A Living Room Mood Edit: My Way by Venna

My Way by Venna was one of my favorite songs released last year and I recently mentioned it in this post about my experience taking pottery classes. However, I’m sharing it again to introduce a new Mood Edit series called Seeing Sounds. This series is inspired by N.E.R.D.’s album of the same name. The title and creative direction was derived from the neurological condition synesthesia. Synesthesia is when one sense is activated, while another unrelated sense is activated at the same time. For example, when someone hears a sound they sense/associate that sound with a pattern or color.

Seeing Sounds

Seeing Soungs is where I take a song I love and design a room inspired by it. So, the first room is a living room mood edit inspired by My Way by Venna. Before you jump in, watch the video and listen to the song below.

Analyzing My Way by Venna

I listened to the song really analyzing how it made me feel. The song is nostalgic, sensual, romantic, and warm.

Miles and miles away, but I’m here to stay
Girl, come my way (My way)

The first question I asked myself: What’s it like to be far away from your lover while missing them immensely? I can answer this from experience. You feel a void, but being in the space you share, makes you feel closer to them.

Let’s get into the design…

Mood Edit: Living Room Sofa Wall

I particularly imagined a moody romantic living room that’s curated and comfortable. As I began designing, I knew the Butter Sofa by Faye Toogood for Tacchini was where I would start. The sofa, upholstered in a bordeaux fabric from Dedar, is the centerpiece of the room and sits on a shaggy rug in a lighter tint enveloped by warm dusty rose lime washed walls. The lime wash walls imperfect finish parallels the nostalgia of the song. While the curves of the sofa paired with the vintage 1970s Italian lounge chairs both have a come hither vibe that lean’s into the songs sensuality.

The notes of saxophone Venna plays are smooth and unhurried just like this living room edit. Although there are precious items present, I wanted the space to still feel accessible, fun, and layered. The painting by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye called The Hours Behind You (2011) has a carefree energy. I imagine the woman in motion would get lost in the melody of the song. Additionally, My Way’s texture creates an ambiance that I desired to replicate through pattern and tactile visual interest. Hence the shag, fringe, chain links, woven patterned fabric; all intentionally chosen to represent the layered experience of the song. Another intentional choice, is the use of unlacquered brass, because the patina punctuates the wear caused by human touch over time. The disc chandelier, ceiling mounted art light, and the table lamp all feature this finish.

Another question I had to answer while designing: What is the length of the relationship Venna sings about? The answer: It isn’t new, there’s still passion and yearning. So, I wanted the color palette to represent this love without being shoddy. I purposely chose muted and deep colors so the eye doesn’t become restless as it takes in every moment.

Mood Edit: Living Room Fireplace Wall

Lastly, let’s discuss the fireplace wall which I imagine sits across from the sofa wall. The focal point is a zellige tiled fireplace and hearth outlined in a calacatta viola marble. The tile was chosen for its handcrafted and unique variation. There’s particularly something about My Way that’s understated where the music captures you first and carefully carries you to the crooning. I kept this in mind while designing the fireplace wall composition. The plum glass sconces from Blue Green Works flank a colorful abstract painting found on Chairish. This is the only place where vibrant color exists in the edit. Surprisingly, it works. It’s an unexpected playful moment and serves as a reminder of joy. The wall purposely received two different storage pieces that flank the fireplace because it is essential everything feels collected. They both have there own vibe, but work together well. Just like the couple I imagine lives here.

Overall, I believe this is an succesful edit. I’d love to hear what you think. What would you have done differently?

These types of exercises keep my design mind sharp, but they are also really fun to create. I’m already thinking about the next one!

Living Room Mood Edit Sources

Living Room

Fireplace Wall