Monday, August 18, 2008

Living Room - Primitive to Cottage

The following photos show how our living room has changed over the years...


This is pretty much what it looks like now, with the white painted furniture, cottage slipcovers and throws, white fireplace and hardwood floors... (I'm thinking a pale robin's egg on the walls might look good since there is so much white... Definitely something to think about...)


This was mid-way through the living room makeover. The furniture had been painted, but the fireplace was still brick. I had also painted our plywood subfloors white after we ripped up our ancient wall to wall carpeting & padding. The budget didn't allow for hardwood floors at that time, so we lived with the white painted floors for two loooooong years... Trust me when I say white floors are difficult to keep looking clean!


This was taken back in the early 90's. That's the same sofa that now sports a white slipcover... Most of the furniture was stained dark brown back then, and the wall to wall carpet was topped with a braided rug. I really like the look of the bookcases on either side of the window (being the symmetrical person that I am!). But once a TV went into the living room, the bookcases had to go into the family room.


This view shows the fireplace after being framed in and painted white (hubby didn't want me to paint the brick white, which was my first choice)...


And this is the same view from the early 90's... Some day I'll have to post photos from the 80's, during my glass, chrome, leather sofa, and arc lamp phase!

I do wish our teensy weensy living room had more walls or more square footage so that both the TV armoire and the bookcases would fit, but such are the challenges of decorating a small split entry living room!!!

Donna

19 comments:

  1. Wow, it looks great !! Doncha just love the clean feeling of white furniture ? I think a soft shade of color on the wall would complete it. Really pretty !! :)

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  2. The bookcases did look nice. But your room is very pretty anyway. I want to paint my "used brick" fireplace white, too, and then put a bookcase (white also) on either side. Every room in my house needs painting now. The summer kind of slowed me down. I don't get much done when it's really hot.

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  3. That is soo pretty. I have been in the process of the last 2 years of doing decorating more primitive style (our fashions come a bit later over here in Australia) which I do still like, but after reading your's and other's blogs, I'm being led towards vintage. It is just so pretty (I know, I've said that already.)I do like the dark blues and reds though and like to see the splash of colour as well as white. Oh, I just can't decide.

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  4. Little chickee, I think what you've done is magical, brave (for hubby to embrace it!) and gorgeous! What a man to do what you want even though he may have cringed when you told him! But you've done a fantastic job on all of it. I think the fireplace is the biggest improvement in the room. All in all an outstanding job, sweetpea......
    Smoochies,
    Connie

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  5. I love the way you framed in the fireplace, MUCH better than painted brick would have been! And you'll laugh along with me when I tell you my husband had that exact same couch when we met, and until 3 years ago when we bought our new house.

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  6. Love it! Amazing how different the same stuff can look, isn't it?

    I vote for the robin's egg blue...it sounds like it would look so fresh and highlight all the white.

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  7. Love your hardwood floors. The makeover is lovely!
    ~~Liz~~

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  8. I think a soft robin's egg blue would make all the white furniture in your living room just POP!I like white on white, but I think a little color never hurt anyone.

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  9. Hi Donna,
    Oh I like it so much better cottage style. It is so soothing. I definitely think a pale blue or a soft tan would look great and make all your white really pop.

    Hugs,
    LeAnn:)

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  10. I do so love the cottage look.... it really is amazing with the same sofa how different it looks.... very pretty...
    Hugs
    Linda

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  11. Wow, all I can say is wow. The pictures through all the phases show how MUCH you have done. It just looks amazing. Love it!
    Blessings, Debbie

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  12. LOVE the view of the long haul. I would have liked your house either way, but wow does the cottage say "c'mon in" a little more.

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  13. Wow, I love what you've done with the place. It looks so fresh and cool. Perfect for summer. You can add a cozy throw in the fall, a wreath over the matle and a delicious candle or two and voila you have another cozy look. Nice work! You really transformed the place. I love it!

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  14. How fun seeing the transition! Your home looks much better now, although back in the day, I would have loved the old version too! The white paint on the fireplace is great!

    Kady

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  15. Wow! I wouldn't have even known that was the same room.

    I just love your look now.

    You just gave me an idea. We have this ugly carpet in the bathroom. We are going to be redoing the whole room soon but I think I may rip it out and paint the floors until we get around to finally redoing the whole room.

    Oh great! Another project for me to do. Thanks! LOL

    Hugs,
    Joanne

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  16. It's so great that you took the time to photograph your room during over the years! It's also great that you were interested enough to keep changing your decorating style. I just get so locked into a certain look and have to be pulled out of it kicking and screaming! I do love the fireplace surround your hubby built! Beautiful! What fun to see the changes!

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  17. I just love watching how you have transformed your home! Can you share where you got the slipcover for the sofa? Right now I have my big earth tone club chairs draped with spreads too....(never thought about tying them off like you have here...) looks terrific!

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  18. Wow, I really love what you did with the house! It looks kind of like you're stepping into an old school romance novel, like Jane Austen or something. Lately I have actually been into vintage art print, though. Have you ever done a DIY project using vintage art yet? -Janie Graham

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