Living Room Reveal

Remember the wall? The one that took us a few months to finish? Well, we finished it. And then it took me a few months to post about it. I guess I was waiting until our living room was 100% finished. But I'm still searching for a few finishing touches. And since I'm always changing things, it will probably never be finished.

The stenciled wall:




We were really tired of our living room. The style was never really us. And the furniture made it feel way too cramped.

The before:

(Originally there was a matching love seat squished in there. Those paintings had been floating up there for a few years ever since we moved the armoire to the corner. Definitely time for a makeover.)

AFTER:




BEFORE:


AFTER:

couch (which converts to a bed!): major bargain at World Market
rug: carpet squares from FLOR


metal chair and orange geometric chair: World Market
side table: thrift store ($15!)


blue chair: Urban Outfitters
tv stand: Modern Mobler (great store in DC with mid-century modern furniture)




My mom made the pillow covers with Joel Dewberry fabric I got on Etsy.


Our old curtain rod was sagging. We changed it out for plumbing! I love repurposing things. I might attempt to spray paint this a copper color.


This clock used to hang in my Grandpa's grocery store back in the 50s. Then it moved to the meat shop behind his house. My cousins and I would play in there all the time and I always loved this clock. I'm so glad I was able to snag it. It had been hiding in my dining room but I realized it was a perfect match for the new living room. It actually works perfectly and even lights up. The cord is too short right now so we're working on a solution that doesn't involve a huge extension cord hanging on the wall.

Sew crazy.

Sewing machines come with a certain intimidation factor. I have to admit that for nearly a year, I sewed everything with purple thread because I was afraid to change the bobbin or thread my machine, fearing that it would never work again if I touched anything. In the past, my sewing machine would only come out of the closet when my mom was in town. So during her latest visit a few weeks ago, I was prepared with a few patterns and lots of material. I had an apron pattern that had been sitting on the shelf for months, staring me down with its pretentious "anyone can make this" attitude. I knew I could attempt it with the assistance of my mom. She gave me lots of tips and explained the basics of following a pattern. After she left, I was an expert at threading my machine, winding a bobbin, changing a bobbin, and now realize that it's actually quite easy. Of course, I am also an expert at picking out incorrect stitches.


It's reversible!


A friend gave me an easy skirt pattern and I tackled this project by myself and discovered that sewing can even be a little rewarding, and addictive. I've made 5 skirts so far, which is good since Amelia refuses to wear pants. She models a few...




When I break out my sewing machine and crafting supplies, I go crazy. Partly because I have nowhere to set up shop permanently so the dining room turns into a crazy mess and I want to get as much done while everything is out. So in addition to the sewing, I experimented with some custom freezer paper stencils. My brother and his wife made us fantastic shirts last year using this method and I wanted to try it out for myself. I went a little crazy with this as well, attempting to spruce up any fabric in sight.

The result:






I couldn't resist combining the two...I stenciled some plain fabric and then made a skirt with it.