A bit of background on my living room - before we moved in, the previous owners had recently laid a gorgeous thick cream carpet (see photo) but like many of us, I had many ideas spinning round in my head of what I wanted to do to each and every room, and having a cream carpet in the living room was not in my colour scheme. I took a bit of a risk and pulled up this gorgeous clean carpet and laid my own charcoal one down in order to match in with my colour scheme of greys and teals.
I am a very organized person so I knew exactly where I was going with this living room before it was complete. I knew I wanted something modern and sophisticated but with a touch of femininity in there. I hate a lot of clutter so some areas may look quite sparse, but it helps me clear my mind a little more and I can feel like I can breath!
The bottom left photo reflects how our living room was looking after our carpet was fitted. We'd only been in the house a few days so still had accessories to buy (and the mirror to hang up!). The bottom right photo reflects how it currently looks, 2 years later. I have accessorized it with a mixture of things from teal glitter photo frames, to shabby chic candle holders and rugs.
Take a closer look...
My fireplace/mantle piece is definitely the focal point (which I think is a must in every room!). The mantle clock in the top left always seems to be a talking point amongst new guests, with its (ever-so-slightly) tinged blue butterflies, I thought it was a perfect match. The heart floral garland is a recent purchase, I found it on sale in a supermarket and fell in love with the colours. I wasn't too sure where to hang it, so for now its home is the vase! I have a huge love for shabby chic, which can be seen throughout the whole of my house. I've brought my love into the living room as you can see from the top right photo, with numerous shabby chic style candle holders. These look so pretty lit up at night, especially in the winter, with the flame flickering through the heart. These were purchased from a shabby chic house party (Yes, they really do seem to hold parties for alsorts nowadays!). Since purchasing these, I've seen very similar in almost every shop that sells home accessories, all under £5 each.
The bottom left photo shows my corner sofa. Although this is appealing to the eye, its unfortunately not the comfiest with its wide cushions and low back. However it was the first sofa I've ever bought, so we all learn from our mistakes! I have a black faux fur throw hanging on the side to the right, which comes in handy for those chilly winter nights. I'm a sucker for photos as well so you may spot a tiny collage of them hanging there on the wall. I have a mixture of travel, graduation and family photos to reflect our life so far. In the corner you will spot a lamp - This was purchased from B&Q in the sale, I think I managed to pick it up for around £25, reduced from £50. I still need to replace the lampshade with one that matches the room a little more, but its yet another thing to add to my ever-growing 'to do' list!
The bottom right shows a few teal butterfly wall art stickers that 'fly' up towards my light switch. I have a few different stickers dotted round in different rooms. I think it helps add something to a plain wall that you may not be able to do much with due to space. These were purchased from eBay really cheaply - they do alsorts of 'themes', including quotes, however these seem to be pretty popular now too so I'm beginning to steer clear of these as I like my home to be a little unique.
This cuddle chair is many peoples favourite when they visit. It can fit 2 people on (if you're lucky!) and is a perfect spot for going to sleep by the window. This is a favourite of my 2yr old nieces' - the chair spins so she likes to think its a roundabout, constantly asking to be spun around and making her poor old auntie dizzy!
Accessorising your home can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. The majority of the items you have seen above are inexpensive, most coming from either supermarkets or discounted home interior shops. As long as you have a keen eye and place the right things together, you may be surprised of the effect! There are several little 'projects' that I have in my head that I still need to complete in order to make this living room complete. I'd like a few glossy black shelves up on the white wall at the back, which would hold a couple of photo frames and a candle or 2. I would also like some sort of storage unit in the corner of my room near the teal lamp (that you will see to the right of the fireplace). Apart from the small boxes under the TV that holds DVDs, we don't have any storage in this room, so it'd be nice knowing that we have space to store some more belongings, and create another surface for a few more accessories. I'd remove the glass 3 tier-tables that the lamp stands on and use this storage unit to lift the lamp up which would hopefully improve the lighting in the living room (which I despise!)
Living in your home, you tend to adapt to your surroundings and become a little tired of them. I'm constantly wanting to switch rooms up and start again, however its not until you reflect over photos that you tend to appreciate your environment and the stamp you've made on it.
From my current colour scheme and the items I've purchased over the 2 years, I've learnt many things, and would definitely do things a little differently next time, but I guess that's what life is all about - its a learning curve. I'm happy with it for the time being (well, until my partner allows me to re-decorate!)
Hope you enjoyed the tour around my living room!
I am hooked to your blog already !!
ReplyDeleteYou have got yourself another follower!
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