Before and After: Living Room Edition

BEFORE

AFTER

The first project I want to feature is our living room. I am so proud of how this room turned out- We didn't do a ton of work to the room, but it still feels like we made the most of a really awkwardly layed out room size. The room is loooooong and narrow, and has doorways and passthroughs and windows in some weird spots. Since my husband didn't love my sweetly put suggestion that I needed unlimited money to buy whateva I wanted for my long skinny room, I had to improvise. And by improvise, I mean use the junk I already had. He's so annoyingly right. Sigh.

All that to say, furniature placement was a bit of a challenge. Even though this room is "done", I still obsess think about ways to make the furnituare arrangement flow better.

Mooooving along. When we moved in, we lucked out-- we LOVED the color the room was painted, so we didn't have to change the paint. The paint color is "Toffee Crunch" by Behr...I never would have picked something so dark, but I am really glad we decided to stick with it, because it's very warm and cozy feeling.

The only other major changes we made in this room were the lighting, the floors and the fireplace. We had the floors professionally refinished and they turned out beautifully. The fireplace project I will save for another post- but we just did some small tweaks to brigthen it up and freshen up the 1970's motif it was sporting before.

Aw, look. Boaz kept following me around messing up my pictures My picture taking helper.

BEFORE

AFTER

My favorite things about this room are the contrasting patterns. I love the floral curtains with the crazy animal stripe on the chair, and the plush plaid feel of the rug.... The husband in the chair entranced by his favorite toy is also a nice feature. :)

BEFORE

AFTER

Another HUGE difference was the lighting.

For a long time, we had only the 2 side lamps and the 2 small lamps on the mantle. Needless to say, peeps, it was a dark, dark time for us. Literally. It was really dark in there. We had 4 can lights installed, and it had transformed the living room. We had them installed professionally, because while I ridiculously overestimate my abilities at do it yourself projects like to be optimistic about my home improvement skillz, I'm not crazy. Where electricity/possible electrocution and cutting/possile falling through the ceiling is concerned, I call in the pros.

Seriously, the dog found his way into every. single. picture. What a diva.