With the dining room looking so fresh and bright, it made the others look worse than they actually did. So we decided that after church on Sunday, we'd check out a home decor store for some fresh accessories and we'd spend our last afternoon together re-arranging furniture and touching up paint.
We moved the living room sofa from the center of the room to the window wall, which opened up the large space dramatically. We took down the heavier curtains and opted to just use the shears. We added the throw pillows to the sofas, which made them feel like new and took out the rug that was showing too much wear. The biggest change was bringing in a colorful, fun clock for over the sofa where she had a collage of family photos. While family photo walls are great, the collection was a bit busy, by bringing in one large item, it made the space seem more restful.
On the other side of the great room is a seating area with a fireplace with built-in shelves on each side. The shelves were mostly empty except for a few books which we moved to the bookcase that was on the other wall. We decided to take out the shelves and use the niches for two large pieces of art. I removed some of the family photos from this area and we pared them down to the most recent of each family member and chose frames that were most alike.
Because the two areas of the great room are open to each other, we chose to use art that had the same look and feel as what was already in there. The spot lights in the niches highlight the paintings and make the space feel very elegant.
There are very few accessories and that creates a more calm space, where the senses aren't so stimulated. Again, this make-over was mostly with things she already owned. We only bought the art for the niches, the clock and the throw pillows. The entire thing took about six hours and that includes the shopping.
It was so satisfying sitting down that evening and looking at what we had accomplished, but nothing could compare with the smiles and laughter we had shared while we worked together.
So, the lessons here are these: Updating your space and creating order to your home can change your outlook on the rest of the world; You can make a huge difference in the look at feel of your rooms for very little money just by looking at what you have more critically; And last but not least, making these changes with a friend make lasting and wonderful memories!
On the other side of the great room is a seating area with a fireplace with built-in shelves on each side. The shelves were mostly empty except for a few books which we moved to the bookcase that was on the other wall. We decided to take out the shelves and use the niches for two large pieces of art. I removed some of the family photos from this area and we pared them down to the most recent of each family member and chose frames that were most alike.
Because the two areas of the great room are open to each other, we chose to use art that had the same look and feel as what was already in there. The spot lights in the niches highlight the paintings and make the space feel very elegant.
There are very few accessories and that creates a more calm space, where the senses aren't so stimulated. Again, this make-over was mostly with things she already owned. We only bought the art for the niches, the clock and the throw pillows. The entire thing took about six hours and that includes the shopping.
It was so satisfying sitting down that evening and looking at what we had accomplished, but nothing could compare with the smiles and laughter we had shared while we worked together.
So, the lessons here are these: Updating your space and creating order to your home can change your outlook on the rest of the world; You can make a huge difference in the look at feel of your rooms for very little money just by looking at what you have more critically; And last but not least, making these changes with a friend make lasting and wonderful memories!
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