There have been several iterations of our "formal" living room and I finally feel like it is all pulled together. It's the space you will find me in once the boys are in bed, dinner is done and it's time to chill. This room nicely captures my decorating style.

When I am out of the house busy at work or out and about I think about the next time I will be hanging out on the couch with Jay while the kids play around on the floor and Pepper curls up next to one of the poufs. Ok, let's reword that. The next time Jay and I plop down in exhaustion while the kids wrestle on the floor and Pepper is swirling around somewhere in the chaos. That's more like it. Still, this room gives me all the zen I need, hence the name. Come on in for a little tour!

The neutral shade of our couch grounds the space and allows for my love of color and pattern. This couch is nice and deep, and with the pillows removed fits all four of us. 

The addiction is real. I am a fan of cheaper pillows to switch out when the need strikes. The patterned pillow is an outdoor pillow, which holds up great to the wear and tear of little kids. You also can see the material of the couch, which washes up well and is textured - another win for kids!

I decided to swap out our coffee table for two over-sized poufs. They are great to put your feet on, and again, kid friendly. It's just the state of affairs at the moment. I added this tray to hold some reading material and a drink. 

I love metallics, but try to temper them in small doses. I bought these lamp shades years ago and they remain one of my favorite items in our home. I love the rustic look of the side table with the gold tones of the shade.  

Before we moved in, this brick was old fashioned red. The fireplace is still outdated, but the white helps a lot. I added the mirror to break up the brick, but love that it's white to give it a monochrome look. 

This TV stand was the beginning of the transformation of this room. Jay and I picked this out together and both love the subtle beachy vibe of it. We are starting to invest in nicer pieces of furniture made with real materials like this natural wood. 

My love of mixing patterns continues on the walls. This is cheap wall art that can switch out easily if I get sick of it. Once we are in our forever home I hope to invest in some beautiful art. For now, I am more than happy with the cheerful yellows and sunbursts.

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So there you have it, the den of zen. I love this space and how it came together over the past year. Even better I love that Jay and I worked together on the big pieces and I finished it off with what I love to do with the styling. It also gives us a blueprint for a look we both appreciate as we move throughout the house or on to our next house. I like to call it California casual with a touch of beach and lots of our Cooley personality.