Kristina Lynne is a blogger and interior designer that certainly has an eye for detail. She has lived in her 1,700-square-foot home for almost two years, and despite the fact that she has a baby boy, Kristina still found time to completely redecorate her living room. Enviable, right?
Located in Edmonton, AB, Canada, Kristina’s spacious living room was beautiful, light, and airy – but was dated and in serious need of a makeover.
“When we first started planning our renovation, the entire main floor was a bit of a puzzle in terms of layout. We initially weren’t sure if this space should be a family room, where we would watch TV, etc., a dining room, or a more formal entertaining space,” Kristina told The Every Girl.
Prior to the makeover, the living room had plush carpeting, a large fireplace with dated mirrored trim, and a banister and railing that didn’t exactly fit with Kristina’s preference for a Scandinavian and minimalistic design.
“Honestly, it looked really strange having a dated staircase towering over this newly renovated space. We couldn’t not change it! Plus, one of our dogs decided to enjoy a bottle of fish oil on the landing while we were away, so we had no choice but to pull out all the carpet. It smelled like fish in our house for weeks,” she laughed.
After a bit of careful planning, Kristina created a living room that feels more lived-in, cozy, and reflective of her personal style.
“We entertain a lot, so having two accent chairs in its place was a good problem solver. The space just flows so much better! Plus, I can move them around to accommodate things like our Christmas tree or cozy nights by the fire.”
The wood-spindled railing was replaced with a modern, simple metal option instead.
“I knew I wanted to have a clean, modern staircase. I decided to do black metal, with the banister and all the spindles being square. I had pinned so many images of horizontal railings but with Jack only getting more curious, I thought that was a bad idea,” Kristina said.
“So we went with vertical spindles, which, in the end, worked so well with the height of the space. I only had to navigate the stairs without a railing for about a week — which was a touch scary carrying a baby.”
There’s certainly no doubt that the fireplace is the focal point of the gorgeous living space.
“I wanted the fireplace to be the main feature of the room and really draw your eye up, emphasizing the ceiling height and staircase…We liked it so much we decided not to add a mantel, which, I think, makes it more modern. I added a bit of warmth though by stacking logs underneath, in an opening that was there from the beginning — the one aspect we kept from the ‘before.’”
Kristina’s piano, handed down by her Nana, played a major role in dictating the layout of the room.
The interior designer and blogger’s new space isn’t just beautiful, but it has understandably become of her favorite rooms in the home. In fact, she says she even finds herself working here more because it’s a comfy place to sit with perfect lighting.
Of course, she was conscious of her baby Jack while making design decisions. She wanted to create a room loved by all family members (including their dogs!)
“Besides having to watch Jack around the fireplace when it’s lit, the room is really kid friendly. I decided to keep all of the baby stuff and toys out of this room, but he still likes to come in here and explore or plunk away at the piano (which is beyond cute),” Kristina told The Every Girl.
Kristina’s gorgeous living room makeover definitely goes to show that simplistic, minimalistic design and decor changes can go a massively long way. Read more about her makeover at The Every Girl.
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