New House Living Room Inspiration Board

Last night I needed a diversion from packing. Can I admit I'm already tired of it and I've only scratched the surface? I've spent most of this week in my office/studio trying to make some sense out of all the crap,  junk, supplies, treasures,  stuff that I have. I may not be at my all time "best" through this move. It's a good thing my husband is patient and longsuffering... 

So I hopped on Polyvore once he went to bed and thought I'd put together an inspiration board for the Living Room. Our "soon-to-be" house is small, folks, so nothing is going over there that isn't functional and doubles as storage. Let's just say that most of my furniture and fun stuff is destined for a very large storage unit.

The new little house has a lot of  "wood", in the form of cabinets, woodwork, trim, etc. not my favorite "white". So I'm having to go with a more masculine vibe. Maybe I can translate that into a little of my favorite, "English Country". I can't paint the walls or anything else, and frankly we'll probably only be there a year, so I'm not going to totally "decorate", but I have to feel like I have a "home". (we'll just be leasing until our house sells, then buy something permanent or build) So hubbs and I came up with a plan and we pooled our pocket change and bought a Chesterfield Sofa and Loveseat. Believe me, there is some great looking furniture out there that doesn't break the bank, and I was determined I'd find it.

So we purchased the sofa and loveseat and a couple of new lamps in a bronze tone with linen shades. I have to decide what I'm going to sell, but for now I'm justifying this purchase because all the downstairs furniture will likely be sold. (And it was our anniversary present to ourselves.) I was secretly wanting to do something different downstairs anyway, so please... be careful what you wish for.

These examples of furniture from Polyvore are just representative of what we're using. I have an old cedar chest that had a horrible finish that I painted a Country Gray, which I'm going to use as a coffee table. It's pretty rustic and not at all what you'd find in my current living room, but hey, I'm making the most of this and using or repurposing what I have. 

I have a beautiful black area rug that hopefully will work

 under the coffee table/trunk. If not I have my taupe-y one.

Then, I'm hoping to use some stacked suitcases and a few decorative tole trays and wooden boxes for end tables. I also have a really wonderful very old school desk from Atlanta that's like a tea table. It's been hidden downstairs the whole time we've lived here; I think that will work with a lamp for an end table.

Hubbs has a great leather recliner that we'll use 

and I have another chair that hopefully will fit.

I love me some leopard/cheetah print so I'm going to try to find some throw pillows, cause the pillows that came with the loveseat and sofa are not what I'm going for. 

Love that chair above, but like I said, just "representative" of what I'll be using, something that I already have. How many of you bought the "required" massive entertainment center when big screen tvs first came out? Oh yeah, we bought a doozy, but it's still pretty, and we have one large wall that needs to be filled, plus we need the storage, so we'll be using that puppy.

Every time I feel overwhelmed I take a few deep breaths and try to remember why we're doing this. Let's see...do I remember why? Oh yeah, we're downsizing so we'll be ready for retirement and whatever else that might bring. Actually, this house is adorable, and I'm super grateful that we found it. It will be perfect for us, I just need to get used to this downsizing business. 

you get the idea?

Hope you're having a great weekend, 

more snow in the forecast...brrrrrrr.

Joining in these parties this week:

 Dwellings
Mod Vintage Life
Cozy Little House
Confessions of a Plate Addict
A Stroll Thru Life
City Farmhouse
Savvy Southern Style
Craftberry Bush
Jennifer Rizzo

xoxo,

Today's Sponsors

Nostalgic Artifacts 

and 

Nostalgic Summer

Salesman Sample Bag for Fall

I've had this big brown leather bag for I don't know how long. It's always sat at the bottom of the stairway, and often it's just been something to trip over. It's pretty worn in some places, so it's been better at gathering dust and being in the way than being a focal piece.

But I  was determined to do something different downstairs for the coffee table in my little sitting area, so I decided I would try to make this work. These are often confused with doctor's bags, but these salesmen's sample bags are bigger. Doctor's bags are most always black, and have a lower profile even though they are similar.

I wedged an old book between the metal frame of the hinges and stashed in some Faux Fall flowers and bushes. That's one thing I love about Fall, you can take bits and pieces of Fall leftovers and group them together, those wonderful colors and textures are so forgiving!

That's my ceramic pumpkin from the early 80's. 

It's seen better days, but I drag it out each Fall to enjoy one more season.

My red floral sofa is now sans slipcover,

as I was tired of it looking messy. 

Better red than sloppy.

Hope you're off to a great weekend,

rainy and cool today,

The Holiday Cupboard tomorrow!

xoxo,

Today's Sponsor

French Bleu Vintage

Garden Tray for the Coffee Table...

I've been wanting to do something a little different on the coffee table for awhile. Just for a little change; something subtle and a little organic. Two years ago I painted all my furniture in the Living Room an antique white which I love, but I wanted to continue to tone down the "ornate" factor a little. I've had an antique silver tray here for awhile, but since Spring makes my thoughts go all "garden-y", I decided a tray or basket or something along those lines might be what I was looking for.

but where to find it...?

...My latest trip to Robin's Vintage Suitcase to snap some Easter goodie shots for the upcoming Spring Open House. When I photograph a store or antique space often I don't "see" it all until I'm home downloading the pics. That's what happened with this. It was right in front of me, I just didn't see it!

Last year I added this wonderful heavy linen-y burlap piece to the table top to keep things from scratching the paint finish. So... I moved my urn inside the tray and then my majolica bunny and book stack felt right at home. The tray is big, so everything else needs to be corralled inside it.

I moved an English Ivy in from the sunporch and gave it a haircut for the urn. Whatever is in here needs to be low profile, but "real". Ivy and I get along pretty well. If it has enough light it's hard for me to kill it.

Oh something else...

I brought up the RH linen pillows from downstairs,

and I like them much better here on the slipcovered chairs.

Less distraction than with the darker pillows.

It's always a work in progress...

OK, so here are some pics from The Vintage Suitcase. If you're local you'll want to put the Open House on your calendar. Robin will have a drawing for a gift certificate that you'll want to be sure and enter.

here's the tray...

Remember, you can click on the pics to enlarge them, and then click again for detail.

just gorgeous!

Open House will be April 19-21 

Friday 5-8

Saturday 10-5

Sunday 10-4

Also, the Vintage Veranda Tea Room

will be hosting an Easter Sunday Brunch.

Check Facebook for details.

(The food is fabulous, take it from me!)

I'm joining in on these weekly parties:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Treasure Hunt From My Front Porch to Yours
TTT at Stone Gable
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home
Simple and Sweet Friday at Rooted in Thyme
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Shabby Art Boutique
Craftberry Bush
Jennifer Rizzo

The snow is melting and the sun is out...

Oh Happy Day,

Pumpkin Urn with Bittersweet

I've been on the hunt for the perfect white Pumpkin and some Bittersweet, and finally tracked down those elusive little berries yesterday at a local nursery. Wow, these are expensive little berries, and why haven't the manufacturers of  "all things faux" not come up with a version that looks real?

Now having my Bittersweet, I was able to decorate my Pottery Barn Urn on the coffee table. I put this Frenchy faux grain sack on the coffee table this Spring, to bring a little "rustic luxe" into the mix. Love that tagline...Rustic Luxe. Helps tone down the over-the-top white foo foo.

Also keeps the coffee table clutter from scratching the paint finish.

I don't know if I can keep the Bittersweet here, as I just read where it's toxic to our feline friends. OK, where's the faux stuff when you need it?

At least it looks pretty for the moment...

(This was the urns Summer look)

...cause look who's lurking?

"The Nibbler"

Linking up with:

Mod Vintage Life for Mod Mix Monday
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
The Polohouse for Favorites on the First
Tweak it Tuesday at Cozy Little House
Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Finding Fall with FOLK Magazine
Make it Pretty Monday at the Dedicated House
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours
Open House Party at No Minimalist Here
Sweet and Simple Fridays at Rooted in Thyme
Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Stuff and Nonsense
The Charm of Home
At the Picket Fence
French Country Cottage
2805
Shabby Art Boutique
Jennifer Rizzo

Hope you're having a great week,