Living Room To-Do List, January 2015

Back in 2011 when I first bought my house, I could barely afford it. So there certainly wasn’t a lot of spare change to buy dream items for any room of the house. Fortunately though, I practically had a house’s worthy of free furniture at my disposal. Anytime my parents upgraded or replaced a piece of furniture in their house, they stored the old stuff in the big garage at our office. So I went “shopping” to make something work for my house.

Most everything in my house was used except for the Ikea bed frame and headboard I bought for $100. Just the frame and headboard. The mattresses were leftovers, too.

Then when I moved back in after the completed renovation in 2012, my parents were gracious enough to buy me a few things for the final “beauty” shots in the First Time Homeowner series, like a writing desk for my otherwise empty “office” and this chair:

Now I’m at a place where I can slowly replace my used, that-will-do-for-now pieces with furniture that coordinates and that I actually get to pick out! And I’m starting with our living room!

I am no designer or decorator. But I’m making it my goal over the next few months to give my living room a facelift of sorts that other home enthusiasts can swoon over on Pinterest.

Here she is in her current state, circa 2015.

This good ole family couch can be found in pictures dating back to 1991. So that makes it 24 years old. Besides the dated plaid pattern and colors, it was sagging in the middle. I remedied it with a piece of thin scrap plywood placed under the cushions to hold it over.

And the plaid was easily covered with a stretchy slipcover I bought on sale back in 2011.

I’ve always wanted a mirrored dresser. But with most of them way out of my price range, I never had high hopes of owning one. But when I saw the one currently in my living room for half off the regular price, I snatched it up like nobody’s business! It was originally in my guest room, but made its way out to the living room. I’ve probably had it for close to 2 years now.

That little blue chair mentioned above is the catalyst for a whole living room makeover/redesign/upgrade. I thought it seemed a little lonely over in the corner by itself, so I asked Santa for a second blue chair for Christmas. He (but really a she-my mom) obliged. But they both can’t sit in that corner. Plus one time when we had a poker game in our living room, we temporarily moved the mirrored dresser into that corner and I loved it!

So in addition to moving the mirrored dresser more permanently to the corner, here’s what else I’ve got planned for our little home’s entry room:

• Rearrange to create more of a traditional living room, i.e. chairs across from couch
• Purchase new couch, I’m thinking a tan one like this one
• Paint walls a creamy gray or other color that compliments a tan couch and my drapes
• Change trim paint to a more stark white instead of the current gray-white
• Buy or change out end tables next to couch and for in between new blue chairs
• Buy a new lamp or two for above end tables since there’s no overhead lighting
• Find and install some real sconces above the couch where we have candle sconces now
• Build a metal & wood coffee table from my old cedar tree like this one made from driftwood
• Move my yarn chandeliers to a more centered position in the room
• Add simple trim around the windows similar to this
• Update wall hangings once furniture position is established

Just in general, I’m hoping to make the room look more intentional and purposeful in its style.

But it’ll take a while to get there! I’ll be updating you on my progress as I go along. And I’ll also be working on other small projects for other rooms in the house, too. So you can still stick around even if decorating living rooms isn’t your forte! Please, please feel free to comment with any ideas or suggestions in the comments below. I read them all!

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea