Showing posts with label rug. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rug. Show all posts

Friday, June 2, 2017

Summer Change-ups in the Living Room

Hi Friends, can you honestly believe that it's June? It's officially Summer, and I just got my container plants for the porch and patio done this last week! Someone asked me not long ago why I don't show my Living Room more often here on the blog, and I said that it's because things never change up in here very much. Basically all I did for "Summer" was to replace my sofa pillows and add the new white and chippy wicker Demi-John I found a few weeks ago. 




Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Cozy Winter Living Room

January is all about warm and cozy for me. Find a comfy spot and snuggle up with a blanket and a  cup of hot tea or cocoa and a good book. Part of my January routine is to make things visually cozy and warm so that means I bring out the fuzzy stuff. Leopard print pillows and my leopard print throw for my chair and ottoman are basics. I like to focus on neutrals and textures here in the living room, and then using the leopard print as my little touch of fun.



Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Rugs, mirrors, shutters and more...

Hey Everyone...

things have been a little hectic around the new house this last week. Lot's of things going on, but not much that's interesting to share here on the blog. Cabinets were re-installed in the laundry, finished up the painting in the kitchen, painted the entire 3 car garage in one weekend (whew), carpet cleaning,...that kind of fun stuff...nothing very "pretty".




But I did want to share a quick couple of photos of the new Living Room rug "unrolled" temporarily, just to get an idea of how it will look. This is the 9x12 something. I also bought it in a smaller size for the Dining Room, and a runner for the main hallway. I spent lots of time searching the web for rugs, and found several that were contenders. I knew that it would be a pricey purchase, that's another reason I wanted to be sure of the colors. Trying to re pack this rug and return it would have been a real task. It's so heavy I can't even tug it around.





I wanted wool, and that's what these are. The quality is beautiful, and they are thick and look very well made. I found them on Overstock, which is a great source for rugs. I had originally wanted to go with a lighter color rug, but the more I thought about trying to match colors, fabrics and wall paint, the more paranoid I became. So this has a little of the neutrals, some grays, and some browns and gold along with the black. The black picks up the dark bronze metals, and I think the rug will "ground" the open space and pull it all together with the sofas and chairs. 


So, you know I have been complaining about the tv niches above the fireplace. This house is 10 years old, so it's right in they heyday of "lets make a cave above the fireplaces for our honkin' tvs to live". Yes, I've had a lot of angst over them to say the least. We discussed covering it up with sheetrock or cabinetry, but in the end I would only have had about 5 inches of mantel to decorate, as the mantel recesses in the middle. There would barely be room for a mirror or framed piece, let alone any seasonal decor or candles. It's hard to tell just how big this is, but I'm 5 foot even and the top of the mantel is several inches above my head.




A few weeks ago we found this Ethan Allen beveled mirror on consignment at Relics here in Springfield, and even though it's not what I envisioned, (all gilt and scrolly) I think it will compliment the larger wood finished pieces we will have going in here. Plus, it totally filled up the "hole" and has an arched piece on top that will match the shape of our tv armoire. We have it secured onto 2x4's attached to the back of the wall. I didn't want it sliding out if a door slammed, so I think it's pretty much there to stay for awhile. 



This week the old landscaping is being removed and the new is going in. I worked with our handy man/landscaper yesterday on placement of the shrubs, so hopefully it will get finished this week. The dead tree was cut down, so now we have to wait for the stump to be ground and a new maple put in.
The newly built shutters are up. (just what I wanted) They are bigger than the old ones by several inches, so they look more size appropriate. The door and shutters are Iron Mountain by Benjamin Moore. Love the color, it's just a nice charcoal gray. 


("before", with old shutters, shrubs, and green front door)




This isn't a good pic, but shows the color pretty well. It really picks up the grays of the brick. I'm super happy with how it turned out. So now I'm itching to get this done so some mums and pumpkins can be added. I've held off because of all the outside work being done, but I've about reached my limit of restraint in the Fall Decor Dept. I've been whiney each time I see a house with pumpkins on the porch. Poor Hubbs he just doesn't "get" my deepseated Fall Decor gene.




OK, that's about it for the update this week. Now that we can "officially" call it Fall, I hope you're having a great week and that you're enjoying all the fun of "Fallifying" your homes. I'll get there...

Be watching for a fun Give Away coming soon...

Joining in on these weekly parties:

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
Show and Share at Coastal Charm
The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

xoxo,

Thursday, August 28, 2014

We have the keys...

...to the new house.
 yay!

Now the work starts. 

Amazing how once you get the keys, the rooms become smaller, you see all the spots on the carpet, and the woodwork and trim change color. (Plus, because the yard wasn't watered we now have a sad dead maple tree to take out and replace...insert mad and unhappy face) We're glad we don't have a deadline on moving in as there are several things that need to be done ahead of time. That's one of the things about a move that make it so stressful; trying to move all your own stuff in before things can be cleaned. We always try to leave a house in better condition than when we moved in. I don't want the new owners of my old home badmouthing me because I didn't clean out the fridge, wipe down the cupboards, or sweep the floors. (just a few of the yucky things to clean up)




Immediately after signing papers, we started slapping sample paint on the walls, I didn't think any of my first three samples would work because they were too light. Then I went back to the store and bought 2 more samples...too dark. Then I tried mixing samples...still too dark. So the way it looks now the Smokey Taupe from Benjamin Moore will probably be the winner. I had a wide range of grays and the grays with a hint of blue just didn't work at all. The woodwork has a touch of "sand" color, so the Smokey Taupe works, giving contrast but not too much. It also doesn't play up the color of the woodwork, which I wish were more of a true white or off white.


This will be a working weekend for painting. I'll be doing the cutting in, and Hubbs will be rolling. He's not fond of the painting process, but we're going to try to get a little done in the bedrooms/soon to be offices since our handy guy can't start till next week. I'm itching to see the change in the spaces with paint. I have an area rug on order that I'm not sure about...lot's of gray in it, so I want the paint up before it's delivered so I can make a decision.



I'm in love with this rug from Haverty's, but I don't know if it will match all my "stuff". (the leopard print pillows are a must-stay) We'll see... they also have one in brown which may work better.



Here are pics of the new sofa and loveseat at the lease house this Spring.










Gosh, looking at these pics, maybe I just need to stick with the black. The rug I'm using now is too small, and I wanted a lighter look at the new house because of the lighter hardwoods. But here's another Haverty's option...




Now, I'm really confused...

Ok that's it for now, just keeping you posted on all the fun!
Have a great Labor Day Weekend.
I'll be checking in with the progress...

joining in at these parties:

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage
Treasure Hunt at From My Front Porch to Yours
Home Sweet Home at the Charm of Home


Sunday, February 9, 2014

A New Look for the new Living Room

I've been looking forward to sharing this new living room space with you at the new house. I've taken photos several different times in here, but the light hasn't been "right", and to top it off, I left my tripod at the other house. But I decided to just show them anyway. This house is just darker because of the wall color, so photos just aren't as easy.



But I do love how it's come together and that it's cozy and comfortable. When we knew we were leasing this house we decided to buy a new sofa and loveseat. They're not the most expensive, but I really love the new look. I'm sort of fickle with furniture, I get restless for a new look long before they wear out. What I love one year, I'm often over, five years down the road. But I DO, and always have, loved a Chesterfield Sofa. We found these at the Ashley Home Store. The fact that they are classic styling and a neutral color will make it easy to change things up. I wanted a more casual look at this house, with a more masculine vibe. After all, hubby has to hang out here and feel like he can relax.



These shots show the wrinkles that are starting to ease out. They had been wrapped in plastic and sitting in a warehouse for weeks, I'm sure. I couldn't use my other sofas and white furniture here...they are just too big, and the white furniture looked bad with these sofas. The white just looks "dirty"next to these walls.


I couldn't have picked a better color if I'd designed these sofas myself. It's a nice taupe/beige/gray in a looser weave, almost looks like a linen-y burlap. At the showroom it looked lighter with all the bright lights glaring down on it, but when it was delivered it was darker. Fine with me, I prefer the darker colored fabric.




I didn't have a coffee table that was the right color or size, so I painted an old cedar chest that had the most horrendous finish on it. I painted it before I knew what color the sofa and loveseat were, but it turned out a pretty good match. The finish is a coat of Old White ASCP, the taupe from our bedroom walls, and a little wash of some gray paint I snagged in a Valspar paint sample pot at Lowe's. I did a stain glaze and liquid poly on top. It received some "extra" distressing during the move.



I had this gray washed wood tray on my coffee table in the other Living Room, which adds to a rustic look.



My good black rug from the lower level family area works I think, it's a nice contrast, and pulls the black in the lamps and pillows together. Miss Jenkins approves.


The arched window above the loveseat was becoming a cat perch so it needed something to deter "bad cat" behavior. Looks sort of cluttered, but it does the trick. You can see the kitchen through the arched pass through. A little of the Entry is shown here. There's not much to it; I'll share that a little later. (I tweaked my little white dresser)


Gray washed wicker basket with a galvanized tray from Pottery Barn.



We are short on space in here, so I had to improvise with this little accent table from the other Living Room. It had been white, but got the taupe paint on top, like the cedar chest. We bought 2 bronzed lamps from Lamps Plus on a 2-fer special. I liked that they matched the legs on the sofas and the rest of the hardware throughout the house.





Southern exposure almost drowns out hubby's leather recliner.






Here's the Inspiration Board I created on Polyvore right after Christmas. I kept pretty close to the plan, and it worked to help me see how to bring all the different elements together.



I knew before I even found the sofas, that I wanted to use leopard print pillows as accents. I found these at Pottery Barn. They even feel like real fur...meow.


I've always loved Charles Faudree's designs, where he used animal prints often. So I felt I had approval for the leopard print pillows on these sofas.



I think my Restoration Hardware pillows that were downstairs
 work well with the leopard print.




I'm keeping prints, paintings, and wall decor to a minimum, so just a few things are up.  This old print from the '40's matched the color scheme in here.



I had this little wing back traditional chair in our master bedroom. It had been reupholstered with two complimentary fabrics which I love, and just matches the rest of the room. I didn't have room for a table so this little floor lamp with a shelf from WalMart filled the bill. Since we have dinner in here with a tray on our laps it works for juggling a glass. WalMart...who knew... Miss Wrigley is waiting to lounge on the fuzzy blanket on top of the ottoman, which is usually here.



I debated on whether or not to show these last couple of photos. It's just part of renting a house. Like most houses there are things we'd like to change, except with a leased home you usually don't get to make those changes, like you would if you were buying. Case in point, the black marble fireplace which is in the corner has a piece of wallboard at the top, creating a functional place to have a tv or mirror or art. Only problem, someone painted what a 5 year old might consider a faux marble accent. My valiant attempts at convincing the landlord that it would be much better with a coat of the wall color, fell on deaf ears. This will be the one and only time you see it. I stressed about it for days and although we have an idea or two how to make it disappear, for the time being a large painting and some faux ivy will have to do. I'm not sure what looks worse, the yucky faux marble or the yucky faux ivy... The mantel may stay bare, I don't want to draw attention to it.

Maybe if I make the photo real small you won't see how bad it is...
the good news is the gas log part works great and really warms the room.


And another issue is the monster flat screen tv, I really dislike an uncovered tv. Call me picky, but it has never worked for me. The large entertainment center we had planned on using didn't fit, so we were left trying to come up with a quick replacement. At least the monster entertainment center would have camouflaged it somewhat. An old "Partner's Desk" that my husband used downstairs has had to work. Be sure to notice all the wires and cords underneath...such a great look. I guess more yucky faux ivy could be stuffed in there to hide it.


OK, there you have it, the good, the bad, and the extremely ugly. I'm really not complaining, I'm so glad to have this house to get away from all the work that's going on at the big house. They're tearing out kitchen stuff this week, so I wouldn't want to be living there. This place may be small with some quirks, but it's also clean and cozy. This weekend the Dining Room is the deal...packing upteen million dishes. Hope you have a great weekend!


joining in on these parties:
Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
The Scoop at Cedarhill Farm
Inspire Me at A Stroll Thru Life
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Gallery at City Farmhouse
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

                                                                
xoxo,

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