Out with the old!

My brother David gave me a pretty nifty birthday gift in September.

 

 

He took his old couches out of storage and let me have them!

 

No more plaid.  No more maroon.  More neutral.  More options.  Additional seating.  And so comfortable!

I picked up a blue rug at IKEA, as I have been dying to add come cool blue in here for forever.  Then I decided I wanted to sprinkle color at random.  I fought my inner 90's-matchy-matchy demon and won.  Liberating!

 

It might seem weird but I love it.  I made this chevron pillow the other night.  After finding no zig zag fabric at Walmart or Joanns I was frustrated.  I splurged on half a yard of designer fabric at Gardner Village and spent a whopping $5.75.  The green scrolly pillows were on clearance for $7 at Walmart. 

I swapped my cream bell shades for white (they look yellow with the light on) drum shades last month.  I totally love them!

 

On the other side I have an aqua pillow to coordinate with the rug; the pillow was $8 at Ross a couple months ago.  And the coral one was a fat quarter from my stash that I used for the front, and I used a white sheet remnant for the back, so it didn't cost me anything.  The pillows I sewed all have envelope openings in the back so I can take off the cover to wash them.  Kids, ya know.

 

 

Those colors together make me so happy.

 

 

 

I continued the update going into the kitchen.  While I was tossing the maroon, I had to get rid of my valances.  Ick.

Here is what they used to look like.

 

 

 

I found some indoor-outdoor fabric at Joanns that I really liked for its durability and the fact that it wouldn't wrinkle.  I hemmed the sides and made a rod pocket.  It went really quick. 

 

Spent $10 on enough fabric for both kitchen windows and will have enough for a couch pillow to pull it all together, since you can see the spaces together on the main floor.

 

I've made these changes over the last 6 weeks or so and I love the transformation so far.  Next to happen will be to get rid of our ugly ottoman (turned coffee table) and get a small black table instead.  And the leather recliner is too big for the room now, so if I can get a smaller option for cheap I will switch that too.   

 

Most exciting, we're painting the living room and doing a faux wainscoat white wall treatment.  I think it will help to lighten and modernize the space and I can't wait!