Swapping Rooms

Well, I moved furniture today, just like I said I would, and here are the results so far.

The white slipcovered chairs and coffee table are now in the living room.

The red curtains are still up in this pic, but I did move the rugs as well as the furniture.
 (That was a big job!)

Here the red curtains are gone and I put up the white ones temporarily, but I am going to the fabric store soon and look for something that will bring in a little more blue.

Here's the angle from the other side. It's time for a new mantle, too!

And this is the family room. I took the white slipcover off the couch so the leather works better with the furniture.

I need to get onto the painting now. I didn't want to hang the curtains until that's done.

I am going to try to get the bookcases moved this weekend and at least paint the wall behind them.

(Another HUGE job!)

These two furniture pieces are still hanging out in the living room, but they don't really belong.
The green chaise is Daughter's and the chair is my next upholstery project. I'm hoping both will be gone soon!

Up All Night While Visions of Living Rooms Dance in My Head

It's 3 am and I have not slept at all.
I have too many thoughts going through my head, and they are all about decorating and moving furniture, so I might as well put them on paper, then maybe I will be able to sleep.

Life has been so busy this past year that not much has been done on this House with Potential. A few tweaks here and there, but nothing substantial. But that is about to change, because after living here for almost 3 years now, and going through some major changes with our family, the house also needs to go through some changes to make it work for our new life. 

For one thing, the bedrooms need a major overhaul. I need to be able to sleep 3 or 4 children in one room, plus give them floor space to play.

And I need a grownup guest room for some of my kids who now live far enough away to require overnight accommodations when they visit.

You have no idea the gyrations I have to go through to set this up as a double bed in the craft room!

But these changes will have to wait until summer, because I am currently storing all of my daughter's worldly possessions while she pursues her graduate degree.

This means my garage and storage shed are filled to the brim with furniture and boxes, and I need to be able to move my craft room to the garage and store some things in the shed to make these changes happen!

So, for now, I am concentrating on switching out the furniture, bookcases and accessories in the living and family rooms. You see, I have not been entirely happy with the color schemes and arrangements, but I couldn't figure out why until now, in the middle of the night. (Of course!)

This is the living room. The main color is red, with green and brown and a little yellow for accents. I love the red checked curtains and even the old slipcovers, though they could use a little refreshing.

The walls are a light coffee color with white batten and board below and I really like that too. So no repainting in this room!

The colors in the family room are mostly blue and white. The wall color is a little intense and I have been planning to paint it a sort of wheat color, but I still wanted to keep everything else blue and white,  so I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

 

I really love all the white slipcovers I have recently made.

 

 And I love the white bookcases with pale robin's egg blue beadboard backs.

But it suddenly hit me: why do I have all the white furniture in the room where people (Husband and Grandkids) hang out and watch tv and eat and lounge around? I know I can throw the slipcovers in the wash, but why not have the darker furniture in here? I know it will look good with the wheat-colored walls because I have used these colors before. And I like how the blue and white works with the coffee-colored walls of the living room. 

I know this because the color wraps into the dining room and the colors there are mostly white with some of the same pale aqua blue.

I resisted this idea at first, because it's not just a matter of moving a few chairs and tables.

 It means moving some very large bookcases, not to mention everything that's on those bookcases!

It also means a lot of repainting in the family room, not just the walls, but the armoire as well (what color that will be, I have no idea!)

So, first thing in the morning I am going to start moving furniture.

 Unless I still can't sleep.

 In which case, I might start sooner!

Finished Kitchen Island

The kitchen island is finally complete. It's almost the last piece of the puzzle that is my kitchen.

This is the original look of the island, found in an empty apartment and needing some love.

I let the grandkids start the painting process.

Then I added chicken wire to the open doors. It originally had some screen, but it was all torn and ripped up when I found it.

It took months to find the right knobs, but I finally found ones I loved at Hobby Lobby. We don't have Hobby Lobby in California, but every once in a while, I remember to check them out online and I usually find what I am looking for. I need to remember them more often!

It is a great place to store my oversize bowls.

I think it looks really cute!

Once I get a new light fixture, the kitchen will be complete (at least for a while!) and I will give you a look at the whole package!

http://www.thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2013/04/centerpiece-wednesday-and-wrap-up_24.html

Chalkboard Table

I had this mission-style desk around the house. It was my sewing table at one time.

When we moved, it somehow got taken apart and this is what it looked like. So I had Husband put it back together and decided to paint it.

It was about the time I discovered chalkboard paint and I thought this would be a good project.

It could take the place of the peninsula we had just ripped out and it would be a good place for the grandkids to sit and draw while I was in the kitchen.

It was a little big for the kitchen, however, so after a while, it moved to the Antique Mall and sold right away. I kinda miss it.

 

I think I need to find another table similar to this one and do it again!

New Life for an Old Chair

This was a pretty simple slipcover.

Here is the chair with its original green upholstery, but after I painted the dark wood arms and legs.

I used a natural linen to cover the old fabric.

Buttons on the side so it can be easily removed for cleaning.

Flirty pleats and buttons on the corners for the seat cover.

White piping and a crocheted doily for accent.

Cute chair!

Yard Sale Finds

Did some yard saling with the Husband this weekend and found some pretty great things!

Aren't these plates pretty?

A printer's drawer in great shape! I have wanted one of these for a while, so this stays at home!

This is a beautiful antique sconce.

I like this little shelf. I may keep this one around for a while too.

This table is Husband's favorite find of the day.

It's an art deco dining table.

 Solid wood, in good shape, curvy lines.

The top needs refinishing, but underneath is a hidden butterfly leaf.

Lace-Painted Table

 

My daughter painted this coffee table.

It started as a pine table that had seen better days. We found it at a yard sale.

She started by painting it a soft aqua blue.

Then she laid a piece of lace over the top and painted over that with white spray paint. Her tip: use the cheap stuff; the more expensive paint splatters.

It turned out really beautiful!
 

And it goes looks great in my family room, don't ya think?

Almost like it was meant to be!

Maybe I should keep it!
 

 http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2013/04/centerpiece-wednesday-and-wrap-up.html

 

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