Give Your Living Room an Obama Feel With These Neutral Tones

The Obamas may no longer be the occupants of the White House (sniffle), but we still can’t help but admire their style. So we took comfort in scrolling through our eternal First Lady’s timeline and admiring her positive posts, including this Instagram post from April 2023 of her knitting in what looks like her living room.

And while the post, which has received over 365,000 likes, speaks of the joy she finds in this creative hobby, we can’t help but drool over the beautiful space she’s sitting in.

Mrs. Obama proves that when it comes to decorating your home, less can be more. But redecorating may not be in your budget. If you’re looking to transform your living room into a stylish, neutral Obama-inspired oasis without breaking the bank, we’ve got you covered.

Clear the clutter

Even if you have the best decor, clutter can detract from the overall aesthetic of your decor. Adding a storage unit is a great way to hide away toys, puzzles, blankets, and other items that make your living room look messy when they’re lying around.

We like it three-door storage cabinet ($129.99) from Amazon that comes with adjustable shelves to store your stuff.

You can also use baskets with lids like We found these at H&M ($74.99) to minimize living room clutter.

Add interesting accessories

One of the benefits of starting with neutral furniture, wall colors, and window treatments is that it gives you plenty of opportunities to play with accessories. Don’t be afraid to bring in pops of color and other textures with vases, throw pillows, and sculptures.

These Pearl effect buttons ($14.90 for 2-pack) from Zara will add style to any door or cabinet in the room.

You can make your neutral window treatments pop by adding an interesting curtain rod. We live for it. brass sunrise rod ($38) from Opalhouse™ designed with Jungalow™ at Target.

Bring the outside in

Plants and flowers are great accessories that bring life and color to any room. Use decorative vases and planters to add style to your space.

This Set of modern round metal indoor flower pots ($97.99) from Wayfair makes a bold statement in a neutral color.

It’s true, living plants and flowers require a bit of work on your part to maintain. But if you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry. Spend a little more on something you don’t need to water, like this one artificial orchid arrangement ($140) from Afloral. They create beautiful, realistic floral arrangements that will last much longer.

Play with a patterned rug

Rugs are one of our favorite ways to add warmth and personality to a room. And if you’re sticking with a neutral palette, you’re in luck. Light-colored rugs can help make a room feel larger.

This Ansley Moroccan Tassel and Trellis Rug ($194.99) from Target may be gray, but the trellis pattern makes it anything but boring.

THE Anchise striped rug ($105.99) from Wayfair is another great neutral option with lots of texture and plenty of style.

Add color with accent furniture

A neutral color palette doesn’t mean everything has to be gray and beige. Take advantage of opportunities to use accent chairs, tables, and other furniture to bring color into the room.

Whether you want to read, knit or take a nap, you’ll look great doing it in the Abisko Lounge Chair ($899) of the item – a bold velvet accent chair.