Build Around a Rug: A Classic Living Room with Moody Blues and Cozy Browns
If you love classic cozy living room decor with a mix of moody blues, warm browns, and soft neutrals, this design board is full of inspiration for you. I started with a vintage-style blue rug and pulled together timeless furniture pieces, layered textures, and a few traditional accents to help you create a relaxed and collected look you can easily make your own.
Today’s post kicks off my “Build Around a Rug” series, and I’m so excited to share it with you! I’ll jump-start a room design plan for you by building the room around a great new area rug. Each post will feature a favorite rug and show you how to build a beautiful room around it with wall colors, furniture, and a mix of classic accent pieces. I’m taking the guesswork out of it for you!
(This post contains affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on my site at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
One of the biggest challenges when decorating a room is figuring out where to begin. It can feel very overwhelming trying to choose colors, furniture, and finishes all at once!
Sometimes you need a great inspiration piece, and starting with an area rug is a fabulous way to simplify the decorating process. Why start with a rug?
- A rug gives you an instant color palette.
- It helps define the style of the space.
- An area rug sets the tone for everything else in the room.
From there, it’s much easier to pull together pieces that work well together and feel intentional.
A Classic Cozy Living Room Mood Board
I started with a basic room plan with some foundational pieces for the living room. Remember, the more texture and layers you add, the cozier it will feel. Adding in different scales of patterns, multiple types of lighting, and carefully curated accents and artwork add even more interest and personal style to your room.
1. A Vintage-Style Moody Blue Patterned Rug
This patterned washable Bridgerton-style rug from Ruggable is perfect for busy living spaces. The distressed vintage pattern features a whimsical floral design in soft sages, beige, soft terracotta, and golden browns, all set on a background of dark, moody blue.
2. A Classic Cream Sofa
I’m sharing this beige Interior Define Caitlin slipcovered sofa in Bisque performance classic weave fabric. I think a sofa is such a personal purchase. It’s where I believe you should invest more of your decorating dollars to get a well-made sofa that’s durable, comfortable, and lasts several years.
Ideally, I always recommend purchasing a sofa you can sit on and test out; however, that’s a little difficult to do in an online post. I’ve placed a sofa in this living room design board in a color that complements the rug and paint colors, and this particular brand allows for an incredible amount of customization of style and fabrics.
This sofa is a moderate price point, but you can certainly use this image as a color and style guide when shopping for a sofa in person wherever you shop.
3. Navy and White Striped Armchair
This navy and off-white striped occasional chair adds pattern, texture, and classic style to a room. It’s a very affordable price point. Consider purchasing a pair to complete a seating arrangement in your living room.
4. Brass and Glass End Table
Every classic living room can use a little brass element, and this end table adds both style and function with its lower shelf.
5. Navy Ceramic Lamp
I’m all about using multiple types of lighting in your living room to create a cozy and inviting look. This navy table lamp with gold accents is so pretty and would be perfect on an end table beside your sofa or occasional chair or on a sofa table.
Tip: I always like to purchase lamps in pairs to allow for various uses around my home. You never know when the decorating/rearranging bug will strike and suddenly you need a pair of lamps instead of a single to complete a new look!
6. Pair of Golden Brown Pillows
This pretty pair of pillow covers in a warm brown colorway pulls from the colors in the rug and adds rich, warm color to the sofa. They come as a pair at a great price and are available in several different sizes, although I ALWAYS recommend a 20″x20″ for your sofa filled with a 22″x22″ insert for a designer look.
7. Pair of Moody Blue Pillows
This set of blue textured pillow covers are another affordable option that add color and texture to the room. Remember, get the 20×20 inch for the perfect look on your sofa!
8. Set of 3 Patterned Pillows
This pretty pillow set is where all the pattern magic comes into play! I chose some softer shades of the colors in the rug to soften the overall look of the room design. These can be purchased as pillows or pillow covers. It’s actually a set of 5 pillows for your room, but these are the fabrics in the set.
9. Linen Curtain Panel
These curtain panels are a great affordable and customizable drapery option on Amazon! You can choose the length, width, and light control.
10. Pair of Framed Botanical Prints
This framed floral print on linen art print set is so pretty and comes in several different sizes.
Classic Paint Colors for Your Living Room Design
Choosing paint colors is one of my favorite parts of the design process, but I know it can be a little overwhelming. For this living room, I pulled together a few timeless shades that work beautifully with the warm, moody tones in the rug and decor.
This is one of my go-to warm neutrals. It has just enough color to feel cozy without being too dark, and it works beautifully with both cool and warm tones.
This one brings in that rich, golden warmth that I love for fall and cozy layered spaces. It’s bold but still subtle and warm and really classic when used in the right spot.
If you’re looking for a deep, moody blue that’s not too navy, this is such a pretty option. I love it for accents or even a small room if you’re going for drama.
This is a soft, fresh blue-gray that feels calm and classic. It’s a great wall color if you want a little color without going too bold.
You can keep it simple by using a soft, warm neutral like Accessible Beige as your main wall color and bring in the deeper shades as accents throughout the room. If your living room is enclosed or you love a moodier look, one of the darker colors would be beautiful on the walls for a rich, cozy feel. You could even color drench the space for a more dramatic look that still feels classic.
If you prefer light walls, Sherwin-Williams Alabaster is always a favorite. It’s a warm, soft white that creates a beautiful backdrop and really helps the colors in this palette stand out.
Shop the Look
This design board is a jumping off point for a beautiful cozy living room. The more layers of texture and decorative accents you add make your space more inviting. I’ve gathered some pretty accents below that would be a beautiful complement to this space. Just click on the images to access the links.
Click through for more curated home accents for this space.
I hope this design board gives you a little inspiration for creating your own classic cozy living room. Starting with a rug really does make everything feel a little easier to pull together, and it’s such a great way to build a space that feels layered, relaxed, and timeless. If you’re working on your own room refresh, I’d love to hear what colors or styles you’re leaning toward.
Thanks for stopping by!
