• How did Decorno designer, Ellen Fleckenstein, transform the farmhouse-style living room into a modern masterpiece?
  Ellen transformed the living room using paint, accessories, and customizable art from Minted to give the space a fresh new look while keeping the existing furniture and sticking to a minimal color palette.
• How can art be used to refresh a space?
  Art can change the whole feel of a room. Starting with art can inspire a new color palette and modernize the space instantly.
• What are some considerations when buying art for a space?
  Consider timeless appeal, compatibility with the room’s aesthetic, and most importantly, that it resonates with the client who will be living with it.
• What did Decorno like about Minted’s Customizable Fine Art?
  Decorno loved being able to play with composition and color schemes, making the art more custom and allowing for creative input from both the designer and the owner.
• What are some simple tricks for transforming a room from one style to another?
  Start by editing out elements that do not fit the new style, bring in pieces that reflect the new style, use a neutral base to transition easily, and consider using accents like paint and natural elements for affordable changes.
• How can you ensure a room feels fresh when keeping existing furniture?
  Start with a blank slate and selectively add new items that will bring a new presence to the room. By creating dominance with these new items, the existing furniture will serve as a base for everything else to stand out against.

A Farmhouse-style Living Room Transformation

If there’s one thing we love, its a great room refresh! Designer, Ellen Fleckenstein, turned a traditional farmhouse-style living room into a gallery-worthy modern masterpiece with a few simple tricks. Working with a small budget and a big vision, Ellen radically transformed the living room using paint, accessories and thoughtful, customizable art from Minted to give the space a fresh new look. By keeping the existing furniture and sticking to an artful, minimal color palette, Ellen turned the farmhouse-style living room into a cool, modern space.

The Art of Room Refresh

Q: How do you use art to refresh a space?
A: You can change the whole feel of the room with art! Oftentimes I begin with art and pull from it to create the new palette for the space. In this design, taking the prints black and white and doing closer crops instantly modernized the room.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit more about the art you chose for this living room? What are some considerations when buying art?
A: As an artist myself, I take curating the art for a space very seriously. I want each piece to have a timeless appeal because art is an investment. I also look for compositions and colors that are compatible with the room because I want each piece to add to the aesthetic. However, the most important thing is that it resonates with my client. Since they will be living with it, I want them to love the statement it makes.

Customizable Fine Art Selections

Q: What did you like about Minted’s Customizable Fine Art?
A: I loved being able to play with the composition and color schemes! (Being able to zoom in or change the layout so it would better suit my needs as a designer for the space). The artist’s are handing over some of the creative process to the owner of the print. I could see a customer feeling very proud that they helped create the very piece they own. It makes it more custom!

On the piece above, titled Awaking, Ellen worked with a Minted fine art specialist to invert the color palette, taking the piece from light and bright to modern and dramatic.

Simple Tricks for Room Transformation

Q: When taking a room from one style to another, what are some simple tricks?
A: The first step is always editing, we remove everything that doesn’t reflect the new style we have gravitated toward. In this space we wanted to modernize it, so we removed the old farmhouse accents and brought in bolder and more graphic pieces in a monochromatic palette. We were able to keep all of the old furniture because our base was neutral enough to transfer from one style to another. I went with a bright white on the walls to help the space have more of a gallery feel.

Q: Keeping budget in mind, what are some easy ways to transform a space without breaking the bank?
A: First of all, choose quality main pieces that are timeless. Then you can always change up the accessories when you grow tired of them. In my own home I change out the decorative accents seasonally just to freshen things up so I don’t get bored. I’m always adding to the mix with a new pillow or throw that catches my eye. The easiest and most affordable change is the cost of a can of paint. Taking this room completely white dramatically changed the look. Finally, you can never go wrong with mother nature. Cut some fresh branches outside and you have an instant sculptural form to fill the space, it’s ever changing and it’s always free.

Ensuring Freshness with Existing Furniture

Q: How do you make sure that the room feels fresh when keeping existing furniture?
A: Editing is just as important as adding elements to a design. I always start with a blank slate and just furniture pieces we wish to keep. When you remove the old, this helps you see the possibilities for the new in a whole new light. From there, you selectively add in some items that will have more presence in the room. This could be through color, items that have a new scale, etc… When you create dominance with these newly added items, the older furniture pieces disappear and just become the base, the canvas for everything else to pop against.

We cant get enough of Ellen’s refresh.  Every product is independently selected by our stylish, expert designers and we only use an affiliate link on items we love, and would include regardless. We may receive a small commission on things you buy through our links.