The Traditional Modern-board

I designed these mood boards for my sister, who recently bought a new home. It’s a beautiful space, but like many homes in new neighborhoods, it’s builder-grade. And if you’ve ever built a builder-grade home, you know there are limitations on what you can and can’t customize.

After her move, she asked for help making her living room feel more like her. My sister’s style is very transitional—she loves the clean lines of modern furniture but also gravitates toward the cozy warmth of traditional design. There’s something special about blending these two styles, and when done right, they just work.

Below are the two designs I created for her living room. In Design #2, I only swapped out a few pieces, but it completely changed the overall feel of the space. It just goes to show—you don’t need to replace everything to give your space an elevated, lived-in look.

Let me know which one you prefer in the comments! All sources are linked for each board below.

Design #1

Design #2