Living Room Redo

I finally got new flooring!

Gone are the days of wall to wall carpeting, which in my house...a house of 3 children and 5 dogs spells: Spills, Dirt, Dog Hair and Marked Disasters.

It has been a process as I went along. I began some time ago with the paint.

A huge and inexpensive room changer.

Next up, my floors.

Quite pricey, but worth every single dime and every single thing we went without to save for.
I feel as if I am living in a new home.
I came just short of rolling around naked on them. :)

I have picked up pieces here and there, from garage sale picks to family discards and I like the way things have come together.

Come with me on a little tour?

I must say one of my style inspirations is my cousin Becky. Her home reflects her life. Things she loves. It's her family story. I wanted that for my home too. Truly personal, not cookie cutter things easily found in Kirklands. Things that reflect my family, our history, our story.

And so we go along...and you notice...

Still have the same old leather sofa. Not the best look option, but my husband refuses to part with this one for its comfort and ease to clean. He is right and I will agree to his win while the kids are still accident prone.

The end tables flanking the sofa are both little treasures. One was found at a yard sale (left) and the one on the right I had made. You will probably remember it. I will give you a better view of it in a moment.

The artwork is actually some of my photographs. I had the children decide what ones to put up. I narrowed the choices down to 12 landmarks that meant something to our family. They chose these two:

The one on the left is the pier at Venice Beach, Florida...."Sharky's Pier". My husband and oldest son lived in Sarasota many years ago (before the arrival of children 2 &3). We used to drive the 20 minutes to Venice and hunt for the prehistoric shark's teeth. Last March we took our other 2 children there to take part in the memories we hold so dear. They loved it too. Thus the reason for the pier underside pilings.
The other print on the right is of the historic Sloss Furnace. Birmingham (where I was born and raised) is known for it's iron industry of long ago. Sloss is an integral part of that history. Sloss also reminds me of my late Uncle Freddy, who had a love and fascination of the Sloss, which also sparked a respect in me and in turn my children.
I am so proud of those prints. The are very large 30 " x 36" and I had them printed at Staples Office Supply for just $4.99. I did this by asking for an engineer's print. The photograph is printed in B&W that way, no matter what and it is on a cheap paper. But it is under glass and I don't feel I have lost in $$ if I decide to replace them every other year.

Here is one end of my living room.
My friend, "Sweetness" has quite a way with decorating. She moved the very special table that my cousin Becky gave me from upstairs on the landing to in the living room so I can enjoy it every day. She grouped some family photographs, a lamp and plant atop.



The chair on the left was a recent find at TJ Maxx. The cross, a gift from my son. I made the sheet music wreath.

This corner of the room has a backers rack for a few knickknacks, the chair on the right is one I got from a friend (I added a slipcover via JC Penny) and a piece of custom commissioned artwork that I picked up at a yard sale of a dear friend. I paid $10 for it, she shared with me that bc it is an original she paid hundreds for it. I felt bad for payig so little, but she said it had a price tag on it and if it were me or another paying customer the price would be the same. I was delighted.

In a old soda box I keep my family photo albums.
My friend Charnita made me this gorgeous photo frame. She custom makes them and sells them. You can order one too. She saw the frame at Rosemary Beach for $40, and made the same thing she sells for $25. They come in different sizes and you can customize the color. Of course I went with my favorite color of turquoise.

A pair of bookshelves flank the fireplace.

The rug (photo below) on the side of the leather chair, ignore. That is for puppy comfort. :)

Miley would like for you to see the rug I picked up at TJ MAXX for $100.00!

Candle sticks found while thrifting on a circular wooden board, found same way.

 

The oar is my maternal grandfathers. He had quite a sense of humor, thus the painted statement on the oar.

Here is the table I had made with my beachy, nature, and rosiary treasures...

My computer area

My great grandfather made this bookcase I use for storing more beachy and birding treasures.

 

The sign that hangs on the cabinet I got at a store in Helena that went out of business. It cost $3 and I LOVE the message.

 

I love my new space. Hope you enjoyed sharing it with me too.