At the start of a new year, I always like to wrap up old business while simultaneously beginning new things. Which simply means I pretty much never finish what I start😉 Today's post is all about that; a room project I fully intended on wrapping up last year and well, I did get started on some things, I didn't get very far. So here we are, trying again! This room I so speak of is our living room.
Here's what it looks like presently (Note: Aside from the coffee table, I didn't style any of this before photographing, so just know this is a room that's been in limbo!)
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
In addition, I was provided a discount by Plush Rugs in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.
To recap, we moved into this home in the summer of 2014. There were some rooms that got attention right away; Little B's nursery and the playroom (Do you see what's wrong with this picture?! My kids get all the nice spaces!) and there were rooms like this that have clearly been ignored for way too long. Which is sad because this is personally one of my favorite rooms in the house.
Actually up until Christmas, we didn't even have anything on the walls! Early last spring, I did happen to finally cover the bandaid color that had been haunting us from the previous owners (went with Honeymilk from Valspar). Other than paint, the second thing I did manage to do last year was to pick out a rug from Plush Rugs. We intend on getting hardwood in here eventually (actually had a guy lined up to install the floors 2 years ago and had to cancel!) so in the meantime, I needed to cover these old carpets pronto!
I decided on the Blue rug and I've been having a love affair with it ever since it took up real estate in our home. Buying rugs online makes me really nervous (who wants to have to package up and return a hundred pound rug that they hate?!)BUT I have to say the stock photos on Plush Rug's website were pretty darn accurate of what it looks like in real life. The color is absolutely beautiful, almost like a soft steel blue. As soon as we unrolled it and laid it down, the room instantly lightened up. I'm pretty sure I did the Carlton. It was like a whole new room just by changing up one thing!
I like to incorporate a little pattern into my home via rugs and throw pillows but I'm not one for super, super bold designs and this pattern fit the bill. It's subtle but yet still eye-catching when you walk into the room. Overall, it rated as one of my top favorite home purchases last year! Next to crock pot liners that is (seriously, are those not the best invention ever?!)
I've been especially pleased with how the rug has held up (I don't let anyone eat in here, so that helps with stains!), not to mention that Plush Rugs was super easy to work with; both their website and customer service. Trust me, we all could use "easy" in our lives nowadays.
Now let's chat about what I envision this room to look like in the near future!
My biggest goal is to just make this room feel cozy and inviting. Aside from the dining room, it's the first room visitors see when they enter the house. With that being said, we don't have a tv or toys in this room, nor do I plan on changing that. You know who uses this room the most? Me! This is where I blog from (currently sitting here now!), peruse the internet obsessively for thin gold floating frames, and when time allows, dive into a good book.
It gets an awesome amount of natural light during the day and it's cut off from the chaos that is almost always unfolding in the back of the house where the kids and puppy are running amok. See why I love it now? But my point is, it doesn't need to be a super functional room or have lots of storage. Basically, I just need it to look pretty and make me comfortable!😉
So this is how I chose the right rug!
Ticking Stripe Arm Chair | Gold Frames | Clear Glass Table Lamp | Distressed Candlesticks Holders | Octagon Mirror | Blue and White Beaded Throw Pillow | Blue Ticking Striped Pillow | Blue Woven Throw |Natural Wood Coffee Table (similar round coffee table) | Wharton Blue Rug | Skirted Slipcover Couch | Light Teal Aqua Vases | Vintage Blue Books (similar)
To me, soft blues invite serenity into a room, and I love how they look with neutral tones. As I mentioned, wood floors are in this room's future, along with board and batten on the walls. It's directly across from our dining room, and so it only makes sense to match the wall treatment. Actually that's the reason this room as has been moving at a snail's pace! I was waiting to hang things until we finished the board and batten in here, but it's been almost 2 years and we still haven't knocked it off our to-do list. Womp. Womp. So I'm moving on....After all, that's what patching is for, right?
Furniture wise, I think the coffee table is staying. That's actually a thrift store makeover project I'll be sharing about soon, but it's very similar to my inspiration piece above from Pier 1. Originally, my plan was to use it in our family room but it's been sitting here temporarily and it's beginning to grow on me. I don't like that the wood is the same color of our couch BUT I'm hoping to trade this couch in for something lighter someday soon (just need to bribe the hubby!😉) I have always loved the classic look of a slip-covered couch and I really like that this one is an oatmeal-colored linen (not sure I'm brave enough to do stark white!) Light furniture makes me a little nervous with two little wildlings in the house BUT I find that our upholstered dining room chairs do just fine (because again, they're in a room the kids barely roam to). Plus, there's always good ol' Scotch Guard.
The mirror will be staying (mine was originally from Home Goods a few years back, but the one below is very similar and octagon-y-ish) BUT I'm debating sanding or painting it? Not sure if the darker wood will clash or compliment the rest of the wood furniture in the room when it's all said and done. What do you guys think?
Octagon Shaped Wood Mirror
To the right of the mirror (when facing it head on), is our new console table we just picked up after the holidays. We had stopped in our local World Market one day only to find out they were having a huge relocation sale. I had been eyeing this table for years and was so excited to see it was half off! It's called the Everett Foyer Console Table and it is the perfect size for filling in this big blank wall.
Above the console table, I'm doing a gallery wall. I actually just purchased these frames last week and hung them the other day. Can't wait to share the final design (that isonce I actually put real pictures in them!)
Over on the opposite side of the room, is where all our windows are.
SO MUCH GOLD BROWN going on over here! Blah.
I would love to add two sitting chairs here to frame the windows. I've fallen hard for this accent chair. It's a combination of some of my favorite things; ticking stripes, raw wood, and spindle legs!
I still haven't decided on window treatments but those are a MUST! I always say window treatments are to a room, like mascara is to the eyes (I know I speak so wisely). It's amazing what curtains can do for a space.
Add in a lamp, an end table or two, some pillows, and a little decor, and we'll finally have a space that doesn't look like we just moved into! Can't wait to see it all come together. As always, you can follow along on our house projects and sneak peeks over on Instagram. Hope to see you there!
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