What’s wrong with this picture? Can you see the two things that bug me about it? Haha! You may see a lot of things that bother you about it that I’m not even aware of, and I don’t need to be aware of them either, because in my obsessed decorator’s thinking I will stew on them and go sleepless over them and maybe even decide to change things up again.
Ughhhh!!! The thoughts of a former perfectionist sometimes creep in and try to take me captive!
The formal living room in our new house is pretty well put together but it probably won’t be exactly like I want it to be for awhile longer either because I have other priorities to tackle.
Like our formal dining room, which you can see across the hall from the living room. It is still partially stripped of wallpaper and has a whole dining room set that’s waiting for attention. Since we want to reach new heights in hospitality (Hospitality part one and part two can be seen HERE and HERE) in our new home, that is the first priority.
So let me give you a tour of what we have done in here so far. This is my Craigslist velvet couch. Custom made and only a year old when I found it.
This is the view looking from the den into the living room and I think the BIGGEST thing that bothers me about this room is most evident here. Have you guessed what it is yet? (By the way, if you haven’t seen the den reveal yet you can take a peek right HERE)
Most of the furniture in this room was either given to me or thrifted. Only the rug (Catherine by Ballard Designs) and the two end tables (Leilani from Hayneedle) were purchased new, and on sale, after we moved in.
These two chairs belonged to my mother. I had them recovered from pink velvet to a more modern pattern in gold and black.
Here’s a little thrifted table we found in an antique mall in Anderson, SC. I say thrifted because you can’t get buys like this on new furniture!
This desk also belonged to my mom and I love keeping my note cards and pretty writing supplies here.
We found two of these little chairs on Craigslist. I will eventually recover them but for now the color is perfect for the space!
This was one of my father’s first woodworking projects after he retired. Each of us girls got something he made and I’m thankful to have this reminder of him.
I chose a rug with muted colors for this room. It has a lot of greys and taupes and also seafoam green and gold accents.
That brings me to the first big thing that bothers me about this room. Even though the rug has gold accents in it, the yellow walls just don’t feel right to me. I would really prefer to paint the walls a more neutral “greige” type color. The yellow makes the room bright and cheery but this color, Sandstone Cove, is still light enough, and has enough yellow undertones in it that it will continue to be bright. This color will also make our entire downstairs entertaining space flow more smoothly from room to room. If you look at the entryway above it is already a similar color and eventually the den and the dining room will be as well.
The second thing that bothers me? After the walls are painted the whole room will be more neutral in color. That’s the idea, right? But as much as I love all of the beautiful neutral rooms I see on design blogs, I crave color. I want to use some of my favorite colors as accents. The pretty aquamarine color in this fishing float (also one of the colors in the rug) and some brighter peacock blue like the color in this pillow.
So that’s it for now. It sure does take a long time to settle into a new and completely different type of home than I’ve had before.
Next up, I have a couple of Valentine’s Day posts for you (Shabby Flannel Rosettes and a Chocolate/Raspberry Valentine’s Dessert) before I share my Living Room Part Two. I’ve already been shopping my house for added pops of color and I’ll also be sharing some of the close up details of this room. I DO hope you’ll come back again.
Blessings,
As a reminder, Farragoz’s Art of Patina is giving away a FREE online painting course to one of my lucky readers. For complete details (with pictures) on the course you can link back to my post HERE. Then sign up below. The more boxes you check the more chances you have of winning! By entering this giveaway you are confirming that you are 18 years or over. Void where prohibited. The contest will run through February 20th and the winner will be announced when all of the numbers are tallied!
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VMG206, TuesdaysAtOurHome,
Patti, as I read your post I was admiring the treasures from your mother. They are such pretty pieces and will always be unique and special to your home. However, I kept thinking that a touch of color would really add some sparkle. Then I got to the finish and saw that beautiful Peacock blue. That’s such a fabulous color and will look beautiful any way that you choose to use it.
I absolutely love those two colors your looking at. Esp the peacock blue… Love it. I noticed shells and start fish on your coffee table… Ohhh the love of the ocean color in that room!!
Your living room looks beautiful ! We’d love to have you come share your blog posts at the Home Matters Linky Party! Come for a visit, the Door OPENS Friday. http://lifewithlorelai.com/ 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Your living room is beautiful Patti and I love your cart, it was one of the first items I saw in your room along with your Mom’s lovely desk. Your dad was very talented! I think your new paint colour will only make your room that much prettier. Looking forward to the next new reveal.
Your room is beautiful, Patti. I like the paint color you have chosen and the addition of aqua marine and peacock blue will be wonderful. Adding these colors with pillows and accessories will add a pop of color to the room. Moving into a new home can be challenging….I know from experience. We have a wall coming down and the kitchen being updated all at once.
Hugs,
Sherry
It takes time when you’ve moved into a new place to get it to your liking, Patti. I’m sure you’ll get it just how you want it. It’s also a great time to try something new in decorating. That’s what I did when we moved three years ago. My “style” is still there, I just toned down some of the color I had going on in our old house. I had a lot of yellow in our old house. Now I am enjoying more neutrals and being able to bring in different colors as I feel I want them.
Patti,
Oh, dear friend, what a beautiful home you have!!!
I adore your ‘Craig’s List’ velvet couch!!!
I, too am making some more neutral decisions in my home decor palette;
however, I’m still using ‘POPs’ of color as accents!!!
“Mr. Ed” and I used a neutral SW paint titled Sandbar in our Entry Hall
and we’re now considering bringing it into the Dining and Living Rooms
as all these spaces flow together. One day it is a gorgeous khaki hue, the next a soft grey!!!
Like you. . .I’m ready to say good~bye to yellow walls!!!
I think your color palette will be “perfect” for your new Southern Home filled with Hospitality!!!
I’ll be watching for updates and reveals!!!
Wish me luck. . .”Mr. Ed” and I are going rug shopping today!!!
Fondly,
Pat
Oh, your living room is so beautiful. I love the colors and how you’ve arranged the furniture too Your rug is gorgeous! I could sit in there for a long time just enjoying your pretty space.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;I
Looking good! I love Greige! Thanks for joining Home Sweet Home!
Love the sroeies behind the furniture, etc adn how you have pulled them all togehter. Settling in a new home takes so much time and sometimes trial and error. I get it about the yellow. It is a hard color to get just right. Under my LR sage green is a soft yellow. Pretty color but not for our LR. The greys you are considering seem perfect. If you don’t do this I highly recomend the extra effort and expense buying samples. That’s how we got the perfect color in our bed room. I think I used about 5 samples! I just painted my DR and it is the wrong blue. Should have followed my own advice! Next project to fix that! Visiting from Cathy’s Home & Garden Thursday. Have a good day. Linda
Beautiful!! What a lovely room to sit and read or entertain in. You’ve done so well, Patti! I have to tell you … I like your existing color. I’ve always been a fan of pale butter cream… so it looks great to me. I understand if you wish to tweak your walls… but surely it’s a project you can put off for a while (unless it drives you crazy!).
Thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful projects with us at Project Inspire{d}!! It’s always so fun to have creative you partying here. [[hugs]]
Patti, I don’t mind the color, but you have to go with your gut. My entire home upstiars (except for the bit of painting we’ve done here and there is that type of sandalwood color and I’m wanting change. lol! Mainly because they painted all of the trim tan and I so want white! Thinking I’ll hold off for a few more years when we replace the family room carpet and then go for it. lol! I would love the pops of aqua, but then I’m a color girl! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
I think everything look beautiful as it is! You have a gorgeous home!
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Oh My! I just purchased the Catherine Rug. Since my husband (a contractor) and I are remodeling our entire house from ceiling color to flooring, I am trying to find the right neutral color from the Catherine rug to paint the great room, kitchen and breakfast nook. Did you decide on a wall color? Thanks for your time!
~Marian
Oh Marian, you are going to love your rug! I painted my room a color that I’ve been living with but don’t love. I actually have a stager friend, who happens to be an expert with color, coming over next week to help me choose colors for every room in my house! Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams tends to be her favorite gray but I think I might like to take the blue green color from the rug and lighten it a shade or two. I will be sure to post our choices. 🙂