{Living Room Re-Design}

I absolutely fell in LOVE when I saw THIS living room design from The Yellow Cape Cod By: Sarah Macklem Interiors.  Her designs are awesome, since they are affordable and practical.  I also love that she tells you where she gets the items for her designs.  AWESOME...this is a daily read for me!  The design that I linked up to is kinda where I intended my living room to go, by it went awry somewhere along the way.  So, I decided to make an inspiration board of my own so that I could keep track of the items that I have found that I really love, as well as have examples of some of the DIY projects I want to tackle.

I want to do this for every room in the house, since we hope to get this place really spruced up by the end of the summer.  So here it is...

As you can probably tell, Kevin and I are not afraid of color.  Don't get me wrong, I will gawk at a beautiful, neutral room.  I just don't see one in my near future.  The color works as a great distraction from the dirt and grime that come with having 2 young boys.  Plus, this is kinda where we are in life.  We're young, our kids are young, and we want to have a little bit of colorful fun! 

That being said, I prefer my walls to be a neutral color.  That way, when (notice I said when and not if), I change my mind, I don't have to go painting walls again.  It's probably my least favorite thing to do in this world.  If you want to make me super unhappy, just hand me a bucket and a paint roller and tell me to go paint the dining room...ugh!  The paint I want to use is Martha Stewart Living "Sisal" from Home Depot. I like that it's a tan, with a touch of gray.  I have done the red and yellow toned beige paints and I feel like they would be too heavy for our smallish space.  You can find the details on the color on the Home Depot Website HERE.

I adore our sofa.  It's deep, comfy and still in great shape structure wise.  However, between the dogs and the boys, the fabric is no looking so hot.  I was told by a very reliable source that I should consider a white denim slip cover.  At first, all I could think was that my precious Aunt Cissy had lost her mind.  But then, with one word, she made me reconsider....BLEACH.  She made a very good point and now I think I may give it a shot.  Here is a custom slipcover I found on Etsy.  The shape is exactly like our sofa and it seems to be about the same size:

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The additional seating is the next subject I want to tackle.  I already have the most fabulous chair, that once belonged to my great-great grandmother.  It needs a little (or a lot) of TLC, so I figured I would have it recovered eventually.  I would love to have another chair, in a different but complimentary shape covered in the same fabric to coordinate.  Here's my idea (chair #2 is similar to the one I already have).

Chair #1 Source          Fabric Source          Chair #2 Source

I NEED a huge rug to cover all of the awful spots all over the carpet.  It can't be to fancy, but it also needs to be durable.  I loved this indoor/outdoor option from Pottery Barn.  If it's capable of withstanding the elements, then it should be able to hold up against hurricanes Hayden and Colton.  Not to mention, it pulls together all of the colors in the room.

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I love pattern...a lot of it!  I also adore all things chevron right now (along with everyone else).  Here are some fun drapes that I want desperately...3 sets please!

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I am beyond obsessed with the DIY coffee tables that are floating around Pinterest.  But, the factory cart design might be my favorite.  The antique versions are INSANELY expensive, but this DIY version would suite me just fine!

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We have some really great lamp stands that I found at Target that are braided wood and are stained a dark brown.  I love them, but am not so fond of the shades.  I would prefer something like these from Pottery Barn.  I am pretty sure I could make them myself.  Looks easy enough!

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I love this DIY mantle from The Lettered Cottage.  Right now, our mantle consists of about a 1" piece of faux gold colored marble.  It's hideous and makes me shiver a bit every time I look at it.  The brick of our fireplace was reclaimed and has a bit of a whitewash finish to it.  I would love to make it stand out more than it does with a beefed up dark wood mantle.  I would also love for it to be wider than it is right now.  I don't have much room to display fun items.  Which leads me to my next photo:

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This is The Nester's mantle.  I love all of the vintage pieces and would love to do something like this over ours one day...once I can talk the hubby into building me a new one!



We have a ton of wall space in our living room.  And, I love art.  When there is a blank wall, I get anxious, so I pretty much keep them filled up with photos and artwork that I create or find a good deal on.  I would love to have a gallery wall similar to this one.  I am just terrible at organizing these things! 

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I am a huge fan of subway art.  It allows you to put so many wonderful, meaningful thoughts, places or words into a very small space.  I like the cream with red lettering of this one I found on Etsy.  I would love something similar, only using the street names of Key Largo, FL.  That's mine and Kevin's happy place and it would be nice to go there (in spirit) every time we walk by the print.

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I would also like to incorporate some type of flag art into a future collage.  I think it would tie all of the colors together nicely, but also serve as a reminder to be grateful everyday that we are Americans.



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Last, but certainly not least, are the throw pillows.  This might be my favorite part about our existing sofa.  It's large enough to accommodate a bunch of these beauties.  I love them all, and would find a place for them all, if my husband didn't get so overwhelmed by all of the different patterns.  I figure...these are options.  Rachel Zoe says you can never have too many options.  As far as I'm concerned, she's a genius!

Source #1,     Source #2,     Source #3,     Source #4,     Source #5



Now, like I said, this is an "inspiration board".  I love all of these items, and would love to support the stores they come from.  But, let's be honest...Kevin would KILL me if I spent this much money decorating our living room.  100% positive he would.  But, since he is handy and I'm creative, I think we could work something comparable out on most of the pricier items.

What do you think?  Are you re-decorating any rooms?  Any favorite online stores that you buy from?  I would love to hear your thoughts or tips!