I should mention that all the living areas in the home have large white and grey tiles except for the bedrooms, which have laminate wood floors. This keeps the house feeling light and airy. It could also make the house feel cold, but area rugs give it that warm, cozy vibe.
When we first moved in, I didn't take any pictures; I was too busy putting everything away and deciding where it all would go. It wasn't until Christmas that I took a picture of the living room to send to my sister so she could see the progress (and my tree):
Since the tree was the main focus, I didn't bother to turn on any lights other than the tree lights, so it's pretty dark, but it will give a sense of what the room looked like at the time. Here the sectional sofa is against the stairwell.
It's changed a bit since then. For spring I turned the tables so to speak. Well, actually, what I turned was the furniture arrangement:
The living room is the one room that has had the least amount of changes from the old house. All the furniture that was in my old living room is here except for the coral entryway cabinet; I gave that to my daughter, and she uses it as a coffee bar in her home. The picture above the tv in the first picture is the one that is now in my office/guest room (see my previous post). That was where I'd originally put it, but I didn't like it. It's the same shape and almost the same size as the tv set, and it looked awkward. I wanted something lighter to go above the tv, and I found this piece at Hobby Lobby for $30 (half price of course). I loved it the minute I saw it. The distressed wood frame gave it that farmhouse feel, while the scrolled metal design gave it elegance - the perfect combination! Just one tiny problem: the hanging hardware was on the wrong side. This piece was meant to hang vertically. Well, I wasn't about to let that get in my way. When I got home, I removed the hanging brackets and put them on the long side so the piece could hang horizontally. Presto! It worked beautifully.
You might also notice the three pictures above the sliding glass doors. This is where I first put them, but they seemed to disappear up there. The color of the frames was too similar to the color of the walls. Plus, they didn't go with the new Hobby Lobby piece. So I took them down and put them in the office/guest room instead. At first I figured I'd leave that wall bare, but since this house has vaulted ceilings, it looked like such a big empty space. Around this time businesses started to open; I hadn't been out decor shopping since the pandemic started. I'd heard stores were having huge sales to clear out all the old merchandise that had sat on the shelves for three months and make way for new items. Sounded like the right time to find something pretty and affordable.
I went to TJ Maxx first, knowing that Mondays is 10% off all purchases if you're 55 and over. The metal flowers are a set that I found for $14.99. With my discount I paid $13.50. They are the perfect size, shape, color, everything!
As summer got closer, I also wanted to make my home feel more like the season. Much of my home decor at the old house had fall colors: lots of gold, rust, dark greens and blues. It's lovely, and I still enjoy those pieces, but I wanted something a bit more...summery. It was time to go to Hobby Lobby and see what the clearance rack had for me.
I'd gotten this piece from Kirkland's years ago, and it was in my old living room. It's the first two verses of Psalm 23. As you can see, the colors are deep, rich fall colors, and the frame is also dark wood. I wanted to brighten this corner of the living room with something just as inspirational but also lighter, with a touch of farmhouse. Thankfully, all the spring decor was 50% off.
I love this so much! It looks like a piece of shiplap, with some twine tied to the bottom and a cotton stem cutout at the top. The verse is from Romans 8:31. The price made me very happy: $9.99. I can use this every year for spring and summer, and the other picture for fall and winter.
I've also styled my bookcases a little differently now. In the old house, the bookcases were just that: a place for books. They had my books, my daughter's books, and both my son's books. Once my oldest son moved and my daughter got married they took their books with them, and my youngest son has his books in his room, so I was able to decorate my little bookcases with more than just books:
The statue on the very top is a favorite piece I've had for many years. Back in the early 2000's I sold home and Christmas decor through a company called Kingdom Treasures. They aren't around anymore, but I've kept a few things from their collections, and this is one of them. The little planter is from TJ Maxx. The pineapple was a Christmas gift; it's a candle, and it smells just like a pineapple! I like adding picture frames and baskets to give the shelves some dimension and interest.
I did something of a mirror image with the other bookcase. This planter I found at the Target Dollar Spot for $3. The clock is new; I had a clock for years that I'd also gotten from Kingdom Treasures, but it stopped working one day. I probably could have gotten it fixed, but I decided I wanted something different, so I found this one at Hobby Lobby. I think I paid $12.50 for it.
The sectional is the same one I had in our living room at the old house, except I've "shrunk" it. There's another piece that's an armless chair and it can be put on either side of the sectional to make it a right hand or left hand sofa. I took it out and have it in another part of the house (you'll have to wait and see where). The rug, coffee table, leather chair, all came with us from the old house. I change the look up with throw pillows and blankets, and different flower arrangements in the pitchers I use as vases. The sliding glass doors lead out to the balcony, and the drapes were left by the previous owner - a blessing, because I didn't have to buy any. Over to the left is the dining room, but that's a story for another post ;-). See you then!
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