I know I've talked about our new home on my blog before but I haven't posted just a whole lot about it. I'm the kind of person who has to have everything perfect at all times and I can't wait.. for anything. So moving is always a struggle for me. I want the boxes unpacked before I go to bed, everything in it's place and to (naturally) look amazing. If I need a piece of furniture, I better find it on my first trip, at the first store I land at.
Do you know how many things I've given to goodwill or sold on craigslist because I didn't like them? TOO many to count. All due to buying them and not waiting to get what I really wanted or really just looking at all my options.
I feel like I should share a before picture. And I stole this right from the sale listing.
I liked the color, I loved the floors but man is that a plain living room. They weren't living in the house when it was listed so I'll give them that they may have only left a couple things behind.
Anyway, I promised myself on this house, I would do better that past homes. I would be patient and take my time. Well I was still pretty expedited but I did wait. We had the living room one way with a massive TV that everyone passing by could see in the first arrangement....
Meh. I mean it's OK but it's also kind of an eye sore. And really who wants to live in just an OK house?! And to be honest, that TV didn't ever get watched. SO five months in, we switched gears and did some tweaking. This was actually Brian's idea and I love it!
Now I know this is a bit misleading because I took the first picture at night and the second on a pretty day but I love number two! I love that the beautiful BUFFET I found now has a perfect home and place to shine. Before it was tucked back in the breakfast nook and never thought about.
I searched high and low and for months to find our dining room table. I know I've blogged about our CHINA CABINET before and I just mentioned our buffet, they are both Duncan Phyfe. I really wanted the matching table. But finding one in good condition that some trendy furniture re-doer hadn't painted "rustic white" or turquoise was quite the challenge. But again, I was semi-patient. Plus I stalked every online yard sale facebook page, craigslist, every antique store in a 50 mile radius, etc. Finally one day I found the perfect table in excellent condition-- 2 hours away. We have no truck, no real means of hauling a table, 2 leaves and 6 chairs back to Little Rock. So I mentioned to them, I want the table, let me find out a way to get it to Little Rock. To my surprise they immediately responded, we have grand babies in LR and would be happy to deliver! WHAT?! YES! Is tomorrow too soon?! hehe.
Long story short, I love it. It's perfect. All I had to do was recover the chair seats to match our decor. I ended up buying a few more side chairs (Vintage Round from Restoration Hardware) to mix and match since we have another table in our breakfast nook. I like having a fair mix between contemporary and traditional. I think the whole living room is a perfect mix! But back to the table-- it extends to fit 12 so we can fill in when needed. It actually works really well extending into the living room, we've got to use it 3 times already! ;)
We have two living spaces in the new house-- one up and then a large walk out basement. We decided shortly after signing all the papers that our focus would be on the basement and making that our favorite place-- i.e. buying all the new furniture. Me, being a woman and worrier, was uneasy about taking our old furniture-- couches-- to the new house and having them be the very first thing you see when you walk in. So in my very woman, I'm-right-my-husband-will-agree brain decided I would just go along with this plan and find the perfect couches to bring up at the perfect time and my perfect husband will agree and I will buy them.
Then moving day came and the couches looked great with the wall color, fit perfect, actually everything fit perfect. Except my favorite china cabinet. Brian mentioned on his way to get another load, we might just have to part with it. WHAT?! No we won't. So I asked my mom, "Is it weird for this thing to be anywhere other than the dining room?" Mom--always supportive of my wonderful ideas-- no, where were you thinking? And bam, just like that, it ended up in the living room and I fell in love. It just fits. It works!
So maybe my 7 year old couches that I bought-because-I-didn't-want-to-waste-time-and-I-needed-furniture-today-and-I've-never-really-liked-them-anyway-and-everything-use-to-be-all-browns-and-tans-and-now-I-absolutely-hate-brown, actually worked. Maybe my husband was right. (I'm only saying that because I don't know he even knows how to find my blog.) ((and I used "maybe."))
So really all we had to buy was a new coffee table, which was found a this cool store in Little Rock called Nadeau. They don't currently have ours in stock but do have one similar. They also have one just like it at West Elm.
Oh and our art-- I follow this design blogger, Dear Lillie, everything she does is perfect. She always is posting this gorgeous art on her instagram. One day I saw the perfect colors for our space. To my surprise, Brian loved it, agreed and we finally had our statement piece!
One thing I love about our living room is how much light it draws in-- but when I'm trying to take a really cool photo and show you how amazing my new art is-- I hate it!! So check out her website and see for yourself. Everything she does is beautiful! I have a wishlist going.
So in a very long post, this is our new living room. Of course there are still things I want done, cough new light fixtures but aren't houses always a semi work in progress? It's perfect for us and I sure do love a good Saturday morning on that old couch I use to hate.
XOXO, ARJ
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