Monday, December 15, 2014

An Update that was Worth the Wait


A couple of years ago, I completed my living room makeover. But, there was one area I hoped to eventually improve…





I loved the audubon prints and blue and white vases, but the mirror and storage cubes were only used because they fit my budget at the time. I already had the mirror, and the storage cubes were a Target bargain. But, I always envisioned replacing them with something better.



Well, today I finally have it the way I hoped it would be...





I found the chinoiserie bamboo mirror this past summer at an antique mall in Tennessee. It was a total score at $80! I've seen similar going for upwards of $900.


The Target cubes got a facelift with new upholstery.






The geometric fabric was left over from my dining room chairs, and I chose a turquoise velvet fabric for the lids. I also had my upholsterer put better nailhead trim along the edge. The original nailheads were pretty cheap looking.






I'm so happy with the way this little vignette turned out.





I'd say it was worth the wait!



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Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Client Project: Living Room Reveal


Happy December! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I enjoyed time with my family, and got started on my Christmas decorating. I was also able to clean my house and get caught up on laundry this weekend, so I'm feeling much more organized than usual. (That should last for at least a day!)


While I'm in organization mode, let's start this month off with a finished project, shall we?

My client recently moved into a new home with her husband and 4 kids. Between working and shuttling kids to various activities, decorating was never a top priority. But, my client wanted to treat herself to a pretty room where she could come home and relax.

This is her living room right after moving day. The front door opens right into this room, so it needed to make a better first impression.




Luckily, the room was equipped with good bones... beautiful hardwood floors, a large window and nice moldings.

Three things had to stay… a recently purchased brown loveseat, a media cabinet, and the wall color. I tried to use the existing rug, but it didn't work with the loveseat, so it moved to another room.

Here's another before shot looking in the other direction. This is the loveseat (along with another of my client's rugs that didn't make the cut) ...






And here's the "after"...









Some pretty West Elm pillows and a throw brighten up the dark loveseat and add color and texture.







The one big purchase for the room were the West Elm Everett chairs. I love the midcentury lines of the chairs, and they have a subtle cross weave pattern that is very attractive.






The rug and seagrass accent table are from Target.


Although my client wouldn't change the wall color, I did convince her to let me do some painting around the fireplace.


As you can see in this before photo, there was so much gold that the fireplace didn't really feel defined. And the black granite looked so harsh next to the gold.

Side note: All I can think of when I look at black and gold is the basketball uniform I wore in elementary school. We were a bunch of Catholic school girls, and those uniforms made us look like thugs!







A little white paint around the fireplace and behind the bookshelves made this area really pop! (And it broke up the black and gold combo). It's now my favorite feature of the room.





















The only new item in this vignette is the bird print…






My client had the console table and lamp, and I found that adorable woven bench in her storage room!
















I'm really pleased with how this room turned out.  It proves that you don't have to break the bank to have a pretty room. With just a couple of key purchases and some accessories, this room is ready to welcome guests!

Have a great day!


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