My life is to make everything around me beautiful.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Making a Room Gorgeous Doesn't Require a Lot of Money.

I've had my mind on decorating a lot this past year as I bought a new sofa and a new chair which you can see here. My intention was for the new sofa to go in the living room, but I love my old one so much, I switched them around—new one in the family room and old one back into the living room. I truly wanted a new look for the living room but that 20 year old sofa has been my favorite from the get-go and it'll stay in there. But it still made me think of what else I could do to make it look differently so I bought the new Ethan Allen chair with a bit of French flair to it with the plaid fabric. It's also gorgeous. Well, to me it is!

The old chairs now sit in our family room waiting to be taken over to granddaughter's new home. I spoke with her recently and she doesn't have room for them right now. She and her hubby are shopping for new furniture and can't make up their minds on what to buy. She said to bring them over and she'd put them both in her office at work to have a cozy place to sit while they straightened out the new house. Hubs and I are going over soon and since it's winter we don't want to have to take our truck over with the possible threat of snow so we've decided to take them over at another time. In the meantime, our small family room has a full size sofa and 3 chairs in it! I hate to give 2 Ethan Allen chairs away but it might come to that if she decides she doesn't want them. My grandsons aren't married yet so they don't want anything yet. But they're good chairs and I've had them reupholstered twice and they are still in great shape. Here's a recent picture but bear in mind the end tables are about 25 years old, the coffee table is about 15 years old the lamps are 10 years old and the sofa is 20 years old. Only the 2 chairs are under 8 years old and all pillows are made by me:

So anyway, I was thinking about how many times we decorate in our lives. The rich probably do it on a regular basis every couple of years, but the average person only does it a few times in their life. We've decorated when we've gotten the money or moved into a new place through the years. This has me arriving at one certain thought: We don't have to buy all new furniture, just a chair or table, curtains, inexpensive lamps redone, new color of paint for the walls or even wall decorations and pillows can make a huge difference in a room. That also means a lot less money. And sometimes that can make the difference in doing something or not. Think about it. ;-)
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What a gorgeous entrance with red walls, that elegant staircase and dramatic black and white checkered floors.


A sweet country window with shutters, blue gingham curtains and a potted flower.


And then we have another dramatic entrance to a log cabin.


And a stunning pink rose.


I love the shabby chic look here also. Looks comfy.


Then the dramatic view from this restaurant somewhere in the warm climes.


Lovin' the round ruffled tablecloth. I'm still working on my chair seats for the French dining chairs. Or I should say, thinking of working on the chairs. I've been so lazy lately.


This striped headboard goes horizontal instead of the usual vertical. I have to say it's beautiful with the reds and those pillows.


My idea of a cute and homey kitchen eating area.


The colors grabbed me first but I love the side chairs with green seats and flowered backs.


A sweet little area in someone's delightful yard.


If you could find an old bucket, you could wallpaper it like this and have a gorgeous place to store wrapping papers.


Love these old vintage kitchens as they remind me of when I was a kid growing up.


Love these bucket containers for flowers from the garden. Ours will soon be blooming. Can't wait!


What a delightful family room for kids. Colorful with lots of books and slipcovers so mummy won't have to worry about the furniture. ;-)
~*~
Linking up with Pink Saturday

7 comments:

  1. I think I've been decorating on a budget most of my life! There have been times when we've purchase a new basic piece but the rest is second hand shops or thrift stores. The hunt is so much fun! We've used a lot of creativity and created the feeling we want to project to our guests and ourselves. Plus I feel so good that we have extended the lives of so many "castoffs". Thanks for sharing all these wonderful ideas Connie.

    Blessings, Edie Marie

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  2. Wish I lived closer, I'd be happy to take those chairs off your hands! Have a wonderful day, my friend.

    xo
    Claudia

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  3. Sometimes just a vase of flowers will change the look of a room.

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  4. Connie,
    I think your pink has started to rub off on this Peachy pink girl! I see it sneaking into the things I am making more and more! I KNOW it is all you sweet pink blog friends of mine!
    but then I have realized over the course of the last ten years that I like many colors and textures and the more the merrier. If it is pastels, I want ALL the pastels involved in my decor, not just two or three, I have a floral carpet and I like ALL the seven colors in it! I focus on a few, but love them all!
    hugs to you,
    Betsy

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  5. I like your living room. Especially, the coffee table. I like rooms you can enjoy and live in.

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  6. Hello Connie, Long time now I have been missing, back online.. love that table cloth with ruffles and that rose print wall paper on the old bucket. Beautiful rooms..
    happy New year.. yvonne
    better yet Happy Valentines day.

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  7. Hi..it's me...your favorite Farmchick! ;). It was great to get back to visit

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Comments are so nice and I thank all of you that leave one for me.