u/BowChickaWowWah

Hi everyone!

My wife and I just closed on our first home and we’re feeling a bit stuck on the living room. The house itself has a very clear Mid-Century Modern vibe, but our personal taste leans more toward Transitional Modern, West Coast Modern, and French Country Modern. We’re trying to figure out how to bridge that gap without fighting the architecture of the house.

The Space: The living room is north-facing, so the light can be a bit cool and moody depending on the time of day. We want to make it feel warm and intentional rather than dark.

What we’re working with: I’ve attached a photo from the previous owners to show the "bones," plus an AI mock-up of our actual furniture.

• Sofa: We have a Sundays Get Together 3-seater (very low-profile, modular, West Coast vibe).
• Other pieces: A blue buffet table, a wooden coffee table, and some structured floor lamps.

We’d love your expertise on:

• Paint Colors: Since it’s a north-facing room, what whites or neutrals would keep it from feeling "flat" or grey? We’ve looked at BM Chantilly Lace, but open to suggestions that might add a bit more warmth.
• Seating: What kind of accent chairs would complement a 3-seater modular sofa? We’re debating between something leggy/mid-century to match the house or something more upholstered/transitional that spins?
• Rug Ideas: Should we go for something high-pile and cozy or a flat-weave with a subtle pattern?
• Layout/Materials: Any tips on incorporating natural textures (wood, linen, stone) to hit that "French Country Modern" note without it looking like a farmhouse?

We are open to any and all suggestions! Thanks in advance for helping us turn this house into a home.

Hi everyone,

We just got an offer accepted on our first home in Canada. The first thing to go is the dated track lighting. We want to replace it with a clean, recessed look or canless and add some pendants over the island, but I could use some advice on the hardware. I posted three photos of the current space and added 2 of what we were thinking for the kitchen refresh.

Since we are moving away from track lighting, we’ll be cutting new holes. We are looking for something that isn’t bulky but functional and that would be able to dim. Unsure about how many lights I should have in this space so I’m open to suggestions.

Pendant Advice
We also need island pendants. We’re aiming for a Minimalist / Mid-Century Modern style to go with our materials:

Questions for the Group:
If you've converted from track lighting to recessed, did you find 2" or 3" fixtures gave enough light, or should I stick to 4"? Where would you suggest placing them?

Which particular recessed lights should I aim for?

Should I do canless instead?

Any specific pendant brands that you would recommend for this space?

Thanks!

Recently purchased a home and we want to do a small kitchen refresh as it’s currently very white even the appliances!

We are thinking of replacing the tiles and completely covering that wall with a new interesting tile to add some colour or texture. Also instead of the picture frame there I would put two wooden shelves.

Then I have no idea what to do with the track lighting or what to do instead.

I’m open to any suggestions to tiles, bar stools, paint, new lighting ideas.

Thanks!

First House purchase - Need help with the family room and flex room.

We recently had our offer accepted on our first home and are planning how to use a family/flex room in the layout. We will change the carpet for sure but unsure how to fill it with furniture ect.

The space needs to support multiple functions for a family of four with young kids (8 and 3):

* Play area

* Arts & crafts

* TV / movie / gaming zone (80” TV) can't be above fireplace

I’ve attached the floor plan and am trying to figure out the **best way to divide and organize the space from a layout perspective**.

Key questions:

* How would you zone this room to support both active play and a TV area without conflict?

* Where would you position the TV relative to traffic flow and seating distance?

* what type of furniture layout would be ideal? Love seat and couple spinning lounge chairs?

Appreciate any layout-focused feedback!

Hi everyone,

We just had our offer accepted on our first home and are super excited. One of the first things we want to tackle is the flooring — it’s currently red oak and has that typical warm/red tone.

Our goal is to lighten it as much as possible and get closer to a white oak or French white oak look (more neutral, less red/orange). We know it won’t be a perfect match, but hoping to get as close as we reasonably can.

We’re also somewhat budget-conscious, so we’d love to understand:

What methods worked best for you (sanding + stain, water-based finish, bleaching, etc.)

Any specific stain/sealer combos you’d recommend

Things you wish you knew before starting

Would really appreciate any advice, photos, or lessons learned!

Thanks in advance 🙏

Hi everyone,

We recently had our offer accepted on our first home 🎉 and are moving from a 2-bedroom (880 sq ft) to a 4-bedroom (2100 sq ft), so it’s a big change for our family of four. The house has mid century modern look from the outside but dated interior.

I’d love some help decorating our family/flex room. We have two kids (8 and 3), and we want the space to feel fun and functional while still looking put-together. Definitely changing the carpet and most likely painting the walls.

We’re hoping to make it a mix of:

• Play area
• Arts & crafts space
• TV/movie/video game zone (we have an 80” TV)

We’re starting from scratch furniture-wise, so open to all ideas—sectionals vs couches, storage solutions for toys, ways to keep it from looking cluttered, etc.

Questions:

• What kind of seating setup would work best for both kids and adults?
• Any smart storage ideas that still look nice?
• How would you balance a kid-friendly space without it feeling chaotic?
• Style-wise, how would you tie everything together so it doesn’t feel like a playroom took over?

I’ve attached the floor plan for reference. Any inspiration, layout ideas, or product suggestions would be super helpful!

Thanks so much 🙏