You guys... why does it take so long to set up a friggin house? I mean, it's mostly set up. There's not a room that isn't livable yet, except for our spare bedroom. We have been piling all the extra stuff in there, and the spare bed is still not put together and leaning against the wall.
It just feels so much better when a house is all clean and setup. Like, curtains hung, photos framed and hung, etc. That way, you can sweep, vacuum and walk through the house feeling a sense of done-ness.
This move has been so different than any of our others. Our first move was an apartment. Our second move was a townhouse that needed no work at all. This house has been a little problematic. We had our furnace go out, electrical issues, all the appliances were pretty much broken or dying, and we had to paint over that awful black and purple bedroom.
And... we haven't even gotten to updating the basement yet which is pretty much a cabin. HA...ugh.
The good news is, our living room is all set, except anything hanging on the walls. Walking in there and seeing a set up room instead of chaos or things left undone makes me really happy. In fact, I'm sitting in this room right now while I write this.
Curtains & Area Rug: Target | Pattern Rug: TJ Maxx | Plantstand, Paper Lamp, Sofa & Bookcases: IKEA | Nailhead Chairs: Found On Street | Pillows: Ross, TJ Maxx, DIY
One of the things I absolutely have to have in the rooms in my house are things that make it cozy. When I see drafty minimalist rooms with all hard surfaces, it just seems so cold and uncomfortable. This room has hard bamboo floors, so the first thing I wanted to do is soften them up. They're really pretty but I need my houses to have a lot of soft surfaces!
I got this beige shag area rug from Target during one of their big fall sales for almost 50% off. The furniture came with us from our old house, except for the nailhead faux leather chairs. Those were found down the street under a pile of garbage, leaves and branches. I snatched them up, gave them a really good cleaning, and love how they look in our living room!
Another must for me in my homes is earthy bohemian colors, soft textures and patterns, and lots of plants to freshen up the space. If a home feels too modern, geometric, and neon I am completely uncomfortable and disconnected from it. As a lover of gardening, it only makes sense that I would have a strong connection to the natural world with lots of wood and other natural materials.
The curtains in my living room were a little bit of a process. I hate shopping for curtains, but Target had so many cute options, I had to try a few. I finally settled on the gray ones as pictured above. My favorite part about them is the pattern woven into them. From far away they look like a nice evenly textured gray fabric. Up close it's the white and gray diamond pattern (below right), but when they are backlit by the sun, you don't see the gray diamonds, you just see the beautiful gray weave (below left).
The last requirement is that other members of my family feel just as comfortable and cozy in the space as I do. Judging by his extremely lengthy naps, I think our cat is pretty happy with what we've done in there.
To see the progress we've made, click here and see below.
All we have left to do in here is hang things on the walls, and eventually add can lights. There are no light fixtures in this room, because it's an old house where the outlet is controlled by the switch. I hate that, so hopefully soon we can get the can lights put in, and we won't have to rely on the window and lamps for light.
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