Living Room Redecorating: A S-L-O-W Process

(Sorry for the delay. Two no-nap days in a row kind of halts the blogging.)

Now that you've seen the living room's new gray paint color, I thought it would be fun to look back at how the room has evolved.

My friend Jennifer was asking me on Facebook how I decorate so I can change paint colors without having to change everything, so let's take a look.


Stage 1 - New homeowners make do.

The beginnings of a living room. (Circa 2003)

Here's the room in it's first stage. Before our apartment lease was even up, we'd managed to cover the previous owner's pumpkin orange with a more subtle gray-ish green (Fen from Martha's defunct line at Sherwin-Williams).

This photo was just over a year after we moved in. We'd saved some money and purchased a few pieces of furniture. Of course, if you know anything about Ikea furniture, you'll know that these are the cheapest piece you can still call a couch.(The blue chair was the actual color I chose. The other slipcover must have been in the wash.)

The matchstick blinds and wedding decor pedestals complete the "new home owner" look.



Stage 2 - More Saving, More Additions

The living room for at least 5 years. (Circa 2004-2009)

This is what the living room was settled on for quite a few years. You'll note the addition of 4 flexible coffee tables (constructed by my hubby), sequined sheers from West Elm, additional A's, new chair slipcovers (thank goodness), and a stylish hand-me-down lamp. From about 2004 until 2009, the room generally looked like this. I liked it. It was a very Zen room and aside from new furniture arrangements, I left it be.

It's not like we weren't busy. During those 5 years, we painted every other room, remodeled our bathroom, bought a new car, had a baby, installed new siding, landscaped the yard...

We were busy and the living room was good -- until those delicate white curtains begin to look a bit beige with a few cat claw tears here and there.
 


Stage 3 - New Curtains, Same Old Furniture

Living room with new curtains. (Circa 2009)

As a stay-at-home mom, I found myself often "playing" in the living room (go ahead click the link, and see Linus circa 2008). When I wasn't staring at my handsome son, I was staring at those now dingy white curtains. They had to be replaced.

I found these on major sale at PBTeen and was hyped. I was so excited, I quickly clicked buy before even thinking about length. Yep, the major sale was for the 54" curtains.

I hung them, not wanting to admit to my husband that the length was anything but intentional. They looked alright -- sort of retro, or at least that's what I told myself. And at least the cats couldn't play in them anymore.

They stuck around for quite a while thanks to top-notch quality, and I had to patiently await the perfect excuse to say bye-bye to those curtains. Enter red furniture -- the perfect excuse.

---

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of "A living room grows up." 

In the meantime, I want to know what your BIGGEST style mistake has been? Fuchsia prom dress? Pink tiled bathroom? Too-short curtains?  Let's hear it.