Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:6-7



Monday, July 19, 2010

Living Room Makeover

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Alas, we finished. On Saturday evening, after a busy day of running and yard work, I mentioned to my husband again that the drapery rod needed hung. "Honey," I said, "the girls are waiting for pictures."

"Oh," he said. "Ooooh," realizing what I meant.

First thing Sunday he put the brackets up. The man does not want to be publicly humiliated, that's for sure.

First, I will say that this is not really the makeover of my dreams. If it were, I would get rid of the sofa and matching chair that I no longer really like, at all, and you would see this sofa, and maybe this chair, and the floors would look like this.

However, this was the makeover I could afford. The only thing I purchased was paint and draperies.

My former color was Bayberry Green. We had it for probably 10 years because I really liked it. But eventually even living room walls (where children are not supposed to play) get dinged up and drawn upon and generally start looking needy.

A fresh coat of paint -- Peanut Butter -- transformed this cool green space into a warm, inviting room. At first I thought I hated it, but once all the walls were painted and the furniture was back in place, I decided I liked it (yes, I chose to like it). The addition of the drapes improved it even more.

Before we replaced these windows, 18 months ago, I had some white decorative sheers inside the window space (within the walls that contain the window). They were o.k. but nothing fabulous. I never really liked the whole window set up because it's very difficult to get curtain rod brackets into the space within the walls and outside the window casing. After the windows were replaced, the new casings took up just a skosh more room and there was no space left for brackets. I decided to mount the drapery bracket on the outside wall and I like it. The drapes will stay open most of the time, letting in the filtered light we get through the trees outside. For privacy they can be closed, which is nice because there have been many evenings when I would have sat in the living room to read in my nightgown, but the exposure kept me from doing that. I didn't take any close-up shots of the drapes, but the rod and rings are cast iron (black) with a decorative turn on the ends. The drapes are ivory Dupoini silk. The drapes have ties that tie to the rings on the rod for an extra decorative look. They are simple but dressy. I really believe it's worth the extra money spent to have nice draperies. They last for a long time and always look good.



On to pictures. Obviously the green walls are from before, and the peanut butter walls (is that tan, brown, gold?) are after.









You can see how the light changed in the room, from the cool blue with the green walls and no drapes to the golden light with the peanut butter walls and light filtered through the ivory drapes.





I put everything back on the walls in pretty much the same spots.



This picture (above) was taken with a flash, hence the lighting difference, but it's not very clear.







When I prepared to paint, I took everything off the shelves, packed up what I wanted to keep in boxes and moved the boxes out of the room. Then after painting I let the shelves dry for about 10 days. It was a pleasure unpacking the boxes and replacing my things on the shelves. I organized the books better and I like the arrangement. It's probably hardly noticeable on the photos, but I notice the difference.







After finishing this makeover, I am once again amazed at how just a gallon of paint can change a room and how you feel about it. Even though I'm not at all in love with this furniture, through new wall color and draperies, it has become an inviting space again. No fewer then six times yesterday I went looking for my husband and found him here, enjoying the solitude. Though we really should not have attachments to our earthly belongings, I think keeping our homes clean and inviting is an important part of how we perceive our family life. I find that if my home is neat and attractive, it's easier to find an inner peace.

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16 comments:

  1. Very nice! Sue Dillier

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  2. Thank you, Sue. And thanks for commenting.

    Thanks, Stina. Glad you like it.

    I appreciate it, Stephanie. And thanks for commenting -- I plan to spend some time at your cooking blog today!

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  3. It is SO lovely, Barbara! I really like the wall paint especially.
    Nicely done!
    :)

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  4. What I noticed is how the new color really makes things pop like the white built-in shelves. Those kind of blended into the old color, but now you notice them better. I like it! LOVE the curtains!!!

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  5. Even earthly things are gifts from God. It would be wrong NOT to take pleasure in these good things, don't you think? :-)

    I like the new color, too. It's very warm and inviting.

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  6. Barb...the green was lovely, tranquil and peaceful...

    The new color...ROCKS! So vibrant, warm and inviting...like you! A delightful change...

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  7. What a warm and inviting cozy space
    ...to pray
    ...snuggling up with a little Peach to read with
    ...to ponder the world
    ...for quiet discussions
    ...for the whole family to respite this winter!
    what a marvelous h o m e filled with love!
    Thanks for sharing, Barbara!
    mary

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  8. I think it looks wonderful! I agree with you: It is amazing what some paint can do to refresh a room (and our own feelings about it, too =)

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  9. Forgot to say, "Thank you Doug for hanging the curtain rod so we could finally see the finished product!"

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  10. I love it! So pretty and it is very inviting. :)

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  11. Very nice! Thanks for showing the before-and-after!
    I like your "dream" furniture, though a white chair? That's asking for it, for sure!!
    Your "dream" couch is an awful lot like the one we just got, pictured here:
    http://www.ultimatecoupons.com/blog/2010/06/redecorating/

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  12. Thanks, Nutmeg. I like it now, too.

    Charlotte, Would love to host iced tea in my cool (but warm-in-color) living room. I heard the temps down there are off-the-charts high.

    Thanks, Jennie. And it's a very earthy color, too. My sister-in-law noted that between the living room (earthy brown), my plan for the foyer (grass cloth green) and my hall bath (sky blue) we've taken care of many of nature's colors.

    Thanks, Kimberly, Please come and put your feet up. ;-)

    Thank you, Mary. I hope we do all that and more. :-)

    Thanks, Sarah. I know you have lots of fresh paint in your near future!

    Thanks, Cheryl. It's inviting YOU!

    Barb,
    I LOVE your sofa. Just my style!

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  13. WOW! That is some change with only a bucket of paint and some new drapes Barbara! I have to admit when I read the color was "peanut butter", and before I saw the before and after photos, I cringed a bit while imaging it. You've given me a whole new appreciation for this color, and it's my own humble opinion that it give your room/furniture and whole ambiance a real wow factor, much more than the green did. But then, it's always better in person over photos. Love that green too. :) Thanks for the tour. Absolutely loved it! (Thank you Doug too for hanging the rod up. LOL)
    Hugs!

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  14. I like the new color, too! It's actually a lot like mine, though I think mine is a bit darker. I think it's very cozy and warm. We (I, that is!) painted the ceiling, too. The new color does make things pop, as Charlotte said.

    Love the dream furniture, too. Have you thought about slipcovering? There are so many tutorials on the 'net about making your own.

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I appreciate your comments -- sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself!