Settle in, this is a long post, describing every tip and trick I've used so far to make over my living room as inexpensively as possible. Get a coffee. Better yet, a pumpkin latte.
This is what goes on around here pretty much once or twice a year. And because I am extremely psychic (everybody says so) I'm going to predict that this is what goes on in your house too.
I declare the house a disaster and start doing what I *think* is decluttering, but is really just moving things from the one room into another room until the cluttery room becomes decluttered and the other room (which was decluttered) becomes cluttery. Understand?
On and on this goes in a never ending carousel of cluttering and uncluttering the same rooms. Room to room, room to basement, basement to room, room to closet. And repeat.
See? Psychic. I'm still working on bending spoons with my mind (mainly so I can evolve the trick into moving spoons into the dishwasher with my mind.)
A couple of months ago I started the process of making over the lower floor of my house, including the foyer, living room and dining room, with just paint and rearranging furniture. I might have to buy and sell a couple of things, but basically I decided to change as much as I could with what I had.
The above photo is the before shot believe it or not. I know. It looks pretty good. But the shag carpet from Costco was a disgusting, flattened, haggy mess. Not shaggy ... haggy. It lost it's shag about 2 years ago.
There were maybe 12 too many lamps in the room. Living in an old house with little to no overhead lights gives you an unnatural affinity and need for lamps. In this small living room I had 8 lamps. EIGHT.
The side panel curtains were cheap, like really cheap, and I got them when I first made over my house. They almost matched the couch, but not quite. But for $16.99, almost was fantastic! As you can see they're a curious shade of rose/taupe.
I've never liked that coffee table (which yes I got on sale) but it fits the space perfectly. That table is pretty but it ain't got no soul. Even though I'd love to have a huge square coffee table the room just won't allow it. Because the room is a jerk. So I've kept the coffee table.
The couch? I'd love to replace it with something a little less puffy but for now it stays. In the back of my mind I have something either a bit more country or a velvet or leather Chesterfield sofa. Probably in sectional format because again, it's what works best in my jerk of a room.
I still love the idea of the gallery wall but these prints were every single thing I could find in my basement, most of them not even framed properly. They weren't necessarily artwork I loved. Just stuff. That happened to look fairy good when grouped together.
So with all that in mind, my new decluttered living room. The makeover is not complete, the canvas has been cleaned up a bit, waiting for some fresh, new brush strokes. It may take a month, it may take a year, but it is on its way to completion.
I know. It looks empty. And naked. And almost the same. Don't be alarmed. It's because it's missing the number one most important ingredient to successfully decorating; layering. That's what the new brush strokes on the room will do. They'll add layers which is what makes a "nice" room a "jawdropping" room.
Take a look at one of my inspiration shots from Ellen Degeneres' home.
There's layering. Different colours, textures, styles and periods. There are interesting pieces and billion dollar Hermes blankets (substitute with Hudson's Bay blankets my Canadian friends), flea market finds. It. Is. A. Layered. Room.
So don't worry (as if you are), I'm going to get that layered look again, it just might take a while to get it the way I want it.
So what have I done?
I got rid of the rug. I threw the damn rug out. I may never even get another rug. My living room looks kind of bald in the photograph, but in real life it looks clean and calm without another element to busy it up.
Don't worry. I'll mess and clutter it all up as soon as I declutter my dining room.
I have scaled down the number of lamps from a whopping 8 to a paltry 7. I know. Living by the light of 7 lamps. I feel like a bat.
As you might know, I painted the trim. You couldn't see a lot of the trim in the living room because of the rose/taupe drapes, but now that they're down you can see the architecture of the woodwork. There are a few different directions I could go in terms of window treatments (more on that further down in the post) but for now I'm still getting a thrill out of looking at the naked painted trim.
So far we've ascertained that my new living room is batty, bald and naked.
I've kept my 3 favourite prints up on the walls and I'm going to get the Picasso on the right, properly framed. As it is now, it's just sitting in a gold frame. As in, just set on the edge of the inner lip of the gold frame, not even inside of it.
I was considering getting it set into a much bigger frame so it would take up more wall space and be more dramatic, but from my Photoshopped version of it below, I feel like it would draw all the attention to the frame and not the Picasso. I keep saying Picasso as if it isn't just a print from the 60's that my Uncle bought at a carnival. I think it was a carnival anyway. I have no idea why I think that, but since I'm psychic, I think you can believe me.
I might paint that table too, I haven't decided. Not the little ends of cut wood, just the surrounding veneer.
The other end of the room holds the corner you don't often (if ever) see on this blog. Why? Because for the first few years of this blog I STILL had a Fred Flintstone sized television taking up the entire corner. Yes I did. I didn't want to show it off and make you all feel jealous.
Then I had my famous furry chair there, but it never looked very good there either. Loved the chair, but the corner was always icky and I couldn't get it right for the life of me.
Which corner? This corner.
It's right now.
That's a settee that I've owned for years. For a few years it was classing up my mother's garage, but a couple of years ago I brought it back home and put it in my foyer. Where it didn't really fit.
I love it with all of my heart in the living room, but it's not going to be able to stay there. Why? It isn't what you'd call curl up comfortable. It's not uncomfortable, it just isn't the kind of thing you're likely to fall asleep on while holding a book, a string of saliva reaching from your mouth to a puddle of drool on the floor. I like things to look pretty but I LOVE things to be useful and comfortable.
Am I right?
Part of what I love about the look of the settee in the room are the different materials used in it like the caning and wood frame and the interesting shape of it. It's not just a big lump of fabric in the corner. So it may take me a while to find something that has the look I want with the comfort I need.
Part of the mini-makeover included a COMPLETE overhaul on my bookshelves. Since I've installed an entire 3 walls of bookcases in my dining room I could take some of the books out of the living room bookcases and put things I love in there with a bit of space around them so you can actually see them.
I removed the 2 rectangular Homesense (Homegoods) lamps on my sofa table and replaced them with the one lamp that I've always loved. It wasn't a cheap lamp but I still love this Crate & Barrel Cleo lamp 10 years after buying it. Plus they're still selling it and it's gone up in price so basically it's an investment. I think.
The Cleo lamp has moved and for now the rest of the sofa table behind the couch is empty. Until I find things I really want there other than my favourite wood carved Buddha.
Rearranging things also gave me the chance to change up another corner you don't see a lot of, in behind my couch.
As you can see I haven't yet dealt with the squirrel's nest of cords at the bottom of my dresser but I'll get to it.
Actually one of the things that took the MOST time in this room and had the biggest impact was rerunning and concealing cords, especially the ones around the fireplace that run the television, speakers and turntable.
You can see at the top of my bookcases there are 2 speakers, one on either side. There are another 4 speakers (and their stupid wires) around the room. It was my mission to hide them all. Part of what makes a room look messy are wires everywhere. But when you live in an old house with plaster walls, running wires through walls isn't so easy.
So after living with wire nests everywhere for 17 years I did my best to hide them. This included painting them and using finishing nails and 2 way tape to conceal them in existing trim. Like on the fireplace.
And no. I didn't paint my fireplace black. Yet.
This wire wasn't quite long enough to run where I wanted it to, so I had to hammer in a staple to hold it in place. But I have glued, yes GLUED this wire to my fireplace trim. You notice it here obviously because I'm pointing it out and it's a close up shot, but in real life you don't notice the painted wires at ALL. Doing this will neaten up any room. Just painting your wires the colour of whatever it is they're sitting against or on top of.
I also drilled holes through the floor down to my basement so I could run my television cable in behind my bookcases.
I still have some wires to deal with as you can see down by my baseboard. These I'll paint, bind together and then attach them to the baseboard so they just blendish in.
The lamp on this table (which replaces the Crate & Barrel lamp that was there) used to be on the blue dresser.
Finally, to help hide wires I even drilled into my bookcases to run wires down and inside of the bookcase instead of over them which makes them much less noticeable. I pulled the lamp forward a bit here so you could see what I'd done better.
O.K., if anyone needs to go to the bathroom or give their legs a stretch now's the time. You can have one little break and then we'll talk about the window treatment options.
Here we go.
To the right we have my old rose/taupe curtain panels. To the left, nothing at all.
I could throw caution to the wind and have nothing on my windows at all but since this isn't a Frank Lloyd Wright home and I'm not living in the middle of nowhere, I'll probably opt for some sort of window covering.
My first instinct was to just switch out the rose/taupe side panels for white ones so everything just sort of disappeared, but then I thought ... what if I tried the opposite? What if I tried dark grey, almost black?
And I love it.
But maybe I should just try the white, just in case.
And I love it.
But maybe I should think about recessed interior shutters (on the left, below) and painting the cold, chrome coffee table (on the left and right, below) black.
And I love it. I really like it all.
Interior, wood, Shaker style shutters would be appropriate for the age of my house (1840) plus Shaker style compliments another love of mine, Mid-Century Modern.
Needless to say I haven't got anywhere with the whole window treatment thing. I'm in that decorating stage known as frozen.
For a quick 1-2 month mini-makeover I'm happy with it. The living room is the room that's going through the smallest transformation of my 3 rooms because it was pretty good as it was. Plus, because I didn't buy anything, and just cleaned everything up, I feel like now I can slowly, as time and money permit, layer the room up until it's perfect.
Or in layman's terms, clutter it up until it's perfect.
Sandra Lea
Last year I spent a long time agonizing over the right paint color and new furniture for my living room. It was worth it, I love the paint and I love my new couch and two chairs. However, now I want to rearrange everything, just move things around for a change of pace but I'm stuck. My living room is small and the furniture a little on the big side and there isn't another configuration that will work. What's a woman to do? I guess I'm stuck with it.
Jo
Love the new look. Love the no carpet. I re did my house last year. Lots of work. My floors I just left bare. I like white shears. Was that a consideration? Think painting the coffee table is a great idea, but would only if it is going to somehow tye into the wall cover .. or the painted fireplace .. or something. Personally I would keep the glass and build a new wood frame for it. Perhaps an Anna White style? I know that your capable. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!
Jo
Went back and reviewed the photos. I think I would also ditch the sofa table and shove the couch back a few feet towards the wall. It would open the room up a lot. Again. Just my 2 cents. LoL
Paula
Wish I had an eye for style, I can't even copy very well.
Catherine
Can I suggest white Roman blinds for the windows? Outside the window frame rather than inside. Makes the windows look bigger, there's nothing sweeping the floor and you could get a thermal lining for warmth/opacity? I like the floors without the rug, but maybe a round one under the coffee table to slightly soften?
Karen
I have a roman blind in the kitchen I made with Rough Linen Catherine and I love it. Like, really love it, lol. I'm not sure I want them in the front of the house though. The thought did occur to me. But I'd have them on the inside of the window simply because I liked the big, painted trim so much. ~ karen!
Elaine
I'm dying to see the older type shutters installed, Karen! Please! It will suit the vintage of your home SO well!
Linda
living in a home with high ceilings, an open plan and hardwood floors, I really feel I need a rug to warm up the place, help deaden sound, etc. Unfortunately the wool rug I chose sheds worse than my cat, despite regular vacuuming (the rug, not the cat). I have glass coffee/end tables too that I detest in the winter when the sunlight is low. Shows every bit of dust under the glass, if you can believe it.
Really like what you have done so far, painting the trim, removing a lamp, etc. How about dark heavier curtains for winter and white sheer type for summer?
Elaine
HiLinda: re "dust under glass; can you believe it" ... YES!! I have three glass topped tables in the living area and a film collects underneath the glass and drives me nuts as it's very awkward to reach under and clean properly! And to remove the glass on my own to clean then try to match up to the right position on the base, is really difficult and murder on the old back! I keep thinking of replacing the coffee table but I know wood will really "close it in" and make the sitting area appear smaller.
Linda
Exactly my problem. The coffee table glass is so heavy, it takes two people to lift to clean and replace. You can't lay on the floor to clean from the bottom due to the metal frame work. I also wanted to replace them with wood but couldn't find anything I liked - but every fall/winter I keep my eye out for something that will work.
MrsChris SA
Love it!!
I think a rug would be a nice feature.
I LOVE the grey/black curtains (and I am a huge fan of shaker shutters!!).
I also like the chrome table painted black!
Inspiring - as always!
Marianne
I've been attempting this stuff in my home, but it's easier said than done right?! Nice job Karen! Regarding the windows, how about using the gray (cozier) in the winter and swapping them out with white (bright, fresh) in the spring? Also, I'd suggest adding some colorful throw pillows to the sofa to tie in with the colorful books and furniture pieces. Have another latte and carry on. :)
Cynthia
I do that too! I paint wires the same colour. Glue them too. Gorilla tape works but is black and ugly. Last year I painted the washing machine wires to match the laundry and finally accepted that I truly am weird.
Luckily my house has a slightly faerie/gothic/medieval look so I also dangle quaint scarves, stalks of twisted willow or Grandfather's Beard artistically over the wires, if they are on the edge of a window or other surrounds.
I have a really ugly pipe in my bathroom so I twisted copper wire with amethyst crystals around it. Voila!
Love the dark grey curtains. Very classic and dramatic.
While watching this I wondered if you put small towels under your furniture legs before shoving the furniture across the room. Its a great trick, makes it easier and no scratches.
Karen
I do do that when furniture is heavy or scratchy. :) ~ karen!
Nancy Blue Moon
Are you sure they didn't say psycho??
OK...looks good but I like the gray/black curtains....and I need to hide cords here!
Melissa
Oh. My. Gosh. One potty break wasn't enough!
Totally love the bigger frame for the Carnival Picasso, it just sets it off and makes it become the centerpiece! And how do you know it isn't a real Picasso? I mean, great and fancy things have come from carnivals...five foot stuffed orangutans for instance.
L.O.V.E. the black curtain effect, AND painting the chrome coffee table. Makes it have a grown up sexy look, if that's a term. Would live to see that fireplace wall black! I mean...its only paint, right? What a dramatic statement!
I think the Decluttering Clutter form of decorating is underrated, truly. You've got the right idea!! And, it's cheaper because you just shop your house, from room to room, to redecorate!
Is there a color in nature that matches mauvey taupe? I digress....
It all looks mahhhvelous dahling!
Tina
I bought a new (manufactured) home 2 months ago and have gotten most of my ideas for decorating from you and from my DIL. Thank you!
1. I love wide open windows. If it were my house, I'd leave them, as I have (so far) in mine. But in mine I kind of have to hide to change clothes. So maybe I need some window coverings. But my woodwork is just SO beautiful! So looking at yours, I'd go with the black/gray.
The one thing you didn't give info on is the black, leather, tufted ottoman which I would do ANYTHING for! I've been looking for exactly that, without being certain what it was I wanted. If I send my address, will you send it to me? Or send me your address and I'll come get it!
Otherwise I approve of it all. I have always been a lamp person. I don't like overhead lights (although they came with my ceiling fans). But yes, 8 was maybe a bit excessive.
And I love the blue dresser but I don't want it, just the ottoman and I'll be yours for life (or, well, maybe a little less.)
Tina
I bought a new (manufactured) home 2 months ago and have gotten most of my ideas for decorating from you and from my DIL. Thank you!
1. I love wide open windows. If it were my house, I'd leave them, as I have (so far) in mine. But in mine I kind of have to hide to change clothes. So maybe I need some window coverings. But my woodwork is just SO beautiful! So looking at yours, I'd go with the black/gray.
The one thing you didn't give info on is the black, leather, tufted ottoman which I would do ANYTHING for! I've been looking for exactly that, without being certain what it was I wanted. If I send my address, will you send it to me? Or send me your address and I'll come get it!
Otherwise I approve of it all. I have always been a lamp person. I don't like overhead lights (although they came with my ceiling fans). But yes, 8 was maybe a bit excessive.
And I love the blue dresser but I don't want it, just the ottoman and I'll be yours for life (or, well, maybe a little less.)
And I got this all done and remembered why I wanted to write. WellDone!!! On getting rid of the rug! The floors are beautiful and hardwood floors are so nice to clean. Super easy!
(Now send me the ottoman!)
Karen
Hi Tina, that's always been in the house moving from room to room. It's a total disaster because it isn't leather it's some sort of pleather that's starting to peel. So when I find one exactly the same in leather I'll be replacing it. :) ~ karen!
SuzanneLH
Just have it reupholstered...might cost as much as a new one, but then would be just right.
Elaine
Gee, your living room looks great just the way it is. Those sure are beautiful floors. I have a little separate "section" in the living room with a chair too and I know what you mean about your chair with the caning. It is an attractive chair but not that cozy to sit in for any length of time. I like the white curtains if you keep the living room walls the same. I like curtains to blend in with the walls whether that is a decorating no-no or not, I don't care. I also was thinking of shutters for your house and they do really suit it. I loved your suggestion of painting cords!! I never thought of that trick so I'm checking out my cords before I go to bed. I know whatever changes you make will be terrific!
vicki
one vote here for the shutters :)
pat
I vote for shutters too; but not white ones. A colour that adds ooomph. You seem like a deep eggplant purple kinda gal Karen. A colour that would would look rich with gold tones.
Wendy Thomson
Nah, sorry, I don't like it. Or rather, I don't hate all of it. I like the bookcases and the fireplace wall. Everything else just looks awkward.
Karen
Yes, I agree. Because like I said, it isn't done, lol. The one wall that is done is the bookcase wall. ~ karen!
Lin N
My 2 cents...Grey almost black window treatment adds cozy pop to the room. So I decided to move my upstairs bedroom to the downstairs bedroom and then move the upstairs bedroom to the other upstairs room. The room where the upstairs bedroom was is now the the studio, spare bedroom, office....Furniture is all in the right rooms now. Next is staging everything, putting stuff away, getting rid of some stuff, fixing holes where old pictures were hung, rearranging and hanging the new stuff...not bad for two days work....I'm tired! G'night
Isabella
Looks great. I like both the gray and the white raperies. Maybe gray is cozier for Winter though. As you layer it will become even better. But great looking room. Screaming for a rug. But which kind?
Valerie
Hiding wires is an exhausting time consuming job. I am in an old house as well......a log house and ended up doing what you did painting many of my wires brown to match.
Your room is cozy and inviting and I admire your taste to include before and after but I do agree the drapes need replacement.
Have you considered wide plantation shutters for the inside of the living room window either white or stained to match your fir floors?
Can you explain what the function of that white tall log that is in the corner behind the brass lamp?
Karen
Oh! That's an antique church pillar Valerie. :) My mother mentioned plantation shutters Valerie, but I don't feel like they're in keeping with the home's feeling enough. So it'll be shaker shutters or very plain side panel curtains. I'm just not sure which yet. :) ~ karen!
Elaine
I agree, Karen! I love Plantation (didn't they used to be called California??) shutters but they wouldn't suit your interesting old home. They'd look too up-to-date and the slats are just too wide and bulky looking for the size of your windows.
Kelly Mudry
I'd love to find shaker shutters but haven't been able to? Any clues as to sourcing them in Ontario?
Karen
I'd just make them Kelly. :) They'd be really easy to make. I'm sure you could have the custom made fairly inexpensively by any cabinet maker or carpenter. ~ karen!
Robert
Not sure why but I feel like the shutters make the room look smaller even when they take less space than the curtains, the pink ones are as gorgeous as the grey ones.
But since is your house and I'm not living in it do whatever you like
Katie
I just finished Nester's cozy minimalist course. Your made over room with no rug looks great! I'll be looking forward to seeing the layers you add in. I'm going to be working on my bedroom once the hustle of the holidays is over. I have some big ideas, I can't wait to see them take shape.
Karen
That's great Katie! When you look at Nester you see she is a minimalist at heart but she has lots of stuff and she's GREAT at layering. Just keep pushing towards your goal and use lots of inspiration photos. :) ~ karen!
Gayle
Sounds like your method of decluttering is like mine. Seriously, tho, I have been getting the stuff outta here best as I can lately. But, oh! Many any many more trips to Goodwill and Salvation are in order. Doing what my mil has been doing---giving back stuff given to me. She isn't going to like my hubby's next visit.
Karen
It's everybody's method of decluttering Gayle, lol. Although since I got rid of almost everything in my house 10 years ago I don't have that much stuff to move around. Thankfully! ~ karen