The Updated Living Room

I love to paint.  It's relaxing for me.  This is one trait I definitely get from my mother.  We joke that she doesn't let the paint dry before she's redoing a room...again.  In fact, I'm pretty positive that my parents have lost square footage in their house because of the amount of painting she's done over those 27 years. I'm obviously her daughter.

Paint is the easiest way to transform a room.  And it makes me feel a little better about the house I'm living in.  Maybe it's a form of cleanliness.  Like the previous owners skin cells are all over the walls, and this is my way of cleaning up the joint.  And so, I can't live in a house with walls that aren't freshly painted.  Even if the color doesn't change, I just need that freshness.

The last time I updated on our progress, we had just finished painting the ceilings.  I left off with plastic covering the windows, doors and floors.  The plastic-look was growing on us so we lived with it a few more days as we finished up painting the walls.

Rather than just show you a slew of rooms that have been painted neutral colors (spoiler alert)...or white (as Justin would say).  I'll just fast forward to what each room looks like today.

Let's take a little trip down Living Room lane.  First we started with this:

We removed the window seat, had the floors refinished, and sprayed the ceilings white.  And then it looked like this for a few days while we got our paint thang on.

We shoved some furniture in the room to make it look like a home.  A home fresh with dusty footsteps from other plastic-covered rooms.

And now, with some paint, rugs, décor leaning against the wall, and furniture it's looking a little more like home.  (I just realized that I didn't style the pillows on my couch...don't judge me).

I wish I could say that I had a meticulously laid out plan for paint colors and hues.  With this house it has come down to this… It’s our day to paint the (insert room here), but we can’t do that with out paint.  So…I’m just going to pick a paint color from my handy little Benjamin Moore paint swatch book and we’re going to get this job done.

The last house had a cool neutral palette…because that’s what I love.  I change my mind monthly weekly on the house décor and I can easily switch up my style with a few pillow covers and frames.  So I’m not one to spring for a bright hue.  I stay safe.  And the safe zone is what Justin would call hues of “white and tan.”   

I promised we would try something different in this house.  But old habits die hard and I like what I like.  And that’s warm, chocolate-y hardwood floors and light, creamy walls. 

I opted for Revere Pewter in the living room.  It's a nice neutral with gray and beige (and I swear it's mauve-y in the day light).  I like the color.  I don't love it.  But it's done. 

As for the furniture, 90% of it is from our our last house.  It just has a whole lot more room to breathe.  Here's a little look back...

Last house:

 

This house:

The fireplace surround got a coat of primer and paint.  This fireplace needed to be the showstopper in this room.  For many reasons, but mostly, I'm just so excited that I finally have a real, working fireplace that it will be the center of my home.  And where you'll find me on any chilly night.

We haven't done too much shopping for the new house.  I'm going to be picky about new furniture purchases, so I'll only purchase something when it fits the bill of exactly what I'm imagining. 

Overall, I've purchased two new items for the living room.  Including this sofa table (which I got for 50% off thanks to a great sale, and a little damaged-item markdown):

I also bought the synthetic jute rug from DecorSteals.com.  A daily sale website that I scope out every now and then.  We opted for a synthetic rug that is easy to wash.  We can take this guy outside and hose him off - which will come in handy with dogs and future possible kiddos.  The cowhide (not easy to wash) is just something I've always wanted.  Yes, it's real.  No, I'm not an animal activist.  Obviously. 

*The cowhide was a Christmas gift (from Justin's family) that I saved to use for this house.  I'm completely, over-the-top in love with it.  I'm not sorry if you don't agree.  The lamps are from here and were our housewarming gift from my parents (we had them on our wedding registry).  We have some pretty awesome parents, right?!

Okay, okay.  I bought that terrarium too (from Potterybarn Outlet on CLEARANCE!!).  But it will be used for our wedding so I'm not counting it in the house budget ;)

It's AH-MAZ-ING what paint (and furniture) can do.

This room isn't done. Well, let's be honest... a room is never REALLY complete as long as I'm living here.  We are planning to add drapes (which are the same drapes from my last house - I excluded them on the purchase agreement), replace trim (it's still purple-y and driving me crazy), hang décor on the walls, and install crown molding down the road.

Our plan with this house extends to every nook and cranny.  We don’t have a timeline.  It will be completed at our leisure.  So if we get home from work and just want to watch a movie, we’re going to do that.  And if Justin is working the game and I’m here alone, maybe I’ll spackle (some forty-thousand) drywall holes, or maybe I’ll just visit the outdoor mall (that’s dangerously close to our house). 

It’s kinda liberating not to have a timeline.  When discussing our plans for this house, we decided not to put a date of completion on anything because we can live here comfortably (for most projects on our list).  At least we have a lovely room to relax in while I stare down the purple trim. 

Mary