My home in La Quinta, California is configured in the shape of a square. In one half of the square, there is the mudroom, dining room, kitchen, great room, and master suite. In the other half, there are the guest bedrooms and the laundry room. This is a great layout because when we have guests, everyone has their privacy.

Classic Great Room Decor

Above is the first look at the great room. It has glass doors to an inner courtyard. I just wanted you to understand the orientation of the room.

The main furniture of this room is a large beige linen-like sectional sofa with a coordinating ottoman. The cool point I wanted to make about it is that when I was ordering the piece the manufacturers were planning to make eight (!) matching beige pillows. Now I love neutral sofas because they allow me to change out my pillows seasonally (#crazylady). But eight beige throw pillows were a lot to handle.

So I asked if instead, they would be willing to make me some of the same sized pillows but in a different fabric that I would mail to them. They were happy to accommodate my request and I was delighted! I had located an online company that sells the most gorgeous cotton fabrics in the luscious yellow, red, and orange Provencal fabrics that I was hoping to find. The company is called French Connection (French-nc.com).

They’re wonderful to deal with and the husband/owner is actually from France. If you check out the couch you can see in the corner the striped yellow and orange pillow. In front of it is a Pottery Barn bunny pillow and both are placed on top of a cozy, ivory cable throw (this year, Pottery Barn).

The ottoman has a large, round, sturdy, flat-bottomed basket (Pottery Barn) in which I have two hurricanes (Homegoods), a seasonal bunny (Homegoods), and a silk flower arrangement I made to bring together all the colors. I change out the accessories in this basket depending on the season or holiday (#Iwarnedyouaboutthecraziness).

The rug is from E.Rugs and it was of great value. It’s comfy to walk on and the colors really warm up all the tan and cream tones in the room’s floor tiles and walls. Lastly, the Impressionist painting in the corner behind the couch is from a local consignment store.

This is a view from behind the couch looking into the room. Here you can see the stone fireplace and the two asymmetrical alcoves. When we moved in, both of the alcoves were empty, devoid of any cabinetry. We tried to purchase some furniture for them, but were challenged by the depth and height of each space. So fortunately, we located a wonderful carpenter who made the lovely built-ins seen in this and the next two photos. You can also catch a glimpse of a yellow and orange pillow, as well as another bunny pillow and a fake fur throw in a rich brown fabric on the end of the couch.

This cabinet matches the kitchen cabinets in door design, stain, and hardware. The fun painting kind of looks like a doorway to an Italian restaurant and was found at a local consignment shop. Wow was it ever a challenge to have Mr. G.Q. hang this puppy!!!

This sister alcove is obviously narrower and our carpenter installed nice, thick shelves which match the heft of the other cabinet. Here’s we I keep my many cookbooks, another Pottery Barn ceramic bunny, and a beautiful ceramic rooster (old).

This view is from the kitchen looking into the great room and what I want to point out here is the handsome dark wood trestle table that Mr. G.Q. found on-line. Because the piece anchors the room, it was important to select something substantial in weight. The sectional is pretty large, so we had to pick out a sturdy looking sofa table.

I love the red lamps (Lamps.com) as well as their champagne colored shades. They cast a warm glow in the evenings when we’re watching our shows. Lastly, check out the arc pendant lamp. It’s neat because it doesn’t take up much floor space and it’s substantial enough to balance the rest of the room. I like the textured burlap shade for it’s somewhat rustic feel.

That’s my Classic Great Room Decor. I think it’s a great spot to hang out in. In fact, that’s where I’m headed right now.

Thanks for reading!!!

XO

Dr. Julie