A Room For Living

We’ve tackled the dining room and the kitchen + cabinets, but the living space on our first floor has remained relatively untouched since we moved almost a year ago. It all started when I decided to look for cat-proof blinds for the space and didn’t turn up anything. In our last house, the cats systematically ruined 80% of the blinds we put up, so I didn’t want to go down that road again.

After some research, we chose faux wood plantation shutters from Home Depot.

Since they’re stock versus custom, the price point wasn’t quite as shocking. The best part? The cats don’t have any strings to gnaw on, so I figure they’ll stay in good condition for a long time. Since we knew they’d darken the room (we went with wood versus white to match the wood trim in our house), we painted the room in Revere Pewter to match the kitchen and dining room.

So, once we got all the shutters up, the living room looked . . . too mature. Something about all the wood and made it look quite dated and dark. I went on Pinterest before anything else looking for inspiration for how to mix up a room with an “oriental” rug. (I got our 9x12 lookalike on Overstock.com for less than $300.) I have no idea what I’m doing -- especially with pattern mixing -- so I needed some guidance, that’s for sure.

Here’s what I found:

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

We haven’t finished painting the walls and haven’t actually put up the curtains. But I’m liking it so far. At least I think. I’ll admit it looks a bit crazy, and there’s still work to getting it all fitting together the “right” way, whatever that means with home decor. For example, the curtains aren’t perfect. I’d prefer some in a true ikat design, but these guys were only $9.99 a panel at the Christmas Tree Shops -- why not? I’m spray painting the old brass curtain rods and hardware a rubbed bronze color, btw.

Hooray for budget makeovers!

Other plans for this room include some fireplace freshening. I’d like to paint part of it white and make the mantel chunkier somehow. Maybe some faux crown molding. Just painting the top several inches of the room white and then adding some inexpensive molding pieces for added impact. And then accessories, etc.


I’m sure the room won’t be officially “done" for quite some time due to budget, etc. -- but it’s coming a long way from its original state. I really hated those 1980s pleated curtains. The shutters are already so amazingly functional, and we’re really happy with them! I can’t wait to update with the finished look.


Happy Friday, friends!

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Friday Randomness and Giveaway

Our first floor redecorating project had been on hold for a couple months. We're happy to be back at it. I mean, what a difference some curtains make!

BEFORE:

WITH CURTAINS:


Our original plan was to hang some bright, coral-colored panels. And I had actually found exactly what I wanted at Burlington Coat Factory for $10 (great deal -- it was Waverly!). However, I think the reason it was on clearance was because "it" was an IT. As in singular; there was only one panel.

My mother-in-law and I pawed through each and every curtain in the store and couldn't find any matches.

CLOSER LOOK:


These curtains may look familiar. It's because we've had them for years. Until last weekend, they were hanging in our front entryway. You know, the one we redid a little less than two years ago?


They aren't what we had originally envisioned. Right now, though, spending $0 versus around $80-$100 that we had estimated is ideal. The front entryway has suffered as a result . . . but we have some other panels we'll eventually replace them with. Do you do the whole home decor shuffle, too? I feel like we're always borrowing things from one room and putting them in another.

Yes. We REALLY need to re-shoot our house tour.

GREAT GIVEAWAY


If you haven't checked out Meg's guest post (and tasty, simple apple pie recipe), I encourage you to do so now. Her new book -- Little Old Lady Recipes -- came out earlier this month.

I'm big on photos in cookbooks. And the photos in the book are seriously fantastic. The approach is something I've never really seen before, connecting the author of the recipe to the dish. You get a feel for these "sassy" ladies this way (and through their quotes and Meg's observations/anecdotes).

And though not all items are vegetarian, the mix of breakfasts, soups, sweets, and other meals is sure to please. Plus, the recipes are great in that they are s.i.m.p.l.e. Classics like Pigs in a Blanket, for example, can easily be adapted by making s.i.m.p.l.e substitutions.


WHAT YOU'LL WIN: 1 (one) copy of Meg Favreau's Little Old Lady Recipes. Value: $14.95.
TO ENTER: Leave a comment with the word SASSY in the mix.
IN ADDITION: Tell us something about one of YOUR favorite family recipes.
GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Friday, November 18th at 9:00PM EST
PRIZE SHIPS: USA only.
ALSO: To win, I need your email address -- so please provide it (or your blog link so I can find it -- just some way of contacting you) or, unfortunately, you cannot win.
PS: One entry per email address is allowed. The winners will be selected using Tara's Random Number Generator and announced Monday (11/21) morning. Unless I'm in labor or something :)

If you're new to the blog or interested in all-things-pregnancy, check out (never home)maker, baby! today. I've organized all our baby-related posts in one place. Yup -- It's 9 months in 1 post . . . and I can't believe how close we're getting!

Like what you just read? You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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