9.29.2010

Living Room Redo: Done!

It's finally, nearly, done.  The month long+ project of painting and updating the living room can (mostly) be checked off of my to-do list.
It's been quite a challenge, taking on such a big, awkward room while parenting a 2 year old.
I still have some trim work and the stair railings to paint, but for now I'm just enjoying the room. Oh, and a bit of touch-up behind the radiators (if you look closely you can see it in the photo below).
I heart the Nikki McClure prints/posters I found here. I bought some frames at IKEA and re-cut mats for them.  I also cropped the words out of the posters--I'm just not into reading and writing on the walls.
The Mister says these prints are quintessentially me, and I'd have to agree.  Sewing and shoe hoarding, ha!  The shoes that are on the feet totally look like the pair I wear all the time in the winter.

The new curtains are also from IKEA.  Including the paint (5 gallons at $125), I spent about $300 total, which isn't bad considering that we hadn't touched this room since we moved in.  Thank the previous owners for that dirty mustard color paint.
The rug used to be in our bedroom, and before that, in the living room. It sheds a lot (wool), so when S was crawling I didn't want to have him stuffing bits of wool lint in his mouth.

Here's a few before and after shots.  First the staircase, whose transformation was quite dramatic.  I painted the risers, which really opened up the space, visually.
 
 
The color I chose for the walls was Behr's Palm Breeze (420E-2), in case you're wondering.
I added a bookshelf to the space too.  We like having our books available to us and for Soren to see that books and reading are important to us.  The bookshelf also gives us more toy storage for the room.  I'd like to find a nice area rug or playmat to put over there so Soren's little knees aren't so uncomfortable on the wood floor.
Thanks goodness that ugly rust-colored trim is gone.  The long hours spent on the ladder painting and filling the gaps with caulk were well worth it.
 
 I will absolutely NOT miss that yellow paint.
 

This is such an awkward room to arrange furniture in. It used to be two rooms, but the last owners tore down the wall in the middle of the room and combined the small dining room and living room into one. It's nice to have so much space, but there's really not a good way of arranging a large couch and loveseat. I hate to block that front window too, like we used to when the love seat was in a different spot.

There was also a vestibule/foyer in the entrance way that was torn down as well, leaving some unfinished boards in the floor.  One day we plan to refinish the hardwood floor.
We'll be replacing the windows on the first floor in the next few weeks (the windows are original to the house, built in 1903), so we're excited about being warmer this winter in the room.

Folks, I'm tired.  Anyone up for painting the playroom? I need to use up the remaining 2 gallons of paint!  I overestimated how much I'd need, especially thinking it would take 2 coats to cover the yellow.  Is it wrong to paint the same color in another room?


15 comments:

Kacie said...

love the new paint...big difference! One Idea of what to do with the paint you have left...take it to the paint store and have them add more color to it and you have a fresh new color for the toy room. Just and idea! I have been reading your blog for a long time but never posted....have a great week!

•´.¸¸.•¨¯`♥.Mrs. Cox.♥´¯¨•.¸¸.´• said...

It looks fantastic!! My gosh, I bet you're tired, but so happy with the finished result :) Good work!

Naomi said...

It looks so bright and airy, I love it! Is that a curtain on your front door?

katy said...

You did a great job! I love the color. DH painted our crown molding, which was wood stained, white. I think it took him longer to do than the walls of our living room.

Royal Ranch said...

Looks lovely! I often mix my own paints when I have leftover paint; or even use craft paint to change the tint a little bit to make a complimentary color for an attaching room.

stacythemagnificentmommy said...

what a beautiful house! the room looks great. i love the risers, would have never thought of that but it really does make it look fantastic. just a crazy safety mommy question- is that bookcase anchored? we just anchored all of our stuff recently. my 9mo old is a climber!

CanCan said...

Wow on the stairs! It looks so much brighter! I love it all, especially your paint color.
I don't think I will have the opportunity to copy you any time soon but I would totally move right in to your place and be happy there.

blueviolet said...

You worked SO hard!!!! It really looks fantastic and like a space you can be so happy and peaceful in. Great job!

TheEclecticElement said...

It looks fantastic Kathleen!! Seriously, WOW :D

I really love that color too-Very nice and calming.

Good luck with all your other renovation projects! It sounds like you guys are all gung ho. LOL

Amy Warden said...

Congratulations! What a satisfying project! I especially love how the stairs turned out! I don't know that I would have thought to do that, but it really makes a big impact. And yes, you can use the same color in another room of the house! :)

Flying Giggles and Lollipops said...

You did it! What a lot of work. I am sure it was well worth it, the room looks fantastic! Again, I love your color choice.

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