Our Rattan and Blue Living Room
📍 The Kennedy Bungalow
David and I are approaching a year of living in our first home here in sunny St. Pete, and I realized how little I’ve shared about it. I’m giving myself a break since half of that time we were in remodel mode after Hurricane Eta. Now that the literal dust has finally started to settle, I’m putting together each room, one at a time. While you’ve already seen my little office space, the tour continues with the rest of our living room. While nowhere near perfect, it has become my favorite room in the house. Rattan and blue are always such a good idea. Join me, won’t you?
Leather Couch || Greek Key Pillows (Similar) || Rattan End Table (Similar) || Silver Lamps || Floral Curtains
Style Inspiration
While David’s and my design styles are entirely different (he’s modern and I’m more traditional), we agree on one thing. Minimalism! I love a clean, neat space with small accents to show our personality and life together. With our living room, our whole home, it all started with paint color. Since I wanted our house to be a calm and inviting space, I painstakingly studied different shades of blue to find the right one. We ultimately settled on Valspar’s Gray Opal. Don’t let the name fool you because it’s, in fact, a beautiful shade of robin’s egg blue that magically works like a neutral. No matter where life brings us, I have found my signature wall color.
Rattan Chairs (Similar) || Blue Garden Stool || Black Ecuador Blanket || Similar Navy Floral Pillows || Blue Patterned Pillows
The Seating
Apart from a photogenic Basset Hound, the focal point of any living room is created with your seating. For a couch, David and I both knew we wanted a brown leather couch but didn’t want to spend a small fortune to find one. The other quality on our list was to find one that was easy to move. We found exactly what we were looking for with Burrow. Their seating designs are entirely modular, meaning that they can be broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces. The bonus is that this also means this couch can grow with us to create a larger sectional. The Chestnut brown is as soft as butter, something that our dog, Tripp, absolutely loves. At any given point in the day, there’s a high chance of him taking up the entire couch. In reality, it’s his, and we get to borrow it on occasion.
My love for rattan won out for additional seating when I scored this set of chairs from IKEA, of all places. Accented with a collection of throw pillows, they are incredibly comfortable. These chairs are light but still extremely durable and easy to move around the house as needed. While Tripp is curious, he has yet to jump into them, thank goodness.
Leather Couch || Greek Key Pillows (Similar) || Rattan End Table (Similar) || Silver Lamps || Floral Curtains
The Accents
Continuing with my study in rattan… How great are these end tables from Target? At less than $100 each, I loved the simplicity and versatility. While color palettes come and go, I know I can use these end tables forever! Other accents around the space were originally from our apartment in the Upper East Side. No matter where I live, some things are just too perfect to part with. The best example of that is this set of silver ginger jar lamps from Safavieh. I consider these to be the find of the decade.
Pro Tip: Consider dark outdoor pillowcases if you have a four-legged friend with a penchant for shed and slobber. This set of Greek key pillowcases has been put through the wringer but still looks as crisp as the day I got them!
Console || Ginger Jar || Picture Frame || Chinoiserie Bowl || Sign || Rattan Bag
The Console
When you enter our home, the first thing you’re greeted by is our console. While it serves as a convenient catch-all, it also plays host to some of our favorite keepsakes. The most noticeable is the custom Kennedy sign. If you’ve ever been to New Orleans Jazz Fest, you may recognize the style. It was created by the same artist who makes welcome signs for the featured musicians. This plastic work of art may not look like much, but it’s one of my most cherished things in the home.
A small wave clock sits next to a wedding photo and a collection of shells from Harbour Island and Boca Grande. It was crafted by my uncle, a very talented carpenter and surfer on the East Coast of Florida. I’m pretty sure I’ve had it since I was a kid, but I’m so happy for it to be a part of our first home. It’s the little things on this console that make me so happy!
Desk || Similar Chair || Similar Garden Stool || Lake Como Picture || Chinoiserie Vase
My Workspace
And finally, one last look at my workspace, originally posted about here. I work from home, and this is where I spend the vast majority of my day. Because of that, this area needs to be comfortable, functional and inspiring. The green writer’s desk from Wayfair makes for a fun pop of color against the blue accent pieces. A framed picture from our honeymoon on Lake Como gives me a sense of wanderlust while still motivating me to make it through the 9-5 schedule.
What’s Next?
While I love our space, I know it’s still not entirely done yet. The number one thing you may have noticed is the lack of anything on the walls. Our exterior walls are almost solely windows which creates incredible natural light at all hours of the day. Right now, I’m perfectly happy without blinds, but I know it’s something on our long to-do list. As far as the rest of the walls, they are just begging to have art added. I’ve ordered new pieces that will add even more pops of color and can’t wait to share them when they arrive!
Rattan Chairs (Similar) || Blue Garden Stool || Black Ecuador Blanket || Similar Navy Floral Pillows || Blue Patterned Pillows
Your home should be a complete reflection of who are and be treated like a temple. While personal styles and needs for interior spaces shift over time, I am so content to call this little corner of St. Pete mine. Stayed tuned for even more glimpses into our happy mid-century Florida bungalow.
Love from Florida,
Katie
As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.