the cove: living room

Because you can't really have a makeover post without some sort of before photo, right? So how 'bout three of them? You're welcome! As a side note, I've realized that I need to design some sort of floor plan for y'all to see. We've had several people come over and declare that the layout is nothing like they were thinking. And as a confessed nerd/dork, doing something like that sounds fun. Grab some graph paper and go... I'm thinking there's probably a digital site that'll do something like that for me fairly effortlessly though. Anyone got any ideas?

Enough rambling, right? The after photos kind of speak for themselves. We painted all the walls a fabulous light gray. And while the color is cooler during the day, when the lights come on a night, it's a really great warm color. So a win in the color department for sure. Which is a good thing because the color extends down the hallway. And will eventually go in our den too. Happy gray, happy life, right? No? Hmmm...

Anyway, as I've stated before, that feature wall was already here and yes, we still love it like crazy. This rooms boasts four windows and has amazing natural light – another huge selling point for us. We added white blinds to all of the windows to brighten things up, yet give us some privacy too. We've also added some artwork around the room to personalize the space. I still have plans for artwork over the desk area and coat hanging area. I know what I want to do, it just takes money to do it, and we're doing things as we save money.

Speaking of saving money, many people have asked if we purchased a new couch. The answer? No! We just bought a new slipcover – which was 100s of dollars less than buying a new couch. And it changed the entire feel of the room. I still love the look of the white cover, but the gray cover, and the texture it has, just seems to fit our point in life at the moment. We have saved the white cover, and at some point it may return. After a good washing and thorough bleaching, ha! We were also completely surprised that our sectional fit in this space. We thought for sure it wouldn't considering the size of our last living room was much larger. We love that it fit though, and it keeps the room cozy.

Overall, I'd say this room is probably 80% done? We still need to give the ceiling a fresh coat of (white) paint. The trim could all use a fresh coat of paint at some point too. And that fixture in the foyer is a big, fat nope in my book. We'd like to do a clear orb fixture of some sort possibly. I am crushing on this one. The fact that it's acrylic and not glass sounds like a brilliant idea in our home full of boys.

I have a couple of other updates to share. Just have to take the time to photograph them. One is the big boys' room. Which takes cleaning and styling... because no way would I show you what it looks like on a normal day!