One of my resolutions this year was a last minute addition.... we visited the home of a friend over the holiday season and there was a great sense of calm in their home. It was in the way they hosted, the strength of their marriage, but also in the decor. There were intentional empty spaces on the wall, a soft candle, unity in color, and warmth all around. I just loved it. Then, I cam home and saw pictures all over the walls, bright colors everywhere, and felt such a difference. I love our home- we have a 4 year old, so it will be busy. But, I decided that I would spend some time and a little money creating a calmer living space.
Looking back, here is my living room before and with a few updates last year and here is my new calmer living room.
We bought new couches last year from IKEA and bought them in charcoal grey. The slipcover began peeling almost immediately and IKEA happily exchanged them. I went with a light khaki color in hopes that they wouldn't peel. So far, so good!
The green chairs were a garage sale find- in perfect condition! I hope to slipcover them in the next year to something neutral, but with a little print. I don't love the green, but loved the price and the extra seating. I have always wanted two matching chairs with a small table in the living room!
We moved the rug that was in the living room into the guest bedroom and sold our big red ottoman on Craigslist. I bought the brown and white runner on super clearance at Crate & Barrel and the wicker ottoman from Target that it opens up to hold blankets. I ordered this rug in a larger size, so I can't wait to add that to the space. It'll fill the floor perfectly!
The black bookcase was cleared of extra knick knacks and now holds Abby's favorite games and my big ivy. I removed all of the art work that filled this wall- just wait until you see where it is now! I placed our newest family photo on the wall and left the space around it blank.
I am loving the new line of peach, lime/yellow, green and teal at Target. I bought this lampshade to replace the large red ticking stripe one on the bar in my kitchen. I removed all of the heavy black picture frames and kept a light ivory frame on the bar. My overall goal is that your eye just moves around the room as opposed to having competing places to look.
The biggest change in this room has to be the wall behind the TV. I had it painted red to match my formal dining room two years ago. I love red, but as I was moving to a more neutral space, the red just wasn't working for me. I took my new Olin rug from Crate & Barrel to Home Depot with me and bought a great brown, Joshua's Tree by Behr. It was the perfect calm brown I needed for behind the TV.
At the same time, I decided that the candlesticks were too heavy in black, so I painted them with Annie Sloan chalk paint in Cream and then applied dark wax to them. I love how they turned out- exactly as I had envisioned!
The only real red I kept in the space is my large American flag. It had been in the dining room, but I wanted to change things up, so I moved it above the mantel. I like the rustic-ness it gives my space. My husband said that in looking around our house, we love America and Jesus. I can live with that!
My chaise lounge is my favorite place to be! I added a khaki and blue plaid blanket and my favorite ivory sweater blanket to the chair. You can just curl up in this space by the fireplace and watch TV, read, snuggle with a little girl!
I just love spending time in here!
