Living Room Update (and a late peek at my Christmas decor)

A few weeks before Christmas, I saw an add on the Facebook Marketplace for two matching coral couches with a chinoiserie-type floral print on them, and they were free on the curb about 40 minutes away from me! I loved them immediately, and dragged my dad with me to go get them (he has a truck–and probably regrets that decision as I’m always begging him to help me schlepp things). Someone else came and took one of them before we got there, but the remaining couch was so pretty in person and in such great shape that I had to take it.

I had a plan to keep our living room neutral, but I’m a firm believer in slow decorating and taking design opportunities as they come (at least in my own home). That way, you can leave opportunities open to bring home unexpected treasures (my favorite thing).

That being said, I’m not quite sure I’m going to keep it. I really love a calming atmosphere in my home, and right now I feel like there is way too much print (with the dining room wallpaper and kitchen floors, which I will show soon!). For now, I’m going to wait, decorate some more as we finish the other bookcase in the room, and see how I like it without all the Christmas decor (which I finally took down yesterday!).

I wanted to share my hesitations about this because — isn’t that how decorating goes in a normal person’s home? Things are not always perfect (unless you have a large budget and decorate it start to finish all at once). And, if you love to experiment with decor (hi, me), you are going to change your mind as you figure out which styles you love to live with and which styles you just enjoy creating (in other people’s homes!).

Here is a little update of how the living room looked the week after Christmas.

As you can see, the living room looks a lot different than when I last posted an update! One bookcase is totally finished and part of the crown molding is up, and all of the painting is finished (minus in the remaining bookcase). That bookcase is our first project planned for 2018.

Leia looks pretty on this couch!

She enjoys showing off when I take photos.

I re-covered this bench. Previously it had a gray velvet on it that I found in the bargain section at Joann’s and never really liked (you can see it here and here). I found this curtain at Target just before our Christmas party and decided to buy a panel to recover this temporarily. The curtain was a woven material that I knew would pill over time (surprise, it only took a week to be covered in pilling), but it was the perfect pale coral to kind of tie in with the couch while also toning down the bold coral a bit to fit in with the rest of the room. (As curtains, these were great quality and so beautiful, with a little subtle stitching on the edge. They just weren’t the right material for upholstery!). I’m holding off on re-covering it until I decide which direction I’m going in in this living room!

I found these two blue and white pieces via Facebook Marketplace, and drove through a snowstorm to go and get them! I love collections of blue and white ginger jars and vases and these fit the bill — for just $30!

I wasn’t sure I was going to hang this mirror here, so I have had it leaning there for months. I finally decided that I love it in this room, so it’s going on the wall asap!

I love minimal mantel decor. I tried a few garlands underneath the bottlebrush forest but I really just liked it better like this. I also used these little house stocking hangers that my sweet MIL found in the dollar section at Target with quick DIY canvas stockings, but I took those down before this photo — see it here on my Instagram.

I love this round mirror here. It echoes the round chandelier (and reflects it perfectly) and gives a modern, minimalist contrast to the detailed fireplace (and soon to be crown molding above it). Another Facebook Marketplace find! It is slightly aged (which I love), super heavy, and was only $40.

Bottlebrush trees are my favorite.

Someday I will actually be able to place vases or busts on those pillars. For now, I’m searching for something indestructible, because you know it’s getting knocked down!

I made these pillows from Waverly fabric I found at a garage sale (the flowers) and Joann Fabrics. The brown dot is called Seeing Spots and I can’t find the yellow pattern online. The gray velvet pillow is from our old Chesterfield.

Our tree was so pretty this year! The branches were very spaced out and delicate, which I liked so much more than when they are bushy and close together, because I was able to hang the ornaments at all different heights (I used fishing line for some of them) for a really pretty effect. I stuck to neutrals and metallics — white, champagne, silver,  and gold — so it would fit in nicely with the other decor. Rose gold would have looked beautiful, too with the new couch! Maybe next year, if the couch is still here haha.

I picked up this sweet brass bell ornament from the Hearth and Hand line at Target. It has 2017 engraved on the other side.

I also snagged these gorgeous, minimal H and G ornaments at Target during their sales the day after Christmas. Side note: this is the first time I’ve gone shopping for Christmas decor the day after Christmas and holy moly it’s no joke. It’s like Black Friday! I felt guilty for shopping the day after Christmas — I was ready to go into a spending hiatus for sure — but I am really happy with the great deals I found, and I’m sure I will appreciate them next year. I’m all set with wrapping paper, and I also found the gray satin and velvet tree skirt below and a gold metal star that I put on another tree in the house (this one was too tall for a star!)

And here is the very unflattering view that everyone sees when they walk into our house! I can’t wait to get art up on this wall. As of right now, all the art has come in, I just have to fix and paint a few frames and put the prints into them and I’m ready to hang!