Inside the Most Serene Living Room in Canada

Jacquelyn Clark and her fiance, Justin, bought their old Victorian home in Toronto almost a year ago, and have slowly been working to transform the dated interior into a modern, elegant home, befitting one of Canada’s most up-and-coming designers. (See her home office makeover here!) While the living room wasn’t in terrible shape to begin with, when Jacquelyn was approached to participate in the One Room Challenge, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to give the room the TLC it deserved.

The One Room Challenge occurs twice a year, and taps 20 design bloggers to transform a room in just six weeks, sharing updates every Wednesday on the process. Jacquelyn jumped at the opportunity to participate, but it meant shifting into high gear and aligning on a vision for the space with her fiance as soon as possible, so she could begin sourcing pieces and pulling the space together.

Jacquelyn and Justin agreed the living room needed to serve two purposes: They wanted it to be elegant enough to entertain friends and family in, while still remaining casual and comfortable enough for lazy movie nights. After pulling together a few inspiration photos (God bless Pinterest!), Jacquelyn began with the bones. She had simple and elegant crown moulding installed, gave the walls a dreamy coat of fresh paint in an ultra light shade of grey (Farrow and Ball, Ammonite White, for those curious), and swapped out venetian blinds for custom linen drapes from Tonic Living.

The next, and arguably most important, decision to make was choosing a sectional. Jacquelyn wanted one that was tailored and elegant, to give the look of a formal living room for entertaining, without sacrificing comfort. She found an extra deep option from AllModern, and took a leap of faith, ordering it online, based solely on the reviews. Thankfully, Jacquelyn’s risk paid off, and the sectional fit and worked perfectly for the room.

There was no getting around the television, so Jacquelyn opted for an extra wide media unit from AllModern that could provide coverage for cables along with shelves and surface area for decorative elements.

A simple marble coffee table with clean lines on a black frame introduced a luxurious material without weighing down the cozy space. Jacquelyn sourced it from AllModern.

One of the last elements that truly pulled the living room together was the modern chandelier. Jacquelyn and Justin had been living with an exposed light bulb for the eight months they’d been in the house. It was high time they upgraded, and what an upgrade it was!

Jacquelyn had been eyeing this beautiful teardrop chandelier from Crystorama for years, and as the room began to take form, she knew it offer the perfect balance between timeless elegance in a modern form. With the chandelier in place, the room is truly complete.

After selecting the major furniture pieces, Jacquelyn set to work sourcing artwork for the room, which she relied on for injecting colour and dimension to the mostly neutral room.

With the deadline in sight, Jacquelyn relied on Minted for beautiful artwork that she could order framed. It went straight from the delivery truck to her living room walls!

Jacquelyn’s living room is such a calming space. With a few key pieces of decor, she was able to bring in personality and femininity, but for the most part, the space if kept quite clean in order to maintain a sense of peace.

To break up the large sectional, Jacquelyn added plush pillows in a mix of colours, prints and textures, sourced from Pine Cone Hill.

The pillows serve double duty, adding visual interest while making the sectional seem totally irresistible for afternoon cat naps!

Jacquelyn used a gorgeous lucite tray to corral books and decor on the coffee table. This is a go-to strategy for ensuring your decor doesn’t end up looking cluttered on a surface.

A touch of pink was introduced to the room through the coffee table decor, but we love how it’s mostly neutrals and raw wood. A string of glass beads draped over the coffee table books lends a touch of informality and softness to the stack. You can shop similar pieces here.

With the popularity of storage baskets these days, and so many beautiful and affordable options to choose from, there’s no excuse not to use them as handy storage vessels, particularly for throws, which tend to accumulate on couch arms and across ottomans. Jacquelyn chose a two-tone basket with handles, so she can easily move it around the room.

The final touches that truly complete a room (if you ask us) are flowers and scent. Jacquelyn added a structural element to the space with a simple white vase filled with tall budding branches. They perfectly encompass the feeling of spring in the air.

The scent of a room can be hugely impactful, particularly on guests who are visiting your home for the first time. Once you’ve ensured your guests don’t have any allergies to scent, opt for a candle that’s not overpowering, and consider the mood you’re hoping to strike. Light your candle an hour or so before guests arrive to ensure the scent has fully filled your home. Jacquelyn selected the Distillery candle from Vancouver Candle Co.‘s Toronto collection. The scent is woodsy, with a hint of spice!

Thank you for sharing your living room with us, Jacquelyn! For those curious to see more of her work, visit www.jacquelynclark.com.