Change IS Good!
If you read one of my posts a while back, you'd remember that I ever so politely expressed my disdain for our ugly couches. Well, enough was enough! Zach and I couldn't take it anymore. It was time for an upgrade! We finally bought ourselves a brand new sectional. Although a sectional was not my first choice (I would have preferred a formal living room set), we figured a sectional would be perfect for an entertainment room in our future home; so why not purchase it now, and get the formal stuff later. So that's what we did! We love that our sectional seats so many people for lots of friends and movie nights. It's so big and comfy.
Well, with a change in couches also came a change in decor! Yay! I love to read decor blogs, and I especially love to obsess over Candice Olson's Collection. Her style is exactly what I like. She's sophisticated, yet not too modern..tufted cushions, satin drapes, crystal chandeliers, timeless accents...a sort of casual elegance. I'd LOVE to have her decorate my whole house one day. High hopes? Yes. Will it ever happen? No. But I can at least steal her ideas and TRY to decorate myself.
So I picked a few of her designer rooms and tried to incorporate them into our little condo. There's not much you can do when you're renting, like play around with crown molding, wallpaper, or bead board, but I worked with as much as I could. Here's a few pics of my attempt to recreate our living room into a somewhat collaborative design - Candice Olson style. It's far from ideal, but it will work. And I must say, I'm sooo sick of sewing. I think I'll put my machine away for another few months; at least! :)
. . . . . . . .
My Inspiration
Candice Olson Design Collection
Well, with a change in couches also came a change in decor! Yay! I love to read decor blogs, and I especially love to obsess over Candice Olson's Collection. Her style is exactly what I like. She's sophisticated, yet not too modern..tufted cushions, satin drapes, crystal chandeliers, timeless accents...a sort of casual elegance. I'd LOVE to have her decorate my whole house one day. High hopes? Yes. Will it ever happen? No. But I can at least steal her ideas and TRY to decorate myself.
So I picked a few of her designer rooms and tried to incorporate them into our little condo. There's not much you can do when you're renting, like play around with crown molding, wallpaper, or bead board, but I worked with as much as I could. Here's a few pics of my attempt to recreate our living room into a somewhat collaborative design - Candice Olson style. It's far from ideal, but it will work. And I must say, I'm sooo sick of sewing. I think I'll put my machine away for another few months; at least! :)
. . . . . . . .
My Inspiration
Candice Olson Design Collection
Lots of Venetian mirrors and accents...
crystal chandeliers and elegant tufted furniture...
blues and greys for a calming feeling...
rich texture and classic damask prints...
ruffled pillows...
all a bit on the girly side of decorating! :)
. . . . . . . . . .Out with the Old, In with the New
Our new sectional finally arrived back in October! I was so happy. I even ditched school to be there when they came. They are WAY too big for our living room, but we love the extra seating.
. . . . . . . . . .Time To Get To Work
I went boutique hopping with some girlfriends and found some cute accents for our end tables and walls. Our favorite place was "Dear Lizzies" in Alpine. However, my wallet disagreed. Too expensive! So instead of spending the money on the expensive stuff, I decided to steal some of their ideas to start a few DIY projects of my own. Here they are...
. . . . . .
Pillows
I started out by picking out some fabric that I wanted to use for a few throw pillows. I didn't want them to be too "matchy matchy," I wanted some sort of silk fabric to sit against textured, tapestry-like fabrics. So I chose a few patterns and color choices that made up sort of an eclectic mix.
Pillows
I started out by picking out some fabric that I wanted to use for a few throw pillows. I didn't want them to be too "matchy matchy," I wanted some sort of silk fabric to sit against textured, tapestry-like fabrics. So I chose a few patterns and color choices that made up sort of an eclectic mix.
I measured the pillows and sewed the covers.
I tried to duplicate a few of the cute ruffled pillows I saw at the boutiques. They were fairly simple to sew. The original throw pillows in the boutiques were around $30-$40 dollars, but my home made look-a-likes were about $4-$6 dollars each! They don't look exactly the same, but they were far less expensive!
I love ruffles! I loved the round pillows at the boutique and tried to capture what they had on display.
. . . . . .
Windows
I also bought 10 yards of satin fabric for the window treatments and matching accent tie-downs. I wanted the fabric to bustle at the bottom on floor. Too bad we don't have dark hardwood flooring to make it look a little more elegant; we lucked out with blue church carpet! We bought a rug awhile ago to try to hide it, but even the rug isn't working out so well. :)
Windows
I also bought 10 yards of satin fabric for the window treatments and matching accent tie-downs. I wanted the fabric to bustle at the bottom on floor. Too bad we don't have dark hardwood flooring to make it look a little more elegant; we lucked out with blue church carpet! We bought a rug awhile ago to try to hide it, but even the rug isn't working out so well. :)
. . . . . .Walls
I found this beautiful Venetian-etched mirror on KSL. The mirror was pretty, but the old oak wood frame had to go! I went to Lowes and picked out some elegant molding to enhance the Venetian etching and replace the old frame. Zach was nice and helped me cut the molding to fit the frame perfectly. I thought it turned out really cute.
Sara inspired me to do a DIY project with my husband just as she did with her husband. Surprisingly, Zach was down for it. I think he liked the challenge. It was a fun little project for us to do together as a couple. I know, so sappy. But fun! ;)
. . . . . .Accents
I bought mirrored lamps to match the large mirror on the wall. I then added extra fabric to the existing shades to match the throw pillows. All that was left were a few shabby chic accents to tie in the colors and create the overall look!
. . . . . .
Overall, the partial re-do of our living room was fun! It isn't totally complete, but good enough for now. I really enjoy crafty, hands-on projects, but only for so long. Eventually I get lazy and sick of the mess. I fell short of a lot of the ideas I had in mind; mostly because I'm still busy with work and school, but also because I was tired of sewing and having the craft junk strewn all over my house. I was happy to put it all away. ha ha. Maybe I'll finish it completely this summer after I graduate and have more time on my hands. I'm most pleased with our HUGE sectional though. Zach can now watch all his sports with superior comfort! :)
Overall, the partial re-do of our living room was fun! It isn't totally complete, but good enough for now. I really enjoy crafty, hands-on projects, but only for so long. Eventually I get lazy and sick of the mess. I fell short of a lot of the ideas I had in mind; mostly because I'm still busy with work and school, but also because I was tired of sewing and having the craft junk strewn all over my house. I was happy to put it all away. ha ha. Maybe I'll finish it completely this summer after I graduate and have more time on my hands. I'm most pleased with our HUGE sectional though. Zach can now watch all his sports with superior comfort! :)
