Have you ever noticed how one thing leads to another? That's how the living room makeover began. A friend at one of my decorating boards posted about a great sale on a set of three framed bird prints at Pottery Barn. That was shortly before Christmas. I went to Pottery Barn online, fell in love with the prints and ordered them, right then and there. While I was there I ordered two small unframed bird prints. The snowball started rolling, growing in momentum with each minute!I reluctantly set the prints aside, while we prepared for Christmas and our Merry Christmas Road Trip. The prints were always in the back of my mind, as I day dreamed my way through Christmas and our vacation. I could hardly wait to put all the Christmas decorations away, so I could begin the great January living room makeover of 2008!
Of course, I knew there would be more involved than just hanging those prints on one of the living room walls. How much fun would that be! I began the redo this week. I pulled things from other rooms and played with accessories. Our first move was the wine cabinet from the dining room to the living room. I pulled a chair from the master bath and took pictures from the walls in our room. Tables and chairs were moved here and there. I was in a re-arrange frenzy! All the while the prints that started it all remained leaning against a wall. Finally, I was ready to decide an arrangement for them. I knew they would go above the paisley sofa, I just hadn't figured out how I wanted them arranged. I placed the prints on the floor and moved them this way and that. Alas, I decided I needed one more. I remembered seeing just what I needed at the Osage Beach Marshalls. I thought perhaps I might find it at a nearby Home Goods and I did.
I added a couple of new chairs beside the round table and a bench/coffee table. January Sales are great!! Wednesday, I assembled everything. Something was not quite right. It was the rug! I knew it just didn't fit into this new scheme, dreamed up because of three bird prints! We dragged a black bound seagrass rug in from the hearth room. No, that was not the right look. I asked advice from my decorating board friends and looked on e-bay, where I thought I might find a lovely handknotted rug, from my favorite rug seller. I'm still deciding about the rug. This afternoon, we pulled a beige bound seagrass rug from the studio. It's a little frayed around the binding, but I knew it would give me a pretty good visual for comparison. I do like the beige binding but I'm not sure about the size, which is 8x10. Perhaps I need a larger rug. I know a smaller one would not be right. I'll live with this "borrowed" rug for a few days.
I like the direction this room has taken. And it would not have happened if my friend Karin, at the board, had not mentioned the Pottery Barn prints!
The three prints on the bottom are from Pottery Barn. These are what started everything! The smaller prints above, also from PB, were unframed. I found mats and frames at Michaels. The center print is from Home Goods.
The wine cabinet, moved from the dining room. Here you see a bit of the darker rug, I want to replace.
Look for more living room updates in the weeks to come. There will be a few changes to the foyer. After those updates, I will begin working on the master bedroom. I have an idea or two about that room, that include the dark rug from the living room. The snowball just keeps rolling and rolling!
**EDIT: Suzanne at Pear Tree Primitives is celebrating her 100th post, with beautiful gifts. Stop by and leave a comment, to be added to the drawing.