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Finished Living Room and How to NOT Recover Your Couch

At The Point, Home Decor
35 Comments

I can’t believe it.  Amidst the graduation preparation I managed to finish the living room.  Of course, it took all of my energy and now I will be in a comatose state for the next week.

Oh well, at least I have a pretty room to lie in and a graduated child to wait on me hand and foot.

It used to look like this…..

I painted the piano, painted the ladder, re-did the couch (more on that in a minute), painted and skirted the wicker chairs, and generally rearranged.

Ta-da!

Doesn’t it look completely different?  It’s a challenging space to lay out.  It’s very small and you walk right into it from the front door.  We have 11 people living here plus we have company constantly and homechurch here.  So we need a lot of seating.

My goal was to calm it down.  Remove the red and de-clutter.  No more silk plants, books and candles.  Just calmness and cuteness that doesn’t require much dusting.

I do think the wicker chairs have taken the room a little too far into the cuteness factor.  But for now, they are the chairs I have.  I need an excuse to hit the flea market though, so stay who knows what I’ll end up with.

It was a hard decision, but I removed the bench.  It just wasn’t working.  I added a wicker chair back into the room that was in storage.  I also removed the bookshelf.  It was too much busy-ness.  I put the lockers there instead.  The kids use the lockers for their school things.  It is working out great!

I removed the light fixture that was hanging in the center.  A couple of men that visit regularly would hit their head on it.  I got two lights from IKEA and gave them the “Lisa” treatment (more on that later too).

I had to leave Jacob’s computer cabinet in the same place.  If I let him move his computer to his room we’d never see him.  So here it stays.  I don’t mind….I like seeing the back of his head all day.

I bought a vintage German feedsack at Round Top.  All I had to do was stuff it and stitch the end closed.  I love the way it turned out.

I moved the screen door from the opposite wall.  It was going to be difficult to hang anything from the rock wall, so I hung the chalkboard from the screen door instead.  I love that chalkboard.  I need more of them.   I change the verse on it regularly.

From the other side….before:

And after:

There’s my little helper again.  He follows me everywhere I go.

I have been wanting to recover the couch for a long time.  But it is just too expensive and I really didn’t want a slipcover.  I have a white slipcover on the love seat in my bedroom and it is more maintenance than I wanted for the living room.  I love the “all white” look, but it just won’t work for me.  I need to be able to hide kid messes.  So I found a fabric that would coordinate with my sofa and I got enough to recover just the cushions and make arm covers.  I did that myself over a few days.  I got all of it on sale, clearance or free.  Then I added the skirt by stapling it up under the cording that was already there and hot gluing a cord over the staples.  I’m telling you, it was a cheap, easy job.

You can still see the old couch on the sides and the back.  But it doesn’t bother me at all.

If you can’t sew, it would still be cheaper to hire someone to just recover your cushions. And if I had the couch in a place where you could see the back, I think I’d slip a cover over just the back.  It wouldn’t be too hard since the back doesn’t get a lot of wear and tear.

I’m tired now.  Where’s Jacob?  I need him to come fan me.

Go here see how some other large, homeschooling families live.

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I am linking to:

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays @ Coastal Charm

Anti-Procrastination Tuesday@ New Nostalgia

Toot Your Horn Tuesday @ A Silly Little Sparrow

Get Your Craft On @ Today’s Creative Blog

Sundae Scoop @ i heart naptime

Metaporphasis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming

Frugalicious Fridays @ Finding Fabulous

Spotlight Yourself @ It’s So Very Cheri

Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tater Tots and Jello

Show and Share Day @ Just a Girl

35 Comments

  1. Shew! You’ve got so much done! What kind of vitamins do you take?!
    I like your recovered sofa and its different fabrics and your lockers really give me the wants.
    I saw a 3 hole candy machine at a flea market this weekend and thought of you. My kids really wanted us to get it, but it was all plastic and had no style.
    Enjoy your coma this week!
    ☺ Celeste
    .-= Celeste´s last blog ..Can we get a little privacy, please? =-.

  4. What a cozy looking room. I love your framed clocks and you have me curious with the ladder by the sofa… Oh, and I really like the chalk board on the door–it frames it so well. (You should consider adding the “followers” gadget;)). Your sofa would be a perfect link up to my new Fabric fun Thursday part, too. Blessings, Kim
    .-= Kim @ Cheap Chic Home´s last blog ..Table Top Moss Ball =-.

  5. WHAT A FABULOUS MAKEOVER, and yes, I am yelling!
    I love the room!
    Brilliant idea to put a patterned fabric on the tops of the cushions!
    Why didn’t I think of that?!
    I too, have chalkboards that I write scripture on, but I love the huge size of yours-yum!
    The clocks inside the frame–so charming and different!
    Forget Jacob, let me come fan you so I can sit in this cozy room!
    Hugs!
    ~me
    .-= Leslie, the Home Maker´s last blog ..Tails from the Scene of the Grime–Birthday Update =-.

  9. I do believe YOU need to go on one of the design star shows…you have the eye girl! Actually both eyes seem to work well. I love how the living room is calmer. One day I just may trade in my red sofa…

    Congratulations on the graduation!!! I get teary just thinking of sending Annie off to college. Or high school. Or junior high. We are pondering home schooling when we come back that way…to be continued.
    Blessings!!!
    .-= lisa logan´s last blog ..Our favorite Legoland ride! =-.

  10. I think you accomplished what you set out to do; it’s very calming and peaceful. I really like it! I love the framed clock pieces above the couch. How did you do that? Everything is just so neat!

    Nancy

  12. found your blog via my cousins: this blessed nest. absolutely love what you did to your living room, it’s amazingly beautiful. and i love love love the painted piano, i think that is my favorite redo, i don’t even have a piano and now i want one just so i can paint it. well done!

  13. (having trouble with the captcha code, so this might be a duplicte entry) . . . i found your blog via my cousins: this blessed nest. i love what you’ve done with your livingroom, just so beautiful and peaceful. i especially love the painted piano, my favorite “redo”. i don’t even have a piano and now i want one just so i can paint it. it’s awesome!

  14. I just love your transformation. It says, “Come in and stay awhile.” Very refreshing. Are any of those great pieces from Canton? Love the ladder, and giant chalkboard. I’m waiting for the weather to cool off a bit before I hit Canton again.

    Great job…and in the midst of a graduation to boot? Even more amazing! Off to RH…thanks again for the tip!
    .-= Angela´s last blog ..The fountain of youth…at Target =-.

  15. Wow! My heart is going pitter pat. Well done. I do like the wicker chairs for summer/spring.
    In tight spaces, furniture that you can see through opens up a tight space.

  16. wow!
    you’ve done so much.

    i agree with the first comment. inquiring minds want to know, what vitamins do you take? amazing re-do. it all looks beautiful. you also changed your frame work over the sofa. you had 3 mirrors inside the frame. no? i like the clocks too. either look is fabulous.

    of course you know the lockers are a favorite of mine.
    have a great day!
    kellie
    .-= this blessed nest´s last blog ..Bag Full of Posies ~my etsy shop =-.

  18. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I hope to get a picture as soon as the tree is removed which should be very very soon. Time has been the problem.

    Can I just say that I am so impressed with your couch recover. Wow, it looks great. The whole room looks nice and inviting. I think you accomplished your goal.
    Teresa

  19. Wow, you’ve accomplished a lot! The room looks so much more fresh and inviting now. 🙂 And I love that you make decisions based on function and not just form. 🙂 Thanks for visiting my blog. 😉

  20. I love everything about this makeover. It is just so cute and I love the homey, cottage feel. I think just recovering the cushions and making armcovers was a great solution. What a wonderful place for your church group to meet. Thanks for sharing!

  23. I love how the redone room turned out! It does look totally different and the couch is the best part I think!
    Sarah

  25. Wow! Great job! I love the couch, it turned out great! An you painted the piano?!? Brave! Love the color. It all turned out so well. Wonderful job!

  26. You are my hero. I’m so amazed by your living room transformation. Having a big family can certainly present decorating challenges (my current one is 2-year-old friendly decor — nothing climbable, breakable, or throwable at neck’s height or lower). 🙂 Anyway, your new living room is very serene and inviting. Can I move in? Surely you won’t notice one more around the place, wouldya? 😉 Also love the screen door chalkboard and the dresser under the TV — seems like a great way to organize all the media-related clutter. Kudos!
    .-= Cara´s last blog ..Solve My Laundry Dilemma and Win a Prize! =-.

  30. I just love it! Love it all! I love that this is a normal size space that most people have and I love that you did everything yourself. This room looks so totally different – different feel! You did an amazing job!

    Manuela

  31. I just love your taste.Can you come over and help me declutter?I want to ditch the silk plants too but my home is too dark. I am still thinking about my piano, I am nervous.How many coats did it take. How did you keep little ones out of the paint.

    As always you get me thinking, thanks.
    By the way I love the wicker chairs, especially the skirts. Very nice idea.
    .-= Shannon´s last blog ..Open house part 3-living spaces =-.

  32. I love your home! I could look at pictures all day! *smile* I think what I love most is the amount of detail you have put into each room. It makes the room look like “home” I wish you lived closer so that you might help me with my house!!

  33. Wow, awesome room! What a totally different feel it has in your after pics. I love the timepieces you have hanging above the sofa. Do they actually work or are they just for decoration? And I totally love the chalkboard and putting verses on it…I might just have to steal that idea if I can figure out a place to put a board like that.
    .-= Vicki´s last blog ..Creature of Habit =-.

  34. Oh it looks amazing! I wish you could come & decorate my home for me!
    Thanks for opening your home & for your couch covering tips too!
    Have a great weekend
    Renata:)

  35. Could you please share what color you painted your living room? It always looks so serene in pictures and is the exact color I was thinking for my living room. Thanks in advance!

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