As a food and lifestyle blogger and YouTuber, my home often serves as the backdrop for photos and videos, so it was important that it felt like “me.” I wanted a living room that combined modern, minimalist, Scandinavian and SoCal influences into a single, cohesive space.
With help from Havenly, I was able to bring that vision to life. Their online design service made the process efficient and approachable, matching my aesthetic and helping me select furniture, textiles, lighting and decor that work together.
I’m so excited to finally share this project I’ve been working on for months. If you’ve followed my Instagram stories, you might have watched the step-by-step as I sourced, installed and arranged every piece. I even wall-mounted my TV myself—book stacks and all.
When I moved into this apartment, the living room was a blank slate: standard shape, neutral walls, and not much else. I’d recently returned from six months overseas and had only the basics on hand, so the room needed everything from a sofa to rugs and lighting.
Watch the video to tour my modern and minimalist living room:
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Instead of diving in alone, I decided to work with Havenly. For a reasonable fee I could hire a professional designer and receive a 3D rendering of my room. I selected a designer whose portfolio matched my tastes—modern, minimalist, Scandinavian with a touch of boho—and the collaboration was effortless and inspiring.
Two statement pieces really anchored the room: a modern white sofa with a chaise that stretches to 112 inches, and a woven leather lounge chair in a warm camel tone. The contrast of bright white and warm camel created the clean, cozy palette I was after.
My designer noticed I liked layered rugs in my inspiration images, so we paired a plush champagne-toned rug with a beige cowhide layer on top. The layered texture adds depth while keeping the overall look soft and neutral.
Because the sofa is so long, we chose an oversized, open-frame coffee table that reads light rather than bulky, keeping visual weight balanced. A mid-century modern buffet became the media unit; its wood tone and brass detailing bring warmth and character without overwhelming the space.
For the dining area, we deliberately introduced a crisp white table to serve as a clean backdrop for food photography and everyday dining. Grey velvet chairs with brass legs provide a comfortable, elegant contrast and tie back to other brass accents in the room.
One lesson I learned working with a designer is to be more willing to mix metals, textures and styles. A strictly matchy-matchy approach can feel flat; combining mid-century wood, brass, woven leather, linen and ceramics creates a richer, lived-in feel while still honoring a minimalist sensibility.
I didn’t want a stark black-and-white room. Instead, I aimed for cozy, warm and inviting, with a hint of SoCal laid-back energy. Artwork with ocean-inspired colors and turquoise accents brought just the right amount of coastal brightness and personality to the space.
I’m a believer in clean surfaces—clear counters and tabletops help me feel less cluttered—but I still wanted a few meaningful objects on display. A small kiwi bird figurine nods to my New Zealand roots, and a bronze sculpture of seagulls belonged to my grandmother, evoking memories of summers by the beach.
One non-negotiable for me was greenery. Even as a minimalist, I wanted my home filled with plants. My fiddle leaf fig anchors one corner, while a schefflera, philodendron, orchids and succulents live throughout the room. Plants add life and improve the atmosphere, making the space feel calm and healthy.
The pots and woven baskets I used are varied—textured planters, tiered stands and woven seagrass baskets—to add organic texture and keep the overall palette grounded and cohesive.
Final touches include an overarching floor lamp, a column table lamp, white linen drapes and simple drapery hardware. A new 55″ TV sits mounted above the media unit, and thoughtfully chosen accessories complete the look.
Now that the living room is finished, I’m excited to move on to designing my bedroom. I’ll be working with the same designer again because the process was collaborative, fun and produced exactly the calming, beautifully curated space I hoped for. If you want to see the bedroom reveal, let me know in the comments.
Special thanks to Havenly for partnering on this living room project and sponsoring this post.