Living Room Progress Report

Well, here we are again.  So much has happened in the last week-and-a half that I don't know where to start.  Mr. D decided to take a week off work and start getting ready for our room switch-er-roo but little did I know that the week would end in us ripping, well Mr. D ripping off all of the old molding in the boys' new room.  Phew, it's been a whirlwind of painting, sanding, filling and moving junk stuff from one room to another. Not only that, but Mr. D felt so enthusiastic that he wanted to get our bedroom painted too!  WOW!  I'll post more about these transformations at a later time but let's just say they have been up to three years in the making.  THREE years people.  The hilarious thing is that Mr. D up and decided that he wanted to get it ALL done in one weekend...with a toddler running around... and a pregnant wife who can't really bend in the middle anymore.  Needless to say, we pressed on and it's almost done.  Almost!  I can't wait to show the boys' room but that will have to wait for another time.  We are still waiting on some trim work to be finished. 

OC-16 Cedar Key by Benjamin Moore 

Instead, let's turn our attention to the almost forgotten living room.  This living room update has been a long couple of months in developing.  Actually, it's been almost two years in the making.  You see, we painted one singular wall of the living space a wonderful and warm colour called Cedar Key by Benjamin Moore just over two years ago before little D was born.  It was delightful and made the room start to feel just a touch brighter.  


The other three walls were the old olive, no, pea soup green.  Now, I have nothing against pea soup green but this particular shade was making our house feel like a cave. We're talking DARK people!!!  I actually like the opposite of dark in my home.  I'm a bring on the bright sun, open the curtains and turn on the lights kind of gal.  So, fast forward to last weekend and you can understand my surprise when Mr. D suggested that we paint the living room ALL Cedar Key.  I did a little happy dance inside and ran for my paintbrush.  Well, its done and it looks wonderful.  It's bright, cheery and makes our chocolate sofas pop.  It makes things that much more exciting to update because the "envelope" of the room provides a great foundation.  The carpet is another story.  We won't go there.




The picture on the left is very similar to the two chocolate coloured sofas we have in our space...minus the very interesting throw pillows.




Part of the reason why things have been dragging a little is that I've been very indecisive picking fabrics for throw pillows and the ottoman.  I'm not really sure why choosing fabrics has been a sticking point for me because fabric is a realm that I'm really comfortable with.  I think it's because there are so many great fabrics and patterns out there now that its so difficult to narrow down the choices.  I think I've narrowed it down to the fabrics I really love...for now anyway.  Here's what I'm looking at.

1.  white curtains - Ikea
2.  zigzag pillow - source unknown
3.  wide stripe pillow - Potterybarn
4.  damask fabric - fabric.com


I'm still wavering about colour but I've always loved the crispness of light silvery blue with white.  I'm also really into wide stripes because I think they add an element of fun.  I'm not sure I'm going to find the exact fabric I want to I will probably have to piece things together to make the stripes I want.  I'm still debating the fabric choice for the ottoman because little D plays there ALL the time.  Right now, the pleather is extremely easy to clean so I need to keep that in mind.  There are so many more elements but I have to pace myself.  I get so tired these days so my new "mantra" is one thing at a time.  Right now I'm shifting my focus to getting the painting and finishing done.  After that, we're back in business in the living room and those pesky curtain rods will be the first to go up! 


Until then, happy painting or fabric picking or whatever projects you are working on.  Oh, and I'd love to hear about them so drop me a line and tell me ALL about them.


Ciao!

Dreaming of Befores, Afters and Dramatic Transformations

Aren't before and after pictures so great?  I always enjoy seeing a dramatic transformation and dreaming about how I could transform my own space.  I truly wish I had more before and after photos for you of my own updating because that would mean that I was actually taking my plan from my mind's eye into reality.  The thing is, I am working on it even if it doesn't look like it.  I'm still plugging away at the living room updating things as I can.  I'm not the kind of person who buys something just because it's cheap so it will take time for everything to come together.  Right now I'm saving my pennies to buy two curtain rods, one for the window and one for the french doors.  It's tempting to take the money I've already saved and spend it on a bunch of little decorative items or to buy cheap curtain rods that will bend and warp over time.  The thing is, I know I wouldn't be happy with that and ultimately, curtains are going to change the vibe of our space.  They will instantly make our living room feel warm, cozy and inviting.  That's definitely what I want and I have to keep reminding myself of that.  Stick.To.The.Plan.  It's going to be so worth it in the end.

I already have the curtains, which I picked up from Ikea months ago.  They are plain white and while that will give a very crisp feel I would like to add a little interest.  I'm toying with the idea of adding a wide band of patterned fabric either at the top or at the bottom of each curtain panel.  The curtains also come with hidden tabs which may look great but I'm also toying with the idea of using curtain clips.  As you can see, the plan is somewhat evolving and some of the particular details will come together as I go.  Here are some possible ideas.

From West Elm (an older style that I don't think is available any more)

sorry, source unknown


from Decor pad - so beautiful

I'm not sure if I'll go with all solid fabrics or try to bring in a fun pattern.  At this point, I'm leaning toward the patterned fabric but we'll see how I feel when it comes time to actually make it happen.  There you have it.  That's where I'm at in the living room saga.  I anticipate that I'll have the rest of the pennies needed to pick up those curtain rods very soon and then I really will have some before and after photos for you.  Until then, happy decorating.

Decorating - Fall Ideas 2011

Fall is here and you know what that means!  Changing decor! YAY!  This only leaves one question...where should we start?!  The best things about fall decorating are spicy colours, warm fabrics and luxurious textures.  Here are the ingredients for a quick transformation.

warm cozy throw  +  lanterns  +  branches or other objects from nature

I've pulled items from two price points to show that anyone can add a little fall to their world.

High(er)

1.

2.

3.

1.  black lantern - Potterybarn $29-$99

2.  grey knit throw - Restoration Hardware $199-$229

3.  vase with branches - picture courtesy of Design Clique

Low(ish)

1.

2.

3.

1.  black lantern - Ikea $14.99

2.  brown knit throw - Nate Berkus for HSN $89.95

3.  branches - the back yard - free (photo courtesy of Charles & Hudson)

The fall decorating possibilities are pretty much endless.  Happy decorating!

Decorating with Picture Ledges

The final pictures for the picture ledges came together much more quickly than I thought so I wanted to share the finished results - finally!  I just love looking at photos of memorable moments and special times so I thought it would be so fun to have a wall filled with special photos.  Here's the finished product.

Each photo has a story or is connected with a special event or memory and I just love walking down memory lane.  I decided to stack two picture ledges to draw the eye upward.  That way, it makes the ceiling look taller while also providing a focal point for the room.  

Upper ledge

I used frames from the same line - Ribba frames from Ikea.  The different sizes of frames add visual interest and the same style of frames add continuity.  I debated whether to use three large frames or multiple frames on each ledge.  Larger frames would have been a more "clean" look while highlighting a few extra-special photos.  I really like the look of that type of picture ledge but I wanted to highlight more photos than just 6.  I am super thrilled with the result!  

Lower ledge

I also debated whether I wanted black & white photos or colour photos.  I developed a couple of colour photos and realized quickly that the affect would be too busy for my liking.  Picnik.com was a great resource in turning my colour photos into great black & whites!  I think the most exciting part of our new picture wall is that we can update it with new photos whenever we like!  That means I'll have flexibility and the ability to update my living room design, which is great because I like to switch things up for sure.

Happy Friday! 

Ikea Here We Come!

One of my favourite places to shop is Ikea partly because the distance from my home makes it an automatic shopping "destination" instead of a shopping "stop-in for a quick look."  Also, partly because of the sheer number of items, great and small, to look at and dream about that are within the very limited budget I'm working with. Totally LOVE that! 

Little dude and I decided that Saturday was a perfect day for a shopping trip to Ikea as there were a few items that I was hoping to pick up for various projects I want to do.  We were working on a bit of a timeline because nap time was looming so we went straight to the Marketplace, foregoing the meandering walk through all of the showrooms.  Hubs was away for the weekend so it was just me and squirt, who thoroughly loved his first experience in the child-seat of the cart. 

Oh, and by-the-way, whoever invented those shopping carts must not have taken them around the store for very long because I was a in a constant battle to keep the thing rolling straight.  Hmmm...maybe they need to look at that.  Nevertheless, we found all of the goodies on the list and a cute little mat for the kitchen to boot!  Here is a pic of most of my finds.

The picture rail, at the top of the photo, is for another project that I'll show in the coming weeks but I'm super excited about adding it to my decor!  Also, I just love love the price - $14.99.  Totally do-able! 

I have a window and french doors in my living room so I bought the white curtains to see if they would work in my space.  TOTALLY do!  They have a linen texture without the linen wrinkles or linen price.  I love love them!  I just need to go back and pick up another pair.  I've got a fun project in mind for them too but I'm still on the hunt for one last part so it may be a bit before it's done. 

The picture frame is one of my favourites EVER!  Ikea is genius in that they have a line of frames in white, black or silver in many different sizes that all coordinate.  I really like seeing mismatched frames on the wall but the organized side of me finds matching frames so peaceful and appealing.  Also, hubs prefers matching frames as well so Ikea's the place for us!  I can't wait to show you what I have cooked up for the picture frame.  Soon enough, soon enough. 

Oh, and who can resist Ikea's 100 tea lights for $3.99?  Totally in my budget!!  All in all, it was a very successful trip and I am SO looking forward to adding some homey-ness to our home!  Why didn't I do this sooner?

Where do you find tried-and-true items for your home?

..... one more thing... just because he is SO adorable (if I do say so myself), here is little dude in his first Ikea shopping cart EVER!  He was so proud!  The blurry feet show just how excited he was!  Oh, and their handy-dandy waist strap fit snuggly around even my skinny-minny dude.  Totally love that!