Afrohemian Living Room in 7 Pieces

This is the living-room version of our bedroom opener: seven pieces that each do one job, chosen so the room works before anything decorative is added. A rattan loveseat sets the material, one indigo textile brings the color, and plants and baskets give the room height.

How the pieces work together

• One anchor, in one material. The rattan loveseat decides the room. Everything else either repeats its natural tone (the pendant, the baskets, the rug) or contrasts with it on purpose (the indigo throw).
• One color, in one place. Indigo appears once, on the throw. With a single deep color the room reads as calm; repeat it on a pillow if you like, but stop at two.
• Three heights. The rug and coffee table sit low, the sofa sits in the middle, and the floor plant, the pendant and the wall baskets carry the eye up. Rooms that feel flat usually lack that top layer.
• Space between pieces. Seven pieces is deliberate. Leave the floor visible around the rug and at least a hand’s width between the wall baskets so each one reads as an object.

Styling notes

Hang the pendant low over the coffee table rather than in the middle of the ceiling; the patterned shadow is the reason to own it. Group the wall baskets in an odd number and keep the largest slightly off center. If the room gets little sun, choose a plant that tolerates low light and let the basket do the decorative work.

A note on textiles

Adire is Yoruba resist-dyed indigo cloth from southwest Nigeria. The throw in this list is inspired by that tradition and labeled that way. When we can list an artisan-made adire piece and name its maker, we will.

Before you buy

• Loveseat width and seat depth against your wall and walkway; leave about 30 inches to walk past it.
• Rug size: the front legs of the loveseat should sit on it.
• Pendant drop and hardware: check whether it is a plug-in or a hardwired fixture, and whether your lease allows the change.
• Coffee table height close to the sofa seat height.

We sort pieces into budget tiers by the listing price when we research them. Prices and availability change daily; the price that applies is the one Amazon shows when you check out.