No Comments »Remember last August when we moved in and I said this blog would slowly transition to more home design posts? Well little did I know just how slowly that would be! Between going out of town for weddings, holidays, working, etc., not to mention those random things that happen like broken air conditioning, leaks and RACCOONS, time and money have been lacking. Finally, almost a year after moving in, we FINALLY saved up some money and found the time to start decorating and making our house a home! I decided to start with the room we spend the most time in (the den) and work my way around the downstairs rooms. Here is the progress so far:
We started by painting the walls Sherwin Williams Smoky Blue, which is a beautiful shade of navy with grey undertones.
Then I added a pair of Ikea Merete Curtains in Bleached to each window along with some pewter curtain rods from Target.
After rug shopping forever, hubs and I decided on this diamond jute rug from Pottery Barn to add a natural element to the room.
Usually I don’t like jute rugs very much, but this one is very soft underfoot and I loved the diamond pattern since everything else in the room is a little plain.
I also grabbed some glass top side tables on Craigslist for $30 and am in the process of repainting them. Unfortunately don’t have a pic of those yet, but I’ll share as soon as they are finished. We have decided to forgo our ottoman and replace with a coffee table, but we have yet to find one we love. Well, I lie, we found one we loved at HomeGoods and went back two days later only to find that it was gone! The only other things left to do are hang pictures and accessorize. I can’t wait to share the final product with everyone and move onto the next room.
What is your favorite part of decorating your home? Mine is seeing the results after painting!
Well I finally took the time to choose the colors I want for my downstairs! What do you guys think?
Den – Smoky Blue
Kitchen/Living – Blonde
Dining – Nuthatch
All colors from Sherwin Williams
Now if I can just find the time to go buy the paint and put it on the walls, then maybe I can make our house feel a little more like home! We moved in in August and things haven’t changed much almost a year later. Except maybe a little bit of furniture, a few Raccoons, and a whole lotta mess! Never the less I still love our little blue house 
What do you do to make your house feel more like a home?
Now that I have saved some money since purchasing our new home in August, I have decided it is about time I start decorating! I am taking the advice of many people to do this one room at a time because I think it will keep my ADD in tact and help me focus on the task at hand. I LOVE designing (obviously, considering I am an urban designer!) so this is something I have been biting at the bit to start on. Since our den is the room that is the most ‘complete’ I figure that is as good of a ‘place’ as any to start. So I thought I would show you guys what I’m workin’ with here before I start on the ch, ch, ch, changes. Here is the den when we moved in:
Much of our current furniture is leftover from our old home in Charleston, and as you can tell is slightly large for the size of our current den. This is the configuration we are working with now:
The chair and a half is ‘shoved’ in the corner because that is the only place the darn thing would fit! I love that chair (heck and our couch) because they are so comfy, but it drives me crazy that I can’t fit it in a different layout. I’m thinking about getting a cover for the chair and ottoman and moving them to a different room, but I’m pretty sure the hubs does not like that idea.
This is what we are currently working with:
1. Cheap-O IKEA Lack side tables (we needed some side tables and I didn’t want to spend a lot of moolah until I found something we loved. Plus I figured we could repurpose these elsewhere in the house)
2. La-Z-Boy Daphne Couch, Chair and Ottoman (As you can see, these fit much better in our old home and I was unfortunately obsessed with Red at the time)
3. Throw Pillow from Crate and Barrel
4. Red/Gold Striped Curtains which I intend on chucking as soon as I find some new ones!
5. & 9. Lamp set that we received as a wedding gift. Will likely repurpose these in another room and find something that fits my intended theme better.
6. Vizio 50” Flat Screen, courtesy of the husband because 36” just isn’t big enough!
7. Coventry Media Console purchased from Overstock. Had to have something that would fit that big arse TV!
8. Vases, one from Crate and Barrel, the other a gift from my mom
So right now our den is a mismatch of random things picked up over the last four years. It is time for some real design up in here! Here are some inspiration photos (I apologize I do not have the sources because I have been clipping them into a folder over the past year).
(Lonnymag.com ‘I think’)
I love the starkness of the inky blue with the white curtains and crown molding. Oh and those rattan shades are fab too.
Source Unknown.
I’m hoping to find a huge mirror like this one for behind the couch to make the room appear larger and reflect all the great natural light we get in the room.
Source Unknown.
To keep the room from looking too dark with the blue, I’m thinking of painting the area above the chair rail in a navy shade and the bottom in a bright white.
Here is my shopping list for this nautical inspired room redux:
1. Curtains in a natural shade
2. Accessories that exude a natural feel in materials like rattan or jute
3. A large rug, either patterned (brown?) or jute
4. Side Tables
5. New table lamps and a floor lamp (or maybe just new shades for the existing lamp)
6. PICTURES. I would like to find a large mirror like the one in the photo above, and maybe some shelving (IKEA?) for some accessorizing
7. A coffee table
8. This gorgeous chair from Urban Outfitters I found courtesy of Bryn!
So as you can see not TOO MUCH to purchase, but still need some things to pull this room together and make it feel like home. Stay tune for updates on my choices and inspiration board!
Yes, I know you guys were expecting the blog to take a turn towards home decor after we moved in August, but alas we still own a home in Charleston, SC that we are trying to rent (know anyone that needs a rental?!?) so money has been anything but available. It’s so hard to move into a house and not be able to make it into your home by putting all your own touches. I am itching to paint the bland white walls, replace our countertops that are almost as old as me, drape the windows in beautiful fabrics and of course spice up the beige carpet with beautiful rugs to tie it all together! Here are some rugs I am loving right now:
Pottery Barn
This rug pulls in all of the colors I am loving right now, wheat-y golds, burgundies and blues. This would look great in our den or foyer!
Ballard Designs
I love Damask Prints and this brown style would look great in our living room with our green sofa.
This similar rug in an orange tone would also be a nice addition to the living room.
Horchow
I love the subtle pattern in these monotone rugs. They look so soft and supple too!
IKEA
This orange and white style would be perfect to spice up our dark office, and better yet the orange screams CLEMSON TIGERS!
There is nothing better than stepping out of bed and sinking your feet into soft, fluffy wool. The bright white really pulls together all the blue and white already in our bedroom.
World Market
I would have to see this golden two-tone rug in person, but it looks very similar to the color I would like to paint my kitchen.
Another plush, shaggy white rug for sinking our toes into.
Velocity
Another beautiful golden style in a great graphic pattern perfect for the kitchen or dining room.
These are just a few of my favorites right now. While I may not have the funds to rush out and purchase all of these beautiful styles to make my house into a home, I can always be my own virtual decorator until that time comes!
This could not be more spot on, what can I say, I am a classic kind of gal! Find out your StyleScope now from HomeGoods.
