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!