Creating A Cottage On A Hill Project: The Living Room

I have very specific ideas about what I want, and what I want to be surrounded by.

Some of these ideas are timeless, and a quick glance through my Pinterest boards gives you a pretty good idea of what really gets me going.

I love how laid back and beachy this room makes me feel:

image via House of Turquoise 

Not only do I looove the aqua, but it's such a bright color that it offsets all of the white perfectly and all of those windows makes this room so very airy. I absolutely love it:

image via BHG

The girly-girl in me adores this room. The Layla Grayce obsessed stalker loves that I could complete it entirely from my favorite store. The realistic mother of a 10 year old and a little doggie with black hair and muddy paws on the regular knows better.

image via BHG 

Sometimes, I get lured in by a dramatic pop of color that just sends me soaring. Black does that to me a lot. I love this room with its Chevron rug and the light turquoise tufted ottoman/coffee table. It is so ridiculously chic and classy:

image via Apartment Therapy

You get the idea, my point being, I had strong notions about what I wanted to do when I first "met" my latest home project. When I started My first goal was only to slap some paint on the walls, and get a couch. I had absolutely NO furniture. 

Armed with some basic necessities, I got started:

(I LIVE in my painting overalls. Paint on my hands?

Easy peasy, I just wipe em' on my pants and keep on truckin')

This was my blank canvas:

The first order of business, change out that dreadful carpet and paint. And curtains.

My boss graciously donated a couch and I was on my way

This was the first location of my ginormous fish tank. I didn't really want it to be the focal point of the room. I also hated that I have this rinky dinky TV centered under my lovely little windows.

View of the side of the living room and a partial of the "dining room" that one day would become my office. We'll get to that another day...

Then I finally got my white, slipcovered, IKEA Ektorp couch that I wanted do desperately. A pull-out for guests, listed for $850, I got it for free off of Craigslist because it had a tear in the slipcover. I paid $50 for a new one and voila.

(Side bar: I'll come back later and discuss the piece to the right in a future Before & After blog. It was my first big project that I sold for way less than I should have. Nice little lesson about time and labor vs. original purchase investment on that one.) 

The next incarnation was inspired by David Bromstad of Color Splash which you can read more about HERE

I wanted to try and re-create something like this:

But instead, looked more like this:

All kinds of fail. Yeah. My couch was supposed to be dyed navy, not PURPLE. This was even after two attempts at soaking (that process is its own blog). Here's another awful view of the carnage:

I had been so excited, and then...I hated it. 

So I tolerated the scene of disaster for as long as I could and then broke down and bought another white slip cover for the couch and ottoman.That "blurple" set is for sale BTW, if anyone is interested. I painted the round table white, and it got...well...better.

Better.

Still not totally happy though, but, I sometimes wonder if I'll ever stop wanting it to be better. I look around and see achievements, but also, so many flaws.

...And here's where we are today:

And I had to single this last one out as one of my favorite projects this year, now that it's done. I got it free from CL and it was an awful brown and green (you'll see in a future B&A extravaganza blog). I then painted it to look like this:

But it felt too off to me. Too matchy. Not beachy at all. 

This, ladies and gents, was also when I realized my true obsession is for Aqua, not turquoise

(Insert collective shock)

And ta-da! Now, I love it. Also, notice the deer antler candle stick holder? Christmas present from my Lori from Z Gallerie. She knows me SO well. 

So that's my living room. It's come a long way, baby. And hell, since these latest photos were taken, I've even made some more improvements. I'll save them for another day. Some things that I plan to do though:

1. That big ass black TV has to go. Ick.
2. The table to the left that I got free from the vintage store lady that loves me, totally needs to be white washed. Though, I loves me some aged gray wood.
3. The table the right of my "Nest" chair, I am thinking of painting it aqua, the same as in the inside of the cabinet in that last photo, what do you think?

Suggestions are always welcome. I value your opinions. 

Up Next: The Kitchen, Bathroom, Office, Workspace, Blake's Room and My Room.