Mood Board: Neutral Modern Living Room

September 8, 2021May 25, 20236min read

Stick to the things you really love. An honest room is always up to date. —Billy Baldwin

The last time I shared anything interior-related was last fall and I’m over here wondering why it’s taken me this long!

Despite the lengthy timeframe, I’m excited to bring back more home content for you (and for me). I don’t know why, but home interiors content has brought me a sense of joy and peace lately.

If you feel the same way, this article was meant to be because I had planned to publish a different article today. Since, I found myself putting this mood board together late last night, I thought I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t share it with you.

When I started organizing my laundry room (only took 3 months after moving in, ha!) and putting out my fall decor this past weekend, I started thinking about how I wanted to decorate my apartment. I was having a hard time until I remembered that there’s only one way to get ideas: create mood boards.

Here’s what I came up with for my neutral modern living room:

Aside from sharing with you my my take on a neutral modern living room, I also wanted to chat through each piece.

Before we get into it, I wanted to preface that I believe in slow decorating and for several reasons. First and foremost, spending money on temporary pieces only to turn around and spend more money on what you really want is a huge waste of your hard-earned money. I’ve always believed that if you don’t get at least three to five years of use out of what you buy, it’s not conducive to your finances.

Secondly, if you tend to change your mind a lot (like me, haha), it’s better to wait while you keep searching for the perfect piece. I can’t tell you how many very old pins I’ve deleted from my Pinterest boards and thanking myself for not wasting my hard-earned money!

Lastly, your living situation may change and your tastes may evolve over time. Until you’re really sure of how you want to live take time to focus on gathering sentimental items you’d want to display instead. You can also take the time to get a strong idea of your personal home interiors style too.

That said, I’m choosing to slowly invest in the following pieces:

WHITE AND BRASS SIDEBOARD AS A FUNCTIONAL PIECE

I have been eyeing this sideboard for over a year. My thoughts? I want to use it now as an entertainment center in my apartment and as an actual sideboard should I decide to buy a condo or home.

I’m all about functional furniture pieces and so far, this white and gold sideboard still has not left my private home decor boards.

TAUPE MODERN RECLINER FOR EXTRA COMFORT

Even though I’m intentionally choosing to live in an apartment right now, that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking ahead. This recliner has been on my wishlist for nearly two years now.

Wouldn’t you know that after a ton of research for a modern recliner that I stumbled across this sleek recliner in-person that fit my vision of a perfect, non-bulky, non-wide traditional recliner?! I dream of having two for now and for my future home!

INDOCHINE RUG TO ANCHOR A NEUTRAL MODERN LIVING ROOM

I’ve had the 5×7 size of this rug for over three years now and still love it so much!

However, I’m no longer a fan of the indigo shade as it clashes with silver details in my living room. Having a Dallas Cowboys theme is not what I’m going for here, ha! To anchor any monochromatic-themed room, I’m going for this Indochine rug in the sand color. It’s a lot lighter when you zoom in on the photos on the website.

If you’re wondering, the quality is fantastic and my current rug’s color has not faded at all!

BLACK AND BRASS FLOOR LAMP FOR MORE LIGHT

When I say I’m THE pickiest person in the world, I’m not exaggerating. I have not owned a floor lamp for at least five years. I’d rather wait to find the perfect style than spend money on a temporary one.

This black and gold floor lamp is a great piece to break up a neutral modern living room.

Definitely not a keen on the Torchiere floor lamp style, but this is one is so updated, I want to make an exception!

MARBLE PLINTH COFFEE TABLE TO BRING IN NATURE

I’m a huge fan of Restoration Hardware’s marble plinth coffee table. However, I’m more partial to this marble plinth coffee table with a black base from Arhaus.

I feel like the black breaks up all the neutral colors, especially on a sand-colored rug. I hope to own this piece because as a content creator, it’ll mean no more marble paper taped on foam board for me!

FAUX OLIVE TREE TO SOFTEN HARD LINES

I bought this faux olive tree last year when my friend and fellow neutral lover, Nioby, shared it on her stories. Again, I’m a very indecisive person (heyyy, Libras!) so imagine my surprise when I took the plunge. This tree is pretty tall, fuller than I expected, and even adds a “soft touch” in-person!

In my old apartment, it lived in my bedroom. Currently, it’s in my dining/living room.

If you don’t want to take care of real plants in your home, go for this affordable faux olive tree. I find this type of tree to be a great piece if you want to soften a sleek and modern room and invoke its very meaning: peace.

STONE CANDLE FOR A TOUCH OF LUXE

Speaking of Nioby, she’s also the co-founder of a home accessories brand, Off-White Palette. And Off-White Palette is where this big and beautiful stone candle (isn’t it stunning?) is sold. To me, less is more so instead of a million candles, one big one is enough to make a great statement in any room.

Coffee table or no coffee table, I am hoping to get one this year for my home. I purchased their faux pumpkins last year and am also secretly praying they have more fall decor coming soon too, ha!

ETERNTITY ROSES ADDS LIFE TO A NEUTRAL MODERN LIVING ROOM

If you’ve been following me awhile, you know I love, love, love flowers! Want to save money, but also have fresh flowers every week? Invest in eternity roses from a reputable brand like Venus Et Fleur!

If you’re already spending $20/bouquet on a weekly basis, just know you’ll be saving nearly $500 a year if you go with these roses!

BLACK RIBBED VASE FOR SOME TEXTURE

This black ribbed vase is a great way to tie the room together even more so! Pop this on a stack of books on a bookcase or coffee table and you’re all set. Can you imagine filling it with some greenery like eucalyptus? Or some blush pink peonies in the spring? Absolute perfection.

Did I mention this is from a London-based brand called Luxetched? Are you surprised? I’m not because Brits know luxury and they know aesthetics!

COFFEE TABLE BOOKS TO ADD INTEREST

This one is a no brainer which is why I didn’t include it in my mood board. However, if you’re a newbie to home decor, just know coffee table books are easy to style. Most are very affordable too.

I think of them as adult picture books, fun to read and the plus side is that they can be used effortlessly as decor around your home! Win-win-win!

I hope you enjoyed getting a peek of my home decor style and what’s to come for my neutral modern living room plans! Considering I’m living and breathing Fashion Month at my day job right now, writing this article has been very therapeutic. Hint: expect more home-related content soon!