As the name of my blog indicates, I spend a lot of time thinking about home. Of course, my Heavenly Home is the one that is eternal, so that’s where I need to lay up my treasures, and that’s the one I’m striving for. But in the meantime, I have been given this tiny piece of the here-and-now—this home on the edge of town, this family, this neighborhood—in which to serve Him. And, though this is in the earthly realm, I want the things that happen here to be investments in the Heavenly realm.




Thursday, March 19, 2015

Changes in the Living Room


photo by Bekah


Since the end of summer, changes to the living room have been in the works. 

It is extremely rare for us to change so many things in such a short time. Typically, we change up a bit here and a bit there, collecting, gathering, piecing together over time. Hey, we're the people who took fourteen years to remodel The Farmhouse! (Someday, I should share a few stories. One involves a reptile. ~shudder~) 

But back to the living room. 

Part of my dream for the living room was to lighten it up. It's a small room, and it's on the northeast side of the house so it doesn't get a lot of natural light after mid-morning. Although I loved my furniture, the colors were dark (black and barn red) and the sofa was a bit too large for the space. When I removed the rug one afternoon on a whim, the room looked so much lighter and brighter and I knew I was on the right track.

My beloved red chair was getting worn. As I dreamed of a replacement, I decided that my dream included a recliner. Yes, after years of traditional wing chairs and foot stools, I was ready to spend my evenings in a comfy recliner. So I filed that thought away for the future.

Then I learned that my friend Kim was considering selling her sofa...and the ball started rolling! The future was now! 

We bought, we sold, we gave away, we shopped the house, and we inherited. And before Christmas, it looked like a different room!




Here is the sofa that got the ball rolling. In my 36 years of homemaking and six living room sofas (seven if you count the fact that one was reupholstered), this is The One. One night as I sat admiring the new sofa, I told Kati that I had reached Sofa Nirvana. She laughed at my choice of terms, but she knew what I meant. It is exactly what I want. Style, fabric, color, size.

photo by Bekah


The sofa pushed me to go for the recliner. It is a treat to kick back in the evenings in such a comfy chair. And it's still a wing chair. Win-win! (Thank you, Hudson's General Store!)




We replaced Ron's black leather recliner with a brown leather recliner. Same chair, different color. This color is more of a "neutral" and will go with anything. It should last a lifetime. 



This trunk was the only item that I specifically requested from my Aunt Lynn's estate. She had it in every place that she lived, in her bedroom as a TV stand, and it says "Lynn" to me. I think it makes a fine coffee table.




Of course, you know what happens when you change even one piece in a room. It starts a chain reaction, doesn't it? Once the new furniture was in place, my red checked curtains looked too bold. They were stealing the show. But that was an easy fix. I just swapped the small navy checks from the dining room and put the red checks in there.

photo by Bekah


I added a couple of inexpensive accents. A pineapple chair pad picked up on our visit to Lancaster County and a wool appliqued pillow I purchased with some Christmas money. I found some tan upholstery fabric on clearance and covered some large feather pillows. (I actually like the sofa better without those large pillows, but they add comfort for the sofa-sitters.)

photo by Bekah



There you have it...some whirlwind decorating!! A lot done in a short period of time, for sure. But we've had thirty-some years to hone our style, many of our choices were bargains (some free!), and I think that many of the changes will be long term.



What's next? Funny you should ask. :)

Also from my Aunt Lynn's house, I was given a Queen Ann highboy...something like this:

I know that it isn't my typical style, but I am toying with the idea of painting and distressing it (does that make anyone cringe?) to make it more primitive. I think it will be black, although that will certainly not lighten/brighten the room. It may also be too large and imposing in my small space. If I like how it turns out and how it looks in the room, I will put it where this cabinet is now. If I don't, then I may move it up to my bedroom. 



Lastly, I am on the lookout for an Oriental rug. The one that is currently in the living room is one that was snagged from the dining room, but it's not quite what I want. I have looked at a blue million rugs, both online and in stores. Design and price are factors. It may be a while.

I'll end this way-too-long post about a topic that is not all that important in the grand scheme of things (but I do love house-y things!) with a few views of the before and after. I suppose if you're still reading that you love house-y things too. :)




Do you dream of changes or do you like for things to stay the same? Have you ever had a house-y "chain reaction"?  


Linking this week to The Scoop!

17 comments:

  1. I love the changes...I do dream of change but seem to never get around to it

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  2. Cheryl, your home is looking even more beautiful, if that is possible. I love your new sofa--such a lovely fabric and fits into your style so lovely. The trunk you inherited is just perfect. Your new chairs look so comfy and handsome. As far as the high boy goes, since I love traditional furniture, I would have a hard time painting it. I'm sure whatever color you choose will be perfect for your home. One thing always leads to another when decorating, doesn't it? I do love changes in our home, but seem to always go back to my same traditional style. I just love what you have done! ♥

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  3. You've selected my favorite color - blue! The room turned out beautifully. I am in the market for a couch - one like you have would be great--at a bargain price, please. When we got rid of our last one, I thought having all chairs would be OK - but what I forgot was the couch was my place to get nightly foot rubs. Oh, how I miss them!

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  4. I love your new couch! Blue is always my favorite and the scale and shape of yours works so well in your room. Such a cozy place to hang out with family and friends. I do like changing things up, too.

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  5. I love the room now and I loved it before. You can create a cozy, beautiful room in many different ways. Is the new sofa comfortable? It looks very attractive and I really like the pattern. As for painting the highboy, I will trust you... =) Say, did you check out the latch on your trunk? I am pretty sure that it was made in Connecticut in the 1880s.

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  6. It all looks so great, Cheryl. How fun! I really like how it all came together so well. You have a knack, that is for sure. I don't cringe at all about painting that high boy because when you said black I could picture it and it would look perfect. Can't wait to see it.

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  7. Things in my house tend to stay the same. I am a minimalist and "stuff" makes me feel uneasy, so when things get put in a place that doesn't drive me bonkers, I tend to leave it. But I do love beautifully decorated homes, and your changes certainly seem to have lightened things up a bit... but then again I never thought it looked dark. As long as it didn't lose the cozy feel!

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  8. I'm cringing at the highboy being painted. Yikes! I have one almost identical, and absolutely love it! It's a great classic piece.

    Your living room is very cozy!

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  9. Love the changes. It looks great. I'm always up for a change at my house even if it's just switching one piece of furniture or a chair, or a mantle display. YOUR new recliner looks comfy!

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  10. Any room that says to me, "come on in and sit awhile is so good." And your 'new look' certainly does this.

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  11. Beautiful!!! I LOVE your style. Looking around my living room right now ..... you've got me thinking.

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  12. Well not sure if there is anything I enjoy more then a "house" post, unless maybe a grandkid one, lol. I LOVE your livingroom. Both the before and the after. I love the wing back chairs that are also recliners. Soo good. And the new couch is just a stun. We need new family room furniture BADLY. Our couches are going on 14 years old now and they are starting to look it. Not sure what I want. The ones I have may not LOOK as nice anymore, but they are STILL sooo comfortable they are hard to beat. I LOVE your floors too. Ok, guess that's it. Enjoy your week-end!

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  13. Love the new look and that new sofa is fabulous! You really put things together nicely. That high boy is a wonderful piece of furniture. I look forward to see what you do with it.

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  14. Your home is lovely - so welcoming and cozy. Thanks for the inspiration! :)

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  15. I love what you've done. Subtle changes but they really make the room different! Couch nirvana! Love that. I don't think I've ever had it - maybe one day!

    Your home is warm and welcoming, just like you!

    Love you
    Deanna

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  16. I love the new look..... very serene and inviting.

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