Our New Living Room

Let me take this opportunity to give a great big welcome to our new home!  I would say we are 85% settled.  Things still need to be hung on the wall, some light fixtures need to be replaced, a few more boxes and organization need to take place, and we are still waiting on the cabinet doors to our kitchen island to make their way back from the painters.  But for the most part, we are really settling in.  And then there are the constant projects, because well, I can’t imagine ever being “done.”  I think I would be completely bored if I were ever “done” decorating and creating and improving.  So, this is the beginning of the process of our new home.

Our upstairs is comprised of one giant rectangle, a modern open-concept of the living room, dining room and kitchen that was amazingly built in the 80s!  It feels huge and spacious, and we brought our furniture in and realized we could fit even more.  In time…I have ideas…

From our dining and kitchen area we can interact with our living room.

The rocking horse looks rather becoming behind the linen settee.  And he continues to be loved and rocked upon in that spot.   Eventually I envision doing another seating area back to back with the settee.  There is a good ten feet between the dining room table and settee of open space!  I can imagine some French twin chairs and a little table or buffet in between, and the chairs could be turned for extra seating if we needed more for large gatherings in the living room.

For now, the settee is graced with an afghan adorning its back, partly because I like it there, and partly to protect it from little hands that aren’t thinking about dirt or grease that they might be massaging into the furniture.  So far, I’ve already been thankful for that ingenious idea.  Afghans and quilts are easier to clean than a sofa!

You can see to the left the railings where people enter from the stairs and the blue walls from the entryway (and that light/fan is waiting to be replaced by a more French looking chandelier).

I love, love, love the old White treadle machine tucked in the corner.  I’m in love with that piece and I’m glad there is a place to put her on display!

And then there’s that tufted ottoman that still calls for attention.  I love it here as much or more as I did at the previous house.

The 1880s pump organ shows off regally as well.  (Although the shiny brass sconce above will be replaced at some point.)

The house also came with these amazing built ins!  Who doesn’t love built ins?  They were a bit overwhelming at first.  I mean that is a lot of shelves.  But I think I will have fun playing with them.  You know they won’t remain the same.  It’s like an artist’s canvas.  For now, I have a subtle vintage train theme with my husband’s grandfather’s old Lionel train set on the top shelf, and some of our train track family photos tucked into the semi-neutral space. Trains our beloved around here, with four boys and a train that runs right by our house many times every day in the summer.

And from the living room, we look into the dining room and kitchen, which we will get to in another post, as we are still waiting on cabinet doors and a chandelier to be installed above the dining table!

I also want to find an inviting, cozy, furry rug to put under the front of the settee and layer on the main rug.  All in time…

The next home post will be the kitchen reveal.  The kitchen isn’t 100% complete, but I am hugely excited with the progress.  Until, thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,

Cheryl

Sharing with:

Seeking Lavender Lane

The Reinvented Collection

Savvy Southern Style

French Country Cottage

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Sources:

Curtains – I made them, fabric from fabric.com

Tufted Ottoman – I made see link here

Brown leather furniture – Laz-y-boy from craigslist

Linen Sofa – craigslist

Throw pillows – I made them, see a link here for a tutorial

Blue Chair – I reupholstered, see link here

Side Table – from Lowes about 10 years ago, painted in milk paint see here for that post

French mirror on antique pump organ – thrifted, see here for that post

Rocking horse – thrifted find dressed up in milk paint, see here for that post

Antique White Treadle Sewing Machine – see here for that post

Berber rug – Lowes

Afghan on linen couch – Target

Boxwood wreath – Target

Silk flowers (cherry blossoms and hydrangeas) – JoAnns

Wooden tray on tufted ottoman – JoAnns, stained and treated – see here for that post