Design
What Arlyn Has Planned Design-Wise For Her New Rental Home (Hint: It Involves More Yellow Velvet)
To anyone who has been following my “Arlyn is moving!” series, thank you for coming back today and continuing along with me on this journey. If you missed the first post, you can find that here; last week’s article was an update since we landed in our new city and our boxes and furniture arrived. This week, I’m diving a bit more into some of my plans around the design and any projects I plan on taking on in our new rental home.
Welcome back, friends, to another installment of my California to (North) Carolina moving saga. While I may have shown a peek into our new home in the last post, today, I’m going to dive a little deeper into where my head is at with designing. Because let me tell you, when you move across the country and sell half of your belongings, you’re kind of forced into a reinvention and redecoration mindset, whether you like it or not. I partially like it because it’s fun to think about how different my home could look since I last picked all new furniture eight years ago. I was a different person then—my husband and I were newly married and child-free, but now with an active preschooler, our needs both functionally and emotionally have changed.
My beloved velvet blue Interior Define sectional stayed back in LA (it found a new home with one of Jess’ best friends, and I feel so comforted knowing she gets to visit my old sectional!), and honestly, as much as I loved that cobalt and still do, I was ready for something new visually. But first, let’s revisit a mini “before” tour of my new place, which we plan on renting for one to two years max before we buy our first home (!!!). I include that detail early on because, as this isn’t meant for the long-term, that limits how much time and resources I’m willing to put into this place. It’s fairly pleasant as is and mostly just needs some styling.
What I Kept, What I Need To Replace
If you’ve ever made a giant move, you’ll know what happens to your brain a few weeks (and even worse, a few days) before the movers arrive. Suddenly, you’re convinced you should take nothing with you and start becoming the world’s most charitable philanthropist with your stuff. I’m telling you, the neighbors in my Buy Nothing Group were some of the luckiest people.
WHY OH WHY did I get rid of my armless desk chair that I so desperately need now? Why exactly did I decide not to bring my deep chest freezer? Or my daughter’s cushy Pottery Barn toddler chair? Or her bookshelf? Or sooooo many other things? And even though I sold some pieces for money, I’m bemoaning those, too. The green cabinet in my kitchen was so gorgeous, and I let it go for so little money. There’s a perfect little nook in my current kitchen that it could have lived in, and I’m kicking myself. But such is life, and I have to give myself grace for decisions I made under duress.
One of the only rooms that didn’t feel the wrath of purging desperation was my bedroom. THANK GOD. Every single item in here made it to the other side. Well, not the rattan footstool, but that thing was too high to actually be comfortable for my legs and feet, and was a lightweight hazard for my daughter, who loved to climb it. And like I said, no, the armoire, once again, does not live in my bedroom, but remember those fireplace nooks I mentioned above? YES!!! It’s going there.
My little breakfast nook table came with me, but not the chairs, because they were hanging on by a thread. So rickety, sadly. RIP green cabinet, though. On the flip side of my bedroom, there are nearly no remains of my living spaces because they were the bulkiest pieces that would have cost the most to move. The one survivor was my Article Seno sideboard. Everything else was donated (and my dining room set was sold).
Because IKEA Bestas are the best bang for your storage buck, I kept that whole piece, and it just may have another life in my new dining room again. (Reminder, it lived in my living room for the last three years). I also still have those emerald green velvet curtains, which didn’t have a home in my previous townhouse but will likely be reunited with the Besta unit. I couldn’t bear to part with my vintage (or possibly antique) wood server, except now I don’t have a very good spot for it.
Am I Doing Any DIYs Or Projects?!?
Well…while I’m not totally discounting it, the most I’ll likely get into is putting up some peel-and-stick wallpaper in my office and my daughter’s bedroom, maybe swapping out some shades because so many of them are crooked, stained, or just don’t match the one right next to it, and changing some light fixtures. Sure, if this were our long-term home, that would be different, but my goal here is to make it comfortable, happy, livable, and easy to revert when it comes time to turn in the keys again.
Color Palette Inspiration
Okay, now for the fun stuff. Reinvention. But I say that with my typical caveat: I do not see the need to do the most with this home. There will be no painting, no over-the-top or inventive DIYs. Some of the things that I’ve had for years, such as decor, art, curtains, and maybe even throw pillows, are going to be reused to limit the financial load. Our ultimate goal is to own a home, and buying all new stuff just to take a pretty picture for the internet does not go hand-in-hand with saving as much as we can for a down payment.
But I am lucky enough to be working with Sabai on a new sectional (hence why I was able to pass off my previous sofa to another home), so I get to play around with establishing a new color palette. I can’t wait to walk you through some moodboards when I’m ready, but instead of cobalt blue this time, I went with a yellow velvet. I love it so much in my bedroom on my headboard, so I knew I needed to carry that throughout the home more than I had previously. My delivery comes tomorrow (YAYAY), so I’ll have more to share on it soon, but here’s a snapshot of it from their website:
Our South Pasadena home served as a holdover tank for all the things handpicked for our Mid-City 1930s apartment, and, truthfully, it never actually had much of a locked-in color palette. I started to get into a bit with the dining room, but then we decided to move. As a reminder, here’s where I left that space (I kept those curtains, the chandelier, the casegoods, and that rug):
Being that the walls of our new home are a warm, buttery beige, I’m going to be leaning into earthy neutrals with punches of bolder hues like in the above. But that never felt complete either. The combo of colors was missing something, so I decided to dig around and see what struck my fancy.
Do not pay too much mind to the style above, but rather, the colors that are being paired with the mustard yellow tile. Blush. Red. Brown/black. Green. In the right ratios, this could be so lovely with all the wood tones and creamy yellow walls I have going on.
I love the addition of the sky blue here and some pewter accents. A few pops of burgundy do a lot to ground the mustard.
This image reminds me that I don’t need to lean that far into any other color, because yellow (as I mentioned in this post a while back) is a star and acts as a warm neutral for a low-contrast space. Note to self: add plenty of taupe and natural textiles to keep it down to earth.
As you can see, I’m really loving the blues and greens paired with the punch of mustard. The balance of color here doesn’t match what I’ll do, but the color story is similar. I do really like the softer mulberry rather than burgundy or red.
What I’m Going For In The Living Room (I Think)
I have a super clear vision of what I want to see happen in my dining room (keep reading), but I’m a bit lost in my living room. There are some furniture placement decisions I need to make—don’t worry, I’ll blog about it all if they let me—and while I’m feeling pretty locked into a rough color palette, I don’t know what I want it to *feel* like. Some words I could use to describe the ideas bubbling around my head for that room: Easy. Cozy. Family-friendly. Happy. Casual. I’m struggling most with what rug to pair with my sectional, and I think that will really steer the design in the direction it needs to go.
Here are some spaces that I could easily see myself living in:
I’m leaning more neutral and low-contrast today, but I just adore how effervescent this room is without being overly maximalist. That’s the goal. Less stuff, more impact.
I have shared this vignette before, and I keep coming back to it. There is something just so easy and beautiful and elegant about it to me. Elevated but easy.
I love anything Pierce & Ward does, really, but the coziness and warmth of this living area really speak to me right now. There’s nothing overly exciting about it, but honestly, that’s what I like about it.
If you can look past this being a dining room, you’ll see exactly what I hope to create in my home this time around. Something that looks like it could have been there for decades but still feels pared back yet inviting. Tons of layered wood tones, subtle patterns, and nothing stealing attention from anything else. I keep going back to the word “easy.”
Dining Room Vibes
The one room I have a clear vision for is the dining room. I’m going for “laidback Angeleno moves to the country” because, well, that’s basically what I am at the moment. It could be just as appropriate for jam-making as it would be for a dinner party with new friends. The table is solid wood that has told some stories, the chairs are likely to hold some tales of their own with rush seats and some interesting detailing, and the only color coming through accoutrements.
Another 5-star design from Pierce & Ward. I am looking every single day for chairs like that across every platform I can find. The only problem is that vintage wood chairs with intact rush seats are not easy to come by, especially in quantities larger than 2. I do worry about food getting pressed into the grooves of the seat courtesy of my kid, but welcome any opinions if you’ve owned something similar.
I do like the modern touch of the Nelson Saucer pendant, because I don’t like leaning too far in any one style direction. I plan on reusing my Serena & Lily capiz shell globe chandelier, though, so let’s keep that in mind.
This is skewing a bit too born-and-bred-on-the-farm for what I’m after, though, don’t get me wrong, I love this. I would probably have to commit to a sourdough starter routine, but I’m charmed by the seat cushions (something I thought I’d never say after growing up with them in the 1990s).
All hail an all-wood palette!!! That table makes me absolutely swoon (and p.s., it can be converted down into a coffee table. Friggin’ genius). I’m quite tempted to just strip away all of the color in the dining space, change the fronts of my Besta unit to a matching wood tone, and live my no-contrast life to calm my nervous system.
Though truthfully, I know I’ll land somewhere closer to this, if not a touch more Nordic. BUT THOSE CHAIRS. Please, SOMEONE, ANYONE, help me find these chairs at a price that doesn’t require me to empty my daughter’s 529 (I’m kidding, of course).
Some Of My Secondhand Finds So Far
Forgive me for being unstructured in this post, as I feel like I’m jumping around, but a big majority of our purchases for this immediate phase of our life are going to be second-hand. Considering we had almost nowhere to sit or work (I was using an ironing board yesterday as a desk, mind you), I quickly got to work sourcing some things. I have a very long shopping list, but so far, I’ve scored these woven leather chairs for our breakfast nook, and this cutie little desk for my office.
The chairs are less orange than they appear in the above photo, while the desk is far more red than it looks in the listing. I love the shape of it, but I have to figure out a way to neutralize it a bit. I don’t mind a warm, reddish, or even orangey wood tone, but this is RED!!! I’ve seen a few DIYs I need to do some more research on, but my ears are open if you’ve accomplished a similar task.
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And that is where I leave you, friends. I have A LOT of work to do, with not a ton of time, and no considerable budget to get it done. But hey, I’m nothing if not courageous and willing to make things work. I can’t wait to see where I land in a few weeks or months, because I do believe I’ll get there soon. If only for my comfort and sanity.
I leave you with an incredibly rough draft of “vibes” for the home:
Pendant light | Sectional | Dining Chair | Dining Table | Yellow Rug | Blue Rug | Wallpaper | desk (vintage)
Stay tuned!
Until next time…
The vintage rush chairs are gorgeous. I bought six similar chairs for our farmhouse. As a mom to a younger daughter as well, I will warn you that they are “top heavy”. I didn’t realize it when purchasing! Now, I understand all chairs are different. But we had to switch two out for our daughter. Just an FYI.
I love it all, Arlyn! Love the mustard yellow sectional- especially paired with the light blue color!
Best of luck to you and so glad you are sharing your story with us.
I love this kind of posts! This is exciting! Good luck with everything !
Me too!! Arlyn finds the best inspiration pictures–they’re such a treat. And I love getting a glimpse into what she’s thinking and compiling. So fun!
I love your posts SO much! Thanks for giving your readers the opportunity to enjoy your journey.
I’m currently trying to finish a second place in NYC that I won’t live at full-time. I was also hoping to buy mostly secondhand, but my plan was thwarted when I realized that to do that, you really need a car. Not being able to transport heavier items meant I had to default and buy new online so I could get shipping. If anyone has ideas to get around this I would love to hear them! Of course I could hire movers, but hiring movers for 1 item here, 1 item there adds up and isn’t too practical in the end.
Definitely a bit harder in the city, but you can get pretty good rental rates on a van at least in the NYC burbs. Home depot does a lot of rentals and it’s like $20 (near me) if you can pick up and return within 75 mins. We successfully did this a few times! And if you need it a bit longer, then tend to increase the price incrementally versus pushing it to a day price. Worth looking into that + uHaul (also has short-term deals, I think)
Looks so gorgeous! Love your design style and intentionality!
But absolutely do not do rush chairs with kids under 6. Mine were totally ruined. They will get disgusting.
Rush chairs for little kids is not a great idea, I agree. But if you are lucky enough to find the chairs of your dreams, buy them and get those tie-on seat cushions to use for a few years. Bonus points if they’re washable.
I’m really looking forward to seeing your home come together. Our last move, six years ago, required a cross country move and aggressive downsizing. Very little is left from our former home. I’ve also done a lot of sourcing from FBM. There are so many 2nd hand gems that can save you money and create a more lived-in, less showroom feel.
you probably already know this, but north Carolina was a huge furniture manufacturing center in the mid 20th century. Thayer coggin in particular was renowned for its high-end stuff. I was on the hunt for a Milo Baughman case sofa with jack lenor Larsen upholstery for a while, but they got too expensive.
maybe you could do a post on that? I’d love to know some of the history and what that legacy has become. there are probably some museums? a good market of vintage mid-century pieces? makers holding on to the craft? I’d LOVE to read that! you’re our man in North Carolina!
Yes please, more Arlyn. Pleeeeaaassse keep the posts coming every step of the way. Super interesting to see you navigate fleshing out a temporary but still stylish house.
Love it all! So stressful I imagine but fun to follow!
Super fun post, thank you for the update Arlyn! This move is super brave and intentional. I’m cheering you Charles and Evelyn on! You are amazing!
Also for your desk: We bought a secondhand bookshelf that was waaaaay more bright orange than expected, so we blackwashed it. Basically mix water and black paint. Paint it on, then wipe it off. Took a couple hours of our life, no big mess. Worked great! On the other hand, if anyone can make a tricky wood tone work, it’s you!
I love the yellow with the light blue!
I hear you on the insanity that sets in when you’re moving. I’ve done four (!) inter-continental moves and understand completely the mindset you get into towards the end. Over past 26 years, I’ve got rid of a tonne of stuff I regret, and been utterly bewildered by stuff I held onto. Your taste is amazing and your style is awesome, so I am keen to see what you do with your rental.
Excited to follow along! That mustard couch is amazing.
Great post – I love all of your inspo!
Hi! I’m so excited to see what you’ll do with your new space. I have an Interior Define sectional in Marigold velvet that should arrive at some point this century. (Grr!) I pinned the Ballard Designs flat weave when I first saw it in your dining room. The Nordic flat weave rug is so great too and that’s now added to my board. I typically buy wool rugs and put down a rug pad for even more comfort. One of ChrisLovesJulia designs is in my living room and is a broken cream and taupe stripe, which you mentioned neutrals are good with yellow. Until I get my new I/D sofa I’m not buying a new rug, but it sounds like the really I can’t go wrong with neutral or yellow (base) or blue rug. So many options. Maybe once you decide and reveal your space, I’ll just copy. Totally did that with The Carlisle outdoor lounge reveal. Ha! Add to cart. Too easy.
Your intro reminded me of the 90s country song, “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” and I chuckled! Love the Arlyn posts, especially this moving and settling in series.
I’ve had woven seats for 40+ years and raised two boys with them. Still in use. Plenty of spills but no stains. I think mine have some sort of waxy coating. You should be fine as long as you wipe up spilled food and beverages. I will say they are not the most comfortable but they sure are pretty.
I wanted to ask about the comfort thing too. The chair backs look so straight and my experience with rush seats is that they kind of collapse a bit over time. A not-very-comfortable combo in my experience. I’d love to hear if others have different experiences with them though.
I should add: plenty comfortable for eating, but guests tend to linger at the table after meals. That’s when I wish we had a little more padding and I’m not inclined to do seat cushions.
Arlyn, this series is so interesting. I have family in Raleigh, so my sister will be following along. For your desk, I think the easiest solution is Howard Restor-A-Finish, which you can buy at any hardware store. It’s mainly used to refresh faded or stained woodwork, but since it comes in many colors, you can nudge a similar wood tone toward a more desirable one. To cut the red, you could wipe it with Walnut or Dark Oak. Good luck.
My husband and I have lived in eight different apartments/townhomes/houses in three different countries in seventeen years of marriage, and I’m just here to affirm that you’re so smart to lock in a color palette now. Whatever you acquire now will (probably!) be able to go somewhere in the home you’ll be purchasing in a couple of years.
Wishing you luck on your chair hunt, and sanity as you settle in.
I am looking forward to this series. Thanks for sharing all of this with us, Arlyn.
Regarding the desk, I will say to you what I say to myself every time I think I’ll just reupholster those chairs, or refinish a table, or DIY a thing:
“No new projects.”
You have a kid, you just moved, your life is currently 1,000,000 projects. It will take you at least 10 hours to refinish that desk. Use the desk as it is until you find one you like that isn’t a project. Then sell the red one and never think about it again. There are lots of desks out there that are great and don’t require 10+ hours of work. And then when you’re tempted by another thing that requires your time and effort, repeat to yourself,
“No new projects.”
Welcome to Raleigh, Arlyn! I love your plans for the rental ☺️ I’m also a former Angeleno and am still adjusting to life back in NC. It’s a big change, but it has very much been worth it for our family (I also have one child. He’s almost 6 now).
I also noticed that you mentioned jam-making, which has become one of my favorite hobbies since moving here! You moved just in time for strawberry season, which is the best. And just you wait for the abundant peach season to start in a couple months! 🤤
It seems like we have a ton in common & I would love to meet up for coffee/tea and help you get acquainted to the area if you are interested!!
Loving your post,Im excited for you,thanks for brining us along,beautiful sofa
So happy for your family with this move and the new life chapter that you are writing and so happy for us readers to follow along!
In my experience, I’d advise HARD against rush or cane seats with kids. It’s not only the food, it’s the forks that get smashed and twisted in the holes. The end, beautiful chair. I inherited my family’s 80s Cescas and loyally replaced the cane seats and backs, and it was so sad when they were destroyed!
For your desk, investigate using Old Masters gel stain. It comes in a variety of colors, requires a very light sanding, then tack cloth cleaning. Add gel stain and leave on 5-15 minutes and then wipe off. I have used it on two pieces of furniture and love the simple process and fabulous results.
Great post after great post, Arlyn! You are on fire! I can’t wait to see you blend some of the more modern “cozy cool” vibes in the inspo photos you have with the traditional bones of the house. And huge bonus that we are going to see you doing it on a budget. That represents most folks, so great to have you leading the way!
Saw the rental pics and thought SO MUCH SPACE! Is it a palace?!
Lololol love from NY
I love this series! Working with a similar palette and I love FBM for sourcing, so it’s pushing all my buttons!