my living room gets a neutral redo

In my inaugural post I shared photos of my Lustron and hinted that some changes were coming soon. Well, I tricked you. I used old pics of the living room, because my redecorating scheme was already under way, but not camera-ready. Now it’s time for the big reveal! I can’t say I’m “finished,” because I don’t think I’ll ever stop tweaking my favorite room, but I’m satisfied enough to invite you in.

The best part about the makeover? More room for our tushies and dinner plates. After living with a loveseat and small ottoman for seven years, we finally have a full-size sofa and coffee table. I wanted an iconic chair, so I chose the spry Grasshopper lounger from Modernica. We got the sofa from DWR, the vintage tile table from Danish Modern L.A., and the wool rug from Verde Home. We already had the Heywood-Wakefield side tables. Sarah Lodato, founder of the Atlanta Institute of Stitches and Crafts, made the curtains.

We mixed in objects and art from Andrea’s grandparents’ farm, which was recently sold. Seen above, the blue bird, sock darners, and orange pitcher all belonged to Grammie. The succulent cushions are by PillowHappy.

I’ll show you three more photos after the jump.

I’m almost ashamed to tell you how much time I spend every day spent arranging and micro-decorating the shelves. I actually went to the thrift store with a ruler and notes about what sizes and colors of books to buy. Andrea took the aerial photos on a work trip in Honolulu.

This vignette sits next to the TV on a long cherry credenza we already had. I’ve been admiring pottery lamps forever, and I love the multihued glaze on this one. I made the air plant landscape in a ceramic bowl inscribed with our wedding date, a gift from my in-laws. I needed to bring green into this corner, so I backed HeftArt’s linocut print with sage drawing paper.

I freaked out a bit when the sofa arrived, because it looked too slick and contemporary with our mishmash of stuff. The nubby alpaca throw and vintage pottery bring it down to earth, I think. The pencil drawing of Andrea’s great-grandfather–another keepsake from the farm–inspired me to incorporate more black and white into the room.

The room as a whole is more muted and natural than our previous scheme, because Andrea complained that my decorating was too feminine. I thought ousting the chartreuse and turquoise in favor of neutrals might make me feel muted and sad, but I actually love the changes. I think the space is more sophisticated and complex, and it makes me happy that my husband feels more at home.