It took a few months to complete my living room make-over, but it is finally ready for sharing:
Click above to see a larger image.
My living room was previously styled in turquoise (my favorite color) but I decided a change was needed. This makeover was primarily accomplished by updating existing accessories and furniture. Come take a look at how I turned my living room/home office into a peaceful yet enjoyable place with a neutral color scheme.
Welcome to the final leg of my living room makeover: the “entertainment center.” It’s not an entertainment center unit per se, but it’s where I have all my books, my TV and electronic toys. Click on the photo to zoom in.
For a while now, I’ve passed on decorating my home for Christmas. People would try to convince me otherwise and scolded me for being a “scrooge.” It wasn’t that I despised Christmas; it just felt like pulling out all these decorations would be a waste of time. It felt like a waste of time since the season is so short (although the shopping season starts earlier each year).
This year I decided to get more into the holiday spirit. I read a lot of decorating and DIY blogs, so naturally I was coming across many articles on holiday crafts and ideas. I couldn’t help but get excited over all of it! I’m slowly working my way back into it with a tabletop Christmas tree.
These trees are a great option because they don’t take up much space and don’t require many ornaments or lights. All in all, you save a lot of money with one of these miniature evergreens. Find out what I repurposed and used to decorate this tree after the jump. Continue reading
One key component of my living room makeover was to create a new decor scheme. I’ve always liked a mishmash of decorating styles, so I came up with a fusion of mid-century modern and Moroccan decor. When a DIY folding screen project didn’t work out, I had leftover panels of wood. I used them to create customized wall art to fit into my new theme.
There were a few things I considered in making this piece. I wanted an exotic yet subtle design. I didn’t want the decor to feel overwhelming, both in creating it and in its finished state. The piece would also have to be large enough to serve as a focal point and to help visually extend the height of the room.
Check out more info on what I used to create this decor after the jump.
Love the mosaic look but hate to spend the money for glass tiles and grout? Check out a cheaper and simpler alternative I created with scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. Adding a mosaic is a clever way to customize an existing piece of furniture or accessory.
Previously, I created a piece of mosaic wall decor but have since retired this piece since it no longer matches my living room. Using this mosaic method, I gave my plain, Parsons coffee table an update along with some Rub n Buff to add a metallic vibe. Sure, buying a new coffee table would’ve been easier, but it would’ve been boring. Learn how to do it after the jump. Continue reading
People who accomplish large tasks know it’s best to tackle them one step at a time. I’ve been learning to embrace this philosophy as I redecorate my living room.
My new decor scheme is neutral with bits of color. The main colors are black and white, with some gray, silver, and teal/turquoise. I’m really digging the simplicity of this scheme and it helps create the mood I wanted: spacious, clean, serene, and modern.
Here’s a before & after shot of my home office:
And this is the before & after of my art workspace:
Because I work and paint from home, my redecorating plan also entails these workspaces. Along the way, I’ve tried different approaches to fit these spaces into my living room. Here are some tips I’ve found work best, especially in a small home.
I love most DIY projects, but I have a special fondness for those that are very simple and cheap. Another bonus with this project is you can recruit the kiddos and get them to use their brains for something creative!
The following steps are to craft your own magnets and recreate the magnetic bulletin boards from my newly decorated home office area.
I’ve been a lazy blogger lately. Part of that is due to slacking and the other part is due to working on a project: once again, I’m redecorating my living room. (Newsflash of the year, LOL). And of course, I’ve rearranged the room as I always do when the season changes.
I finally decided to make over my living room with a neutral color scheme. A neutral scheme allows me to easily update the colors with small changes like accessories whenever I decided a change was needed. I still love the turquoise & teal but they now serve as accent colors. Here’s a sneak peek into some of the changes I’ve already implemented…
Even though the wooden room divider/screen was a bust, I used the leftover pieces to paint large wall decor. I also sewed new pillow covers and am working on more. (They’ve got to be the EASIEST way to change up your decor, I swear.) Here’s a tease of the new sitting area:
Completing my kitchen’s decor has been an ongoing project for quite some time now. Originally, I was trying to figure a color scheme that would coordinate with the living room, which was first decorated with purples and magenta. That was a major toughie. As you may recall, my counters feature a retro pattern of mostly mint green squares:
I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me.
I channeled Tim Gunn’s mantra as much as possible, but just could not make it work. I think I was attempting some orange in here too. Or maybe I just didn’t care; I don’t remember. Luckily, I have photos to refresh my memory:
BEFORE 1.0
Once I restyled my living room with the turquoise transformation, it was easy to plan a coordinating color scheme for the kitchen. I continued the same scheme of blue-greens and red… However, I learned that unless done in the proper doses, bright colors can feel overwhelming. Especially in a cozy space such as my kitchen:
BEFORE 2.0
I tweaked the colors in my living room to feature green-blue, gray and less saturated aquas to tone down all the brightness. This also led me to redecorate the kitchen with a new agenda: less color and more white, which leads to a more open, airy vibe:
AFTER
Check out how I did this after the jump. Continue reading
