Living Room Before & After

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had wonderful weekends. I FINALLY wanted to show you what I've been working on every weekend since Thanksgiving...my living room!

Aside from the hallway at my house, I never repainted a single room. The paint colors were nice and neutral and I just sort of settled for them. The sandy beige of my living room looked nice enough during the day but at night, it had a horrendous puke-y green undertone that drove me bonkers.

Aside from despising the nocturnal paint color, I also have never bought a new piece of furniture for this house. Everything I own came to me secondhand, whether it was a hand-me-down from family, a purchase from one of Wilmington's wonderful consignment stores or a steal from one of my show's set dec sales. I made do and lived like this for three years...

The living room was fine the way it was. I tried to liven it up with glossy black paint, Trina Turk pillows, a cowhide rug and black and white photography. But the couch- THE COUCH! It drove me insane.

Then one day, I found this sparkling Lexington gem at Custom Home Furniture...literally, it sparkles.

And so the games began...after coddling "Santa" and putting in a few $$ of my own, the couch became mine and the living room became a new space...

After MANY paint colors tests and lots of compromise, I finally painted the room Ben Moore's Ocean Air. What a breath of fresh air it has been! Do I think the room is perfect? No. The blue chair could stand to be recovered or replaced entirely and I need end tables to flank my sofa and sit next to the coral (ahem...orange) chair. But that stresses me out much less than a big ticket purchase.

The dogs still enjoy the furniture as well- what can I say, I like cuddling with them- but we cover the upholstery with a king sized comforter to keep dirt, drool and dander far away from the gorgeous tweed and brass nailheads.

So what do you think of this make-over? I refrain from showing you the dining room right now as it stands in a state of transition. But it's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do...hmmmm...