the Crete table from Environment (it comes in brass, concrete, or copper), which, to me, represents the metal in her necklace and belt. Because it’s all metal I needed to find something wood. The Grape Box tables from Cisco Brothers were ideal. While the base is metal, it’s a different color and just thin enough that it relates to the coffee table without weighting the room down.  The faux bois concrete side table from Made Goods is just fun and complements the other colors in the room and, loosely, the reclaimed wood in the inspiration image. Remember design doesn’t have to be literal all the time!Since this outfit reminds me of most everything Ralph Lauren does, I wanted to bring in something from his home collection. The Halifax small lamp from Visual Comfort was perfect. It feels exactly like this picture and those stones in her jewelry. If I could leave my husband for a lamp, it might be for this one.Finally, the finishing touches: the pillows and the art. The pillows are where I decided to bring in the “ruffles.” The Peony print in the blue and white pillow was the winner. It just oozes ruffles. I wanted to add a little more color saturation with a pair of the Rattan Pillows from Luru Home. And, just like the one red and blue bracelet she is wearing, I wanted to pop in something unexpected, so I added one of the Double Ninth pillows, also from Luru Home. And for art, I love Gingham and Grosgrain’s Raining Down. She is now offering framed prints of her original art at a fraction of the price, making this a completely affordable way to spice up a room.So, there you have it.  A Veronica Beard room done the Red Barn Mercantile way. You can find this board and other Red Barn inspiration boards on our Pinterest page, and click here to see other outfit-to-room inspirations. We would love to help you put together a room based on your favorite outfit, so stop in today and we will get started!