Living Room Progress

I just wanted to take a minute to share with you some of my finds. I've been scoring big time at Ross lately. It's very hit or miss usually, but this past week was good for me. Here is what my living room looked like on Thanksgiving Day.

Granted, I had just scored the picture above my fireplace for $25 bucks.

I absolutely love it, a little taste of big city in a vintage room.

The rug I picked up for $30.  Once I get the furniture painted it will all make sense.

Curtains were $13 each with a $17 dollar rod, grand total $69.

I'm still looking for the perfect chair and ottoman and another bookcase, then I will start painting furniture.

As this room is starting to semi evolve, I'm already thinking about the adjoining room, which currently host my computer.

Music Room?

xo,

mONICa

Eclectic Living Room

HGTV's Emily Henderson did this eclectic living room with a bold yet sophisticated sofa, rustic coffee table, and mid- century accent pieces.  I love the random mix of furnishings.

Emily Henderson's Blog

If you are looking to do a room like this I recommend to mix some vintage finds with some new pieces.  The beauty of this room is you can probably find most of these pieces used.  To start...find yourself a vintage sofa.  Something bright and colorful.  For example the sofa below sold on Ebay for $160.00

Then add some pillows this one from Amazon might be fun.

Here is a great chair from Urban Outfitters for $329

Here's a great barn wood coffee table that would be great stained darker to get Emily's look.  You can't beat it for $235.00

Here's an awesome lamp  for $89.00

and another cool lampHere's a great little mid century side table  for only $55.00

and a black rattan ottoman

With some sprucing up these could be great tables and for $50 bucks, not bad.

So there you have it.  My version of Emily Hendersons eclectic Living Room.  Hope you enjoyed.

xo,

mONICa

To Serve or Not to Serve?

In the spirit of staging our home for sale, I starting moving around furniture yesterday.  In order to "set the stage", I put a serving table in our formal living room.  Now, I had a credenza in there previously and had toyed with the idea of putting a television in there, but it is such a taboo for me in a formal living room.  If we were staying here, I had envisioned it as a girl cave.  You know,  reading a magazine having a martini and relaxing.

Our living room is more of a lounge and we use it for entertaining.  So I moved the sofa table out of the office to make the office look less cramped, and put it in the living room and took the credenza out of the living room.  I decided on the sofa table verses a credenza because the room is so small and I liked the idea of flow and floor space.  Seriously though, why did I not have one in there before?What a great space to put cocktails and appetizers in the event of a party.  I'd much rather people gather in my living room than around my small kitchen island.

I think everyone should have some serving space in their living room.  I mean I'm all for gathering in the kitchen, but when you have a small kitchen like I do, sometimes it's not the best option. Here are some other sideboards that I think are awesome.

For the luxury look, try this one from Molimo Design.

For the environmentally friendly look, check out this awesome repurposed wine storage/server from daffadowndillys.

For a splash of red, how about a repurposed dresser?   Here's a great one from two carolina nesters.



Think outside the box and get your party on.

xo,

Monica

Cocktail Party Anyone?

I was having a cocktail  party and needed to get this room together fast.  For a while all that was in the room was a couch and an old credenza I had bought off of craigslist and painted black .  Off to Ikea and Home Goods I went.  I got 2 Lack Coffee table at Ikea for $7.99 each and put them together.  I got a large mirror at Homegoods for $59.99.  The pillows came as freebies with an ottoman I had in my bedroom closet so I threw them on the couch.  As for the accessories well I got creative at the Dollar Tree and made them.  The party was a success and this room with the mood lighting was a hit.  I still have some finishing up to do, but I'll have to have another Martini to get me motivated.  For now, I'm happy with the results.