My living room is getting a makeover. It's not a before and not quite an after.
So it was no surprise to anyone when my gorgeous mother ~ and I do mean gorgeous ~ was not ready when the first guests arrived. Either her hair was in curlers, or her make up was not completely on, or she was in a housecoat. It got to the point where it became a running joke among our family and friends.
Of course, when she finally did come out fully dressed and coiffed, she was stunning. However, some of the wow factor was lost, since the guests had caught a glimpse of her in process. Oh don't get me wrong, she was always a wow, but instead of WOW...it was more like wow...
That's kind of how I feel about what I'm going to show you today.
You see, I have been updating my living for summer and I have decided to share a bit of the process since it's been a slow go. I have a feeling though, that when the room is finished, the super wow factor is going to be gone, since you already know what it will basically look like.
Minus a few detailed touches.
Ah well. It is what it is.
The living room has always been more of winter space to me. I think it's the fireplace. It's very large feature and it's dark. It's more fitting for ski lodge than a beach cottage, but I work around it.
In the past, I have tried to lighten up the room with pillows, but I failed miserably.
This year, I got smart and used a technique that proved very successful last year in my kitchen and family rooms.
I subtracted.
I sent the red curtains to the dry cleaner and then got busy simplifying.
The old lampshades definitely needed to go...at least for now.
After fifteen years, I wanted something a little more elegant and updated, so I picked up two that matched to flank the couch. While I was out, I stopped in to a discount curtain shop and picked up some window treatments.
But they're a problem. I wanted tab top valances again, because A) I didn't want to change my wooden rods and B) ring clips for a 2 inch wooden rod, were PRICEY. And I am cheap.
I was ecstatic when I found these at my first stop, but they were a close out. Six bucks for each valance and a pair of tiers. Usually a great price means work and these babies are no exception.
The valances over the couch are perfect. The tiers however, need to be hemmed.
And then I need to use the extra fabric and make a pair of rod pocket valances for the porch door.
None of this would be a problem, if my machine wasn't such a pill. So I have been putting it off. I have also been putting off painting this chair.
I found it in the garbage years ago, wiped it down, had cushions made and have been unhappy with the beat up finish on the wood ever since. I'd also love to update the cushions...but...that means more quality time with my sewing machine...so...yeah.
Other than that, the room will just need a few accessories. I had thought about painting it white and and ditching all the red, but then I remember how much I love it in the winter.
So I decided to stick with the majority of what I have and just make some simple swaps for summer.
It's quicker this way, so I can enjoy more time outside instead of redecorating and it's certainly much less expensive.
So there you have it, my in process living room makeover.
Not really a before, but not an after either.
I still have to comb out the curls and put on the lipstick.
And hope that you're super WOWed when I'm done.
Should I have shared my half dressed room? Do tell...
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| Simplify Your Decor |
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| Decorating Then And Now |
In a previous post about styling your bookcase, I noticed the picture of your mom during her Broadway days. She was absolutely stunning!You're right about the living room looking all cozy in the winter. Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! She really was stunning in those days and actually is still a beautiful lady at 86. And yes, I do love the room most in winter...super cozy!!
DeleteWell, Kim, You can be certain that a WOW will be coming from me. Your cottage is like that forever young woman that never seems to age. Doesn't need all the paint and foo-foo to still look young and pretty. What you have done so far has really lightened up your space and makes it feel cool and summery. Don't do anything that won't take it back to the warmness of your Christmas picture, however!!..Happy Weekend..xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Judy!! No, no big changes here. I have actually contemplated them in every room, but I still love the rooms the way they are. I guess I'm boring. Although I prefer classic! Ha! And don't worry, that red will be back in the fall. I kind of miss it already!
DeleteI have always loved your living room. It is just so darned cozy! You go with you gut and not with trends!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Thank you, Brenda! It really is a cozy room. I think it's the fireplace that does it!
Deleteand it's lovely. in any season! xo
ReplyDeleteAs are you, Tammy!! ❤️
DeleteHi Kim, your summer lighten up is beautiful. Love the valances. The chair is a gem. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am still working on it, but it's coming along!
DeleteBut dah'ling, you shouldn't have told us! Because it already looks freshened up beautifully for summer--well, maybe that valance does need to be hemmed. Otherwise, we'd have thought it was a finished, magazine ready summer room. Much as I love your look for winter, adore it even, I can see that this works better for summer.
ReplyDeleteNow your mother's party ready story is so much fun, so I'm glad you did tell us! I just love that she didn't gnash her teeth at guests catching her like that, that's real confidence! Be sure you let that rub off on you, Kim!
Ha!! Yes, I know! I should've kept the secret for the big (or not so big!!) reveal! I have finally hemmed those curtains, now that I have tamed my machine, so hopefully I will be able to share the full room, soon.
DeleteAnd yes, my mom was great that way...and sometimes I have that confidence...and sometimes not!!
Love love love it Kim. The simple change makes a big WOW! Looks very fresh and light for summer. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteKris
Thanks Kris! Bring on summer!!
DeleteVery Summery already! Love it this far...waiting for the finale!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karolyn! I am working on it. Finale is imminent! 😉
DeleteThanks for the laughs!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the comment, Sharon!!
DeleteKim, this is real!! We don't all start over each season and I appreciate that you keep it real that way. When I get things that I love, they stay with me a LONG time. That's great in my eyes. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Stacey! I find that it's so easy to get caught up in the newest changes, especially living in this land of uber fashionable blogs, but I am like you. When I find something I love, I stick. I guess that bodes well for my husband! 😉
DeleteI love the fresh new look, Kim, and I love your signature red, too. With your ;light furniture and being a whiz with curtains, you'll always have a way to change up your look. I've been playing more with pillow covers. Many easy shops make them and Hobby Lobby sells them. I just get a size that fits my existing pillows. How easy does that get?
ReplyDeleteI'm like your mom, or was, when it came to being ready for a party. I always put myself last. I'm older and smarter and I get to put that drop down oxygen mask on first!!!
Jane x
Haha! Jane, I love it! The oxygen mask...I am laughing out loud...and very true by the way!
DeleteI think your 'garbage' chair is wonderful. Have you considered painting it white? Then you print is good any time of the year. Your living room is just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSandy in Calif.
Thanks so much, Sandy! Yes, I would really like to paint it white. I am working on it. Just need to find the time, but I too think that it would look great in that color! Thanks for the comment and I'll keep you posted!!
DeleteI love the color of the new valances. It will be fun to see what you do with them. The room is so much lighter and brighter with the red valances down but come winter they will be perfect again. Perhaps it is more so the lighting, that one is an evening picture and one is a daytime picture that makes the difference. I haven't started my sewing projects either.
ReplyDeleteThe room is gets a lot of sun but for some reason, it's always a little dark in there. The lighter valances to make a difference for summer. So far, so good, but I know it'll be red again in fall. They are already cleaned and ready to go!!
DeleteOf course you should share, after all we are all friends here. I think I have more respect for bloggers and all they go through when I see their thinking and the process they go through to get there. It's there that you can see the workings of the mind and why they chose this and not that. Are ya followin me? And of course it will not take away for the WOW! So I would say take a paint brush and redo that chair. Otherwise I'll come over and help! ;)
ReplyDeleteI really need to paint that chair, Mary! Its on the list! The list...and thank you for your sweet words. I enjoy hearing about the process, too, the why behind the pretty. And I am hoping for wow...
DeleteKim, I think come summer or winter your room looks great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas, they are always appreciated.
Happy Weekend Wishes
All the best Jan
Thanks so much, Jan! I always love hearing from you!
DeleteBringing in a lighter summery ook, I think,
ReplyDeleteis a great plan . . . Looks wonderful so far and
I am sure it will be a WOW when completed.
Time to enjoy the sun and the swimming pool . . .
Happy days . . .
I am hoping for a wow, Lynne! Right now I would settle for a "done"!! haha!!
DeleteI adore "progress" even more than "before and after"! Keep it coming, Kim; I look forward to seeing and hearing from you.
ReplyDeleteRe: the monster machine; do you have a friend that sews? Ask for some help! :)
I was able to tame that machine Nancy! Well, at least this one time., so I will be showing the rest of the room soon! And thanks!!
DeleteI like the new summery look! The valances really made a difference.
ReplyDeleteThanks Melanie! And now that my machine is behaving, they are hemmed and look much better!
DeleteI love seeing the process! I love your couches, and the cottage feel of your room. I like that red pillow, too! I like to change things up around here and we have a tight budget too, so its great to see what other people do in their houses!
ReplyDeleteI think that change can be done on a budget and still look great! I think that both of our homes are proof of that!!
DeleteI love the way you summer-ized your living room, Kim. There's a totally different feel to the room, just perfect for this time of year. Not sure what else you're planning to do, but, I think it looks fabulous as is.
ReplyDeleteHappy Summer!
Thanks so much, Susan!! :)
DeleteHi, lovely as always.
ReplyDeleteDid the end table have the skirt before?
I really like that idea!
Carla
It did!! I did that a few years ago and I still love it. Thanks for noticing!!
DeleteHi Kim, oh I love the light and airy look of your room with the white window curtains. I am lazy and just leave the same curtains up. I hope you have a great summer and hope we can get some sunshine! LOL.
ReplyDeleteTake care and have a nice week.
Julie xo
I needed a bit of lighter look for summer, Julie, but this is the first time in over 10 years that I am changing out the curtains in that room.I am lazy, too!! Ha!
DeleteShe looks so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I do for the summer, put away things. I prefer that. I don't really need to change curtains here though, because the weather is always considered warm for most of the year and HOT for three or four months.
It looks really pretty, and light. I love your ceiling, but I think I've said that before.
Our kitchen door is similar. Is that a magnetic rod? Is there a reason to hang it at an angle. I ask, because I've thought of putting something there sometimes for various reasons. xoxo Su
Yes! It is a magnetic rod and nope no reason for the angle. When I pulled it down, it dangled. It's a great little rod and totally works.
DeleteLooks very summery, very inviting, very classy. I love it all! Fun to see it evolve. Hugs, Nancy
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy! I am working on it...slowly but surely!
DeleteLooks amazing, as it always does in your beautiful home!! I am not sure how this is halfway, as it looks perfect to me.....so, I'll be anxiously awaiting the next post to see how you can possibly make it better!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie! Definitely needs a bit of tweaking. And some curtain hemming for sure!!
DeleteYou are very ambitious changing things up with the seasons, something I am afraid to do! I forget what I have when I don't see it! Looks great so far. Do stay with the red though. It is the wow factor!
ReplyDeleteI forget too, AnnMarie. Once it's out of sight, it's essentially out of my mind. I don't have a ton of storage either so I only keep what I love...which includes all that red!
DeleteVery fresh and welcoming for summer! And why haven't I ever noticed the pretty skirted fabric around the end table? Love that!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! It's been there for a few years. It needed a makeover and it was fabric to the rescue!
DeleteWhat a darling story about your mother, and how you tied it into your house, quite a storyteller you are Kim! Now, I don't think any of the WOW factor will change at all... I always love how you take something simple and turn it into a WOW! I love your new curtains, they are perfect! And sewing machine woes, I do feel your pain, I had a horrible machine for years and it kept me from doing anything... a nice Brother machine I purchased at Wal-Mart has made all the difference, and I mean really! Only about 100 dollars or so... well worth it, in my opinion... and I always love the peek into your living space, it is so cozy and warm. I have a curtain issue in my bedroom, and I still haven't decided what to do about it. The sun comes up here at 3:30 in the morning in the summer! So we need blackout curtains for the summer, and valances for winter to let in the light when the sun doesn't get up until 8:00 a.m., lol. I am still trying to decide how best to handle that. I will watch your updates in the living room with interest :) Hugs!
ReplyDeleteOh Marilyn, I understand your bedroom dilemma. I have the same issue. Exactly. I have opted for pleated black out shades with no curtains for summer and in winter, I add a soft sheers to frame the windows. Form and function. I wish you luck with your own sunny windows. And 3:30...yikes! That's the darkest part of the night here. And thanks for the machine tips. I will check out Walmart...
DeleteWhen I saw your chair it reminded me of a no sew slipcover I did a few years ago. Here's the link http://foxdenrd.com/no-sew-slipcovers/
ReplyDeleteIt's still on the chair and looks just as good as when it was first done. I even did it for the cushions by the fire pit. If the back cushion is exposed it's not such a great technique, but if it's somewhat hidden, I recommend it for your chair.
xxx
I am off to check it out, Doreen! I can use all the help I can get. Thanks for thinking of me! ♡
DeleteThank you Teri for the super sweet words!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I've missed so many posts! Good God...
ReplyDeleteAnywho, I love that chair as is, but if you want to change the cushions, you could make slip covers. Yeah.... your machine... I know lol I love the room no matter what and I think it's a WOW now :)
xo
Well, the chair stays as is for now, because I have the summer lazies. Maybe in the fall, if my machine continues to behave, I'll work on it. And thank you friend. xo
Delete