Back to the Bookcases

Having discovered a whole new arrangement for the living room complete with a brand-spanking new T.V. viewing spot {and cold air return!}, the family had been settling in for some prime time action with Tangled  and How to Train Your Dragon. Something that didn't settle quite right with me, however, was the black hole syndrome from the bookcases flanking the television.

Remember when I painted them? They went from oak to Dark Cavern, and I loved the more modern effect. Too much Dark Cavern, it turns out, can be a bad thing, especially when the bookcases embody literal caverns swallowing up everything I'd carefully placed on the shelves. Time for a change.

I'd picked up a few new throw pillows from Home Goods, and one of them reminded me a little bit of the painted wallpaper in the girls' room.



Roy digs the new pillows.


What to do? You guessed it: I unearthed my trusty template and pencil and set to work "wallpapering" the bookcases.

Two bookcases traced and painted took a couple hours on a rainy Sunday evening. The results?

Eye-popping, for sure, but not my favorite. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what I didn't like about the painted wallpaper on the bookcases when I loved it in the girls' room and the same design on the new throw pillow. The closest I can come up with to describe my feelings is that it felt a little bit Gothic. That certainly wouldn't do; it was back to the drawing board. Dave and I really liked the new hues of blue added to the living room from the new piece of artwork hanging over the couch, and I decided to go a softer route and give blue on the bookcases a go.



Drawing from the new artwork for inspiration.


I rummaged through our extra paint {we have lots.... surprise, surprise} until I found some leftover Pensive Sky, which happens to be one shade lighter than Rhino by Behr. Two quick coats on the bookcases, and voila!

The bookcases were softer {not Goth!} and prettier and welcome to the party. Filling them up with our favorite things made them even more attractive.

Our books, pictures, and other delights popped against Behr's Pensive Sky, and the bookcases were back in business. The living room was one step closer to being just right.

New Life for the Living Room: Part 3

Oh, the living room. We never knew how much we didn't like it until we really started digging in and changing it. Dave and I had painted the walls, rearranged the furniture, and added new lighting and artwork, and we still had more on our to-do list. We were on a roll.

Problem #1. See the corner fireplace?

Previously, the only cable outlet in the living room was located above the fireplace. Clearly, this was not the best arrangement for catching up on our latest shows. The TV sat in the corner, and viewers would have to turn their heads all the way to the left to watch. Talk about cramping your style!

Problem #2. See the huge wall mounted bookcase?

I've never liked that bookcase. It's huge, it makes furniture arrangements look horrible, and because of its size, I always felt like I was going to hit my head or run into it.

Good news for our two problems: there just happened to be a cable outlet on the kitchen side of the partition wall.

We knew that cable outlet hidden away in a kitchen cupboard would come in handy!



We could install a new cable outlet on the living room side of the wall, rip take that huge bookcase down, and have a whole new TV viewing area - problems solved! Awesome! But first we had to do the work. Dave and I didn't know the condition of the wall behind the bookcase. We hoped it wasn't in need of too much repair. Standing on stools and 60 minutes of unscrewing and prying, and we had a partition wall in pretty good shape, bookcase-free ... and a cold air return???

Sure enough, the bookcase had been mounted right on top of the living room's cold air return. Score! Dave and I were feeling lucky. No damage to the wall from the huge bookcase and we gained a cold air return? Was this Christmas? Nope, it was better  than Christmas! This was the bee's knees, people! We wasted no time painting where the bookcase had been, installing that cable outlet on the living room side of the wall, and moving the TV to its new home across from the couch. We just so happened to have a sofa table that we weren't using, and the TV fit perfectly on top. With the painted black bookcases flanking the TV, we were well on our way to loving the living room.

We weren't finished yet. More to come.

New Life for the Living Room: Part 2

Last time I left you on the winds of change for our living room; a new furniture arrangement and new lamps and mirrors promised something good in store. One more trip to Home Goods with my friend, Laura, and the living room was about to take on new life.

Laura and I have known each other for 25 years. I was five and she was four when we met, and our families kind of adopted each other. Laura, her sister, Heidi, and I spent the majority of our waking hours together throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and we've remained great friends still. Laura loves decorating almost as much as I do, and her style veers toward that modern vibe I was looking for in the living room. With full trust in my lifelong friend, we set out to find a new piece of artwork that would better suit my style. Remember when I confessed that Dave and I used to have a bit of a love affair with Tuscan decor? Still hanging in the living room was this gorgeous {HUGE} painting depicting Wine Country, one of three that we own.


Time to find a new home for the HUGE painting.

It's lovely; we still love it, actually, but we wanted our living room to have a bit more of a modern feel to it.

Cruising around Home Goods, Laura spotted this little beauty:

It wasn't so big as the Tuscan Monster, it shared the same colors as the green couches and the new lamps for the living room, and it instantly captured my attention. How did I know I loved it? For one, I wouldn't let Laura put it down. There was only one available at this particular Home Goods, and though it was a fairly quiet Friday night, I didn't want to take the chance that someone might come by and snatch it up. The Blue Green Beauty was too big to fit in our cart, so I insisted that one of us carry it around the store. "Don't put it down! That man who was in the aisle before might be coming back to look for it!" Laura had to reasssure me that we had last seen "that man" 30 minutes ago, and he had most likely left the store by now. Oops! I was getting a little territorial with the Blue Green Beauty. Home with us came the new painting, where Dave and Laura's husband, Ben, approved.
{Side Note: I don't think Dave and Ben particularly cared much about the new painting, but they nodded their heads and pretended to really study the canvas for its true meaning to entertain us. They are great guys.}

Bright and early the next morning, I convinced Dave to hang the Blue Green Beauty in her new home above the couch. Love! The new lamps went on the end tables on either side of the couch, and the mirrors from that last Home Goods trip went up above on either side of the painting.

Remember the living room before the new arrangement and accessories?

Here is the living room with its new arrangement and trying out the Blue Green Beauty, the new lamps and mirrors:

I really wanted to love the new look, but the mirrors weren't doing it for me. We'd made a lot of progress in the living room, but it still needed some tweaking; down came the mirrors. I packaged them back up and returned all but one of the circle mirrors. The lamps and Blue Green Beauty were definite winners in our book, however.

More changes were in store. Goodbye old living room; hello new style! 

New Life for the Living Room

Last time I chronicled my shopping trip for new lamps and mirrors for the living room. Safe at home with four mirrors, two lamps, and no missing children or broken items, I set out to give new life to the living room. You can read here all about how we recently added new paint to the whole upstairs. With a calmer, cleaner palette for our home, I was ready to make some changes to our family's favorite crash zone, the living room.

Last time you saw the living room, it looked like this.

I tell people all the time that having a corner fireplace is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. A blessing because it's tucked away in a cozy corner; a curse because arranging a room around it is a big fat pain in the you know what. We've had our couch and chairs in every imaginable spot in the living room and nothing ever has seemed quite right. The fireplace isn't the only one to blame, however. Dave and I purchased the huge couch and matching monster snuggler chairs before we even moved into the house {oops!}, and all that oversized comfiness makes it difficult to fit everything into a room without the room appearing cramped. One of us had the brilliant idea to move one green snuggler downstairs in order to make more space in the living room. Less seating for guests? Yes, but that was a tradeoff for a better look for this part our home. We moved the couch to the wall that joins the stairway to the fireplace and put a green snuggler chair perpendicular to the couch and opposite our piano. Breathing room! Plenty of room to walk!

I moved a pair of tall end tables on either side of the couch {the perfect spot for those pretty new lamps} and brought an old steamer trunk that we had sitting in our downstairs living room upstairs to sit next to the green snuggler chair. The steamer trunk has been in my family since my ancestors made the voyage from Norway to America {pretty cool!}, and I was happy to have it in a place where I could enjoy it more. Previously it sat downstairs in our family room as a side table for a lamp; now it's one of the first things I see when I walk through the front door. One more switcheroo for the living room - we had a huge coffee table upstairs {What was it with us and huge furniture??}, and it monopolized too much space entirely. We had a smaller coffee table sitting in our storage shed and decided to let it take center stage in the living room.

Dave and I were really starting to like our living room as its new form was taking shape. "Why didn't we do this a long time ago?" I asked. You know the answer: because it's way too easy to put something somewhere and leave it sit forever instead of reassess once in awhile. "Is this right for our home? Do I love this here?" You know the drill; it takes effort and a lot of careful thought to love where you live.

We finally had a really great arrangement for our living room space, and we were thisclose to really, really loving it. First, we had to try out our Home Goods lamps and the new mirrors and tackle a few more obstacles in the room. And we weren't finished yet. A couple more trips to Home Goods were in store, along with a project involving power tools. Stay tuned!

Does This Belong To You?

Excuse me, does this belong to you?


Via



Did you hang this on your wall in 2001 and promptly forget about it? Did you hang it up with the intention to leave it there until you move to a new home {and you have no intention to move to a new home}? Maybe you dust it once in a while, but do you really love it? {How do you dust one of these, anyways?} Does it make you smile when you walk by? Does it have a real, purposeful place in your home?

If you love it, it can stay. If you don't, take it down. Remember this? Too often, we are guilty both of putting too much on display and displaying items that we do not love.

Have you been fighting the clutter in your home? I have. I've removed this physical clutter and more that took up valuable space in my home, and I've been amazed at the mental clarity that simple task brought. How have you decluttered in an effort to love where you live?

Bathroom Reveal

Remember way back when I got the itch to redo our main bathroom upstairs? It's the bathroom our kids use to take baths and our guests use when they visit. It's decent enough in size, but it was lacking - majorly - in style. This is what the bathroom looked like after we painted the cabinets white years ago:

White cabinets, white towels, white tile, and white shower curtain, if I remember correctly. It was one of those projects that I had started, said "Good enough," and left alone, never coming back to reassess. Then {Oh happy day!!} I received a catalog from Restoration Hardware with a stunning bathroom. The pages beckoned to me, calling out "Come in. Relax. Pamper yourself." Luxury! Do you remember?

Image taken from here.

It didn't take more than the spread on pages 22-23 of the Restoration Hardware Annual Bath Event catalog to inspire me to find the perfect dark brown-black paint and get started on my own bathroom transformation.

First, Dave removed the ugly tile backsplash and strange small counter over the toilet.

A couple coats of Behr's Dark Cavern to the cabinets, and we were well on our way to a bathroom redo.

In the whole Project Paint the Upstairs ordeal, the bathroom was repainted with Berkshire Beige right before Dave and his dad were about to install a new granate countertop.


Berkshire Beige took its place on the walls.

The new counter and sink waited impatiently
to be installed. Or maybe it was me who was impatient?

Just when we thought it was smooth sailing with the counter installation, we ran into a hurdle. The cabinets in the bathroom had been custom made, and they weren't a standard size. Rather than having to order a custom sized granate counter {and pay extra money galore}, we bought a standard sized counter and a new standard sized cabinet base to fit the counter. We weren't counting on the added expense of the new cabinet base, but the new counter would have been too wide and too deep for the old one. Add that to water damage to the inside of our existing cabinet from a crack in the old sink, and it was a pretty easy decision to go ahead and purchase a new cabinet base. The new base got a couple coats of Dark Cavern before Dave and his dad put it in place.

Watching Dark Cavern dry....

With the installation of the new cabinet, counter, and faucet, the bathroom was almost complete.

My favorite bit of bathroom decor went back up on the walls as soon as the paint dried....

Each baby's butt, only appropriate for the bathroom.


While I waited for the counter and cabinet to be installed, I had time to hunt for a new rug and shower curtain to match all this bathroom newness and found something perfect at Target. A shower curtain with subtle clean stripes and a fluffly, taupe rug rounded out the makeover.


I'm in love with the new shower curtain.


One last finishing touch: notice the panes in the window?

I adore the unique octagon shape of the bathroom window, but I wasn't in love with the cutesy panes. Lucky for me they're an insert that is simply set in the window. Removing the insert couldn't be easier, and it updated the look for free.

New tile is still on the agenda but not too high on our priority list. Dave and I don't dislike the white tile as much as we used to, and we're willing to live with it for now.

One last before and after:

Notice the fluffy new rug?



I'm so happy that Restoration Hardware catalog came in the mail. The bathroom went from "EEK!" to "Chic!". Have you stopped to think about changes you could make to love where you live lately?

Kicking Butt and Taking Names

"Take a careful look at your home and strip away anything that doesn't fit your style. Don't be afraid of a bare wall or an empty shelf. Let it be lonely for a little bit while you figure out what you'd love to see there. When your home gets to show only the items you truly love, your home gets to show you, and it becomes a place you love to be."

Who said that? Oh, that's right - I did. Remember that little conversation? It started out as an attack against clutter and ended with a challenge.

This year I have committed to getting serious about loving where I live. It means taking a close look at what's on the walls and what's on the shelves. Does it serve a purpose? Do I love it?

Turns out, I've been holding on to my own little collection of meaningless stuff. I took a self guided tour around my home the other day and found some sketchy items that I believe don't deserve to live where I do. The suspects in question have become space fillers that don't paint a picture of my family and who we are. Ready for the photo lineup?

1.  First up is a tall slender pair, accused of holding me to a wine theme.

A collection of wine corks and fake grapes have lived in these hurricane vases for far too long. I set them out long ago and said "Sayonara," never stopping to reassess their value every so often. Do I still love them? No. {As a side note: I think I just scolded my mom for having fake fruit in her home the other day. Oops!}

2.  Next is this wine country motif platter.

I did love it.... six years ago when we purchased it at that fun little winery in Door County. But not anymore.


3.  Guilty of a similar offense is the platter's sister, the wine country motif pitcher.

It matches the platter, but not in a good way. Goodbye.


4. Rounding out the wine theme offenders is this decorative wine box that has sat atop the china cupboard for far too long.

It has served me well in collecting dust and, um, that's about it.


5.  The last offender on my list is this rooster.

He landed on the cupboard above the fridge shortly after we bought the house {over six years ago!}. I loved him then, but I don't anymore.


So who was found guilty? Me! I'm the one who allowed these felons to abide in my home for far too long. They've worn out their welcome, and I'm kicking them out.

What have you parted with lately?

Decorating With Love

Last time we talked about visual clutter - all the extra stuff we tend to hang up or set out around our homes and then forget about for the next thirteen years. So if we're supposed to surround ourselves only with what we love, living with less and loving it more, what does that leave us with? Here are some of the items that top my own list and make the cut in my home.

1. Framed Photographs

I love framed photographs, whether hanging on the walls or sitting on bookshelves {or anywhere, really}. They tell stories, evoke memories, and bring personality to a space like nothing else.


2. Framed Important Stuff

Terrible description, but there is a wealth of meaningful items besides photographs that are crying out to be framed and put on display in your home. Letters, cards, momentos from a trip, jewelry - all are pleasing to the eye on display.



3. Artwork

We all like beautiful art. Here's the catch - ask yourself why you want this piece of artwork in your home? Is it personal? Does it capture a mood you want your home to convey? Did you find it in the clearance bin at T.J. Maxx and say, "Hey! This will fill up the wall space behind the couch!"? The last one - not so good. Love it, or take it down.

4. Collections in Glass Jars

I love glass jars. They are terrific for displaying favorite things all over the house. Charlie has had a jar with extra Legos {Extra Legos? What's that?} and another one containing toy cars in his room since he was itty bitty. Two of his favorite things are neatly contained and add character to his bedroom.

Other ideas for glass jars:

In the Bathroom

• Pretty bars of soap
• Sponges
• Bath Salts

In Kids' Rooms

• Barbie shoes and accessories {I swear I'm doing this one. They're constantly getting lost or ending up in the baby's mouth, so why not display them instead?}
• Marbles
• Tinker Toys
• Pop Beads
• Extra Crayons
• Craft Supplies even look nice and provide a pop of color when they're contained in glass

In the Kitchen

• Coffee Beans
• Tea
• Spices

5. Books

I have an English degree; I love books. Not a fan of all the classics? Me, neither. But most of us own some form of written work that has spoken to us.

• Cookbooks displayed nicely in the kitchen are both functional and pretty.

• Books or Bibles that serve as family heirlooms deserve their own special place.

I have a Bible that's been in my family for years.
It gets displayed in a bookcase along with some of our other favorite reads.

• Coffee table books and books on other interesting topics look great and give guests something fun to thumb through when they visit your home.
• Favorite books - Your collection of personal favorites, when displayed thoughtfully, adds character and tells its own story about you.

6. Items of Sentimental Value

I just noticed the wall looks really orange in this picture. It's not that orange.

This one runs the gamut. My husband's family has a name in the music business, and we adorned our basement bar cabinets with an old company sign. It's both meaningful and defining to us. We have a collection of mortars and pestles for my husband, who is a pharmacist. If we spot an interesting one, we bring it home. But the mortars and pestles will never grow to overtake an entire wall or entertainment center, which leads me to my one key DON'T in displaying items in your home:

DON'T get sucked into themes.

Whether it's teddy bears or Tuscany {which I admit, I love} or roosters or cats or flowers... just don't. When you start doing your home in a "theme", you run the risk of looking like Disney World for adults. If you love roosters, great. Place a couple unique {read - not mass produced and sold at Kohl's} ones in well thought areas. Your guests don't want to sit down for coffee and have 17 roosters watching them, perched above your kitchen cabinets. It's a fine line between tasteful and tacky. If on a shopping trip you spot a rooster - any rooster - and declare, "A rooster! I have to buy this for my kitchen!", you know which side of the line you fall on.

How do you decorate your home with love?