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

Katherine Floral Rug

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

Lotus Rug

I love Damask Prints and this brown style would look great in our living room with our green sofa.

Eva Rug

This similar rug in an orange tone would also be a nice addition to the living room.

Horchow

Tonal Vines Rug

I love the subtle pattern in these monotone rugs. They look so soft and supple too!

IKEA

Andrea Rund

This orange and white style would be perfect to spice up our dark office, and better yet the orange screams CLEMSON TIGERS!

Flokati

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

Wool Tufted Rug

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.

Wool/Cotton Shag Rug

Another plush, shaggy white rug for sinking our toes into.

Velocity

Honey Wool Rug

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.

I finally broke down (and now I am broke!) and ordered a few things for our empty den/sitting room, along with a media console that is more in scale with our 50’ ridiculous flat screen. Luckily I got some great deals, since most of the items are for a mostly underutilized room, I didn’t want spend too much money, but I did want to have some furniture in the room since we have several holiday parties coming up in our new home.

Our tv stand is rather out of scale with our television (this is actually a photo from our townhome in Charleston):

So I decided to get this media console that will accommodate that 50’ TV my hubby just had to have:

Coventry Media Console – Overstock.com

I think the black will look nice with our red furniture in our den, especially compared to our old one!

For our living/sitting room, I started with this sofa I found at Overstock.com. I would have rather had a Pottery Barn style, but I do like the vintage feel of this sofa and it is small enough to accommodate the irregular shape of the room.

Evan Asparagus Sofa – Overstock.com

Here is the empty room we will be putting this furniture in:

I also purchased two small rugs for the doors since we trek through this room every day, along with two bookcases to flank the fireplace, from Target. These rugs are likely temporary until I find something nicer that I really love.

HOME Modern Botanical Rug – 20×32 – Target.com

The only problem with the bookcases is now I have to find something to put on them! The sitting room still has a long way to go (as does the rest of the house) but at least we are one step closer to turning our house into our home.

Now that hubby and I have actually been home for a substantial time, we are finally getting unpacked and settled. The house is still a bit of a mess and we definitely still have some unpacking and A LOT of decorating ahead of us. This past weekend my parents came into town to see our house for the first time, so mom and I went on a furniture shopping expedition. Several of the rooms in our house are fairly empty and we are in desperate need of some cute, inexpensive furniture pieces.

Our trip began at Garden Ridge, then we continued on to several local furniture consignment stores, Pier One, World Market, and Kirkland’s. I actually only found items at one store, Consignment 1st, a local furniture consignment shop in the Queen City. If you are a Charlottean, definitely go check out one of their locations. I picked up four wrought iron chairs (to pair with my glass top breakfast table) and a solid wood desk for $150! Here are my fabulous finds:

Look at that cute face! These chairs look like they were made to pair with my (free) breakfast table my mom gave me and I kind of love them. My plan is to repurpose the seats with some funky fabric, as soon as I decide my decor theme in the kitchen. I am so ANXIOUS to get my house in order and start doing some major decorating and especially post the changes on the blog. My career path actually started out in Interior Design and I always feel like I missed out a little bit when my school lost it’s program. I also picked up this great desk, which I plan on changing out the hardware:

The desk was about $50 and I couldn’t even find a cheapie particle board desk for that! This one is solid wood and completely reminds me of my childhood furniture that I loved. It has a bit of a shabby chic feel and will look even better with some new classy hardware. I intend to use this as my crafting/sewing table, and it couldn’t be more perfect. Now I just need to find a great chair to pair with it.

Would you like to see more home improvement/decorating ideas on the blog? Let me know, I love all things design and would love to share ideas and tips with you guys, but only if you want to read about them!