Living Beautifully: My Home

My home is my haven from the stresses of the world. It is my celestial place on earth. It is serene, calm and pink. It's where I most desire to be. If you visit here you'll feel it also as many people have commented on it. Quiet, peaceful, safe are the adjectives I would use to describe our home.

The redone laundry room is at the bottom of the post.

As I've traveled around the blogs, I've noticed the different regional styles around the country. I can almost spot at a glance the area where the blogger lives. I love seeing how other people decorate and their styles. That's what makes us unique.

We're retired so this is our forever house. It's not big but just big enough for the two of us. It wasn't easy moving from 5,000 s.f. on an acre to 1,800 s.f. with just enough yard for us to have a garden and not kill ourselves mowing, but as we age we want less stuff to dust and clean. We've made the transition though and do not regret it for one minute.

I am always changing something around in this house so it's never static. I'll be adding more rooms to this page soon so you might want to check back from time to time. For now, just view the living room and family room. I've included some little vignettes also. Maybe they'll give you some ideas. I know other bloggers give me ideas and I'm grateful for that.

Our Living Room
This lamp was redone August 2012 so I thought I'd throw it in here now.

There's pretty much only one way to place furniture in my living room and this is it. Nothing is truly formal in this house but the living room is more so than our family room. This is the latest photo since I made this Page almost 2 years ago. I've changed the curtains around and, as of this month, August 2012, I have some other curtains coming to put in here. I changed the chairs from one side to the other and also did the lamp I decorated a couple of years ago again. Things change frequently in this home!

That sofa is 17 years old and still looks like new. I love the fabric on it and had it special made at Ethan Allen. They have some of the best furniture for the price I've ever seen. It lasts forever!

Update: as of 9/2016 this is how my living room looks:

This is a plant shelf that I devoted to my hubby's hobby: model railroad trains. Of course, I've had to add some froufrou to it and in time more things will appear but it's a long process since I have other things to do in my life. Notice the little tree atop that bookcase. It's wrapped in tulle with pink roses all over it. I also collect beautiful pitchers which I've put on the shelves among some books. I've gotten rid of hundreds of books so far. Just keeping the absolute essentials.

This is a wall I've dedicated to my favorite artist, Susan Rios. The 3 biggest prints are by her and are my favorites. The smaller ones are also by her. The portrait I got at Goodwill for about $2.00 but it reminded me of Susan's self-portrait and I couldn't resist putting it on that wall with her art. I store things in those boxes under the chairs and the s0fa table. I've had that sofa table for about 30 years and can't bring myself to get rid of it. The chair I got at a garage sale and painted it pink, decoupaged it and put new fabric on the seat cushion. I love stacking flowers in pitchers on top of books as you see here.

The limited edition prints are hubby's and the gate (I have 2 of them) I stuck up there as I had no place else to put it. It stayed. The vintage suitcases are ones I've decoupaged. There are still more waiting for me to finish decoupaging or wrapping with fabric.

Closeup of some roses on my coffee table. I pretty much collect anything that has roses on it as you can see. Many things are items that have been gifts to me from friends.

Even closer up of the life-like roses. They are absolutely stunning in person.

The plates on the wall above the window are just a very few of the ones I have. The birdhouses hanging on the curtain rods are also just a few of ones I collect and many are ones I've made. The little shutters sitting on the floor I won on eBay several years ago. I just haven't found a place to put them yet.

This is the plant shelf that separates my living room from my kitchen. Those chickens were given to me by a sweet old lady who I loved very much.

The opposite plant shelf holds just faux plants as I cannot keep anything alive! Truly, I have absolutely no green thumb and hubby can testify to that.

This is a faux stone pot I put branches in and then a ballerina on top. All of those items have been given to me by my eBay group, the most fantastic group of women in the world. We hail from all over the country and encourage and uplift each other regularly. No day goes by that we don't "chat" on the group. They have overwhelmed me with their generosity and love. I can't possibly thank them enough. Most of the items on that "tree" are handmade by them.

Closeup of one of Susan's paintings.

This is another of Susan's limited edition prints.

I have some cloches I put things I've made in for safe keeping. Also those little wedding cake toppers and bridal bouquet are from my 2 wedding receptions in 1961.

Closeup of some other realistic roses.

A french wire basket I confiscated from my daughter a couple of years ago. She wasn't using it and was just storing it in her shed so it was mine. She'll inherit it some day.

This is a print by Michel Delacroix. When I spotted it in a small antique shop in Niles, California years ago I could not resist it. It spoke to my heart and that pretty much seals the deal for me. Everyone who visits my house mentions how lovely it is.

Our family room is just off our dining area and kitchen. That border I bought many, many years ago because when I saw it I actually gasped. I didn't know when or where I would use it but when we moved here and knew this was our last home I put it up. It was very costly and I simply love it. I decorate all my lampshades with roses I usually make from ribbon. Most items on the faux mantel are gifts from people. My hubby made that little fireplace screen for me and I covered it with barkcloth and roses and 2 shoes I'd had and just could not part with at all, so I froufrou-ed them up. They were pretty much falling apart and are now serving a different purpose.

I love the pink of my walls and didn't want to cover it up with frames and mats so I took the glass and mats out of the frames and just stuck them and the mats on the wall and put some prints in the center. There's even one canvas painting a woman in our group sent me once when I told her how much I loved it. Can you believe that? I'm truly blessed to have that painting from Holly. And that slipcover I got online from a place that doesn't have their online store anymore. But that is the best, heaviest twill slipcover ever and it only cost me $339.00. I love it and have washed it many times. I've tried to find some to match it but have never had success in finding them again.

The other gate I put on this wall along with a little birdcage in the corner. The ladder was a goodwill find for $2.00. I painted it pink and hung it on the wall and added little starfish and rusted finials and a painting by a friend in Nevada who gave that to me. Those chairs are 25 years old, filled with feathers and have been recovered twice. They're a famous brand and have held up magnificently. It truly pays to buy the best stuff. The painting on the right is one I purchased from a friend on eBay. I love her roses. The "table" between the chairs is actually a USMC field desk. Hubby got it when he was in the Marines and I've painted it a couple of times. I had him put a piece of plywood over it and then covered it with a vintage tablecloth and use it as a side table for both of us. Under that ottoman is the ugliest fabric you've ever in your life seen. It is a 1960 psychedelic pattern in greens and gold. I made the cover several years ago.

One of my cloches with faux desserts under it. I made the white ones but the cupcake was given to me.

I made this little ballerina a couple of years ago and tried selling it on eBay. Never sold so I kept it. I think it's cute!

Another cloche with roses, grass and tiny eggs.

I actually won this one in a giveaway on a blog 2 years ago. I keep faux desserts in it and most kids who visit try to get to them to eat.

This is the little tinsel tree I decorated with netting, paper roses and paper garland around the base. It has twinkling lights on it and I just love it. The color is so off here it's pathetic, but sometimes I just can't get it right in the morning light.

As I said, it's not a grand house; it's a humble house and this bedroom is no exception. I want a chandelier in here very badly but we need the fan in this desert heat in the summer at night so that's not going to happen. Being cool trumps glamor around here sometimes and this is one of those times. However, if anyone ever figures out how to connect a chandelier to a fan I'll be first in line to buy one.

It's pink with pompoms in the corners of the bed wall. I've redone the lampshades in here also and put yards and yards of netting over the bed tying it back with ribbon and paper roses. I want to paint the furniture white but that would necessitate Love Bunny taking it outside and that just ain't happening. So when I decide to paint it, it will have to be in the house. That's at some distant future date. That furniture weighs a LOT.

Pillows adorn the bed and hubs isn't thrilled about taking them off at night but he acquiesces because he loves me beyond reason. ;-)

Lamp I bought at a garage sale, painted and froufrou-ed up. I found the little rack on the wall in an antique shop in California, brought it home and hung vintage hankies on it.

This little nightstand was given to me by a lady and I swiftly painted it, decoupaged the knobs and added the fabric to the inserts on the doors below. I keep needlework in there.

I've redone these walls a couple of times since moving in but I'm just doing this for a while until I can decide which shelves I want up there. My perfumes sit on a little wicker tray under that vintage cloth. It keeps them from being dusty. See what I mean about being heavy furniture. I cannot move that dresser around at all.

Hubby's side of the room. Notice I did NOT hide away his stuff when photographing this. His shoes are under the table that I got in San Diego many years ago, painted it with gold paint, which is no easy task, let me tell you. Then I marbled the top with an epoxy kit. Turned out well.

Little corner table retrieved from daughter's throw out pile and painted white. The little drawers are another salvaged thing from daughter and put the fabric on with starch so I can take it off if I ever decide to change it.

Yep, that's Love Bunny's razor recharging there. ;-) Little chair was a thrift store find that I froufrou-ed up. Lamp painted, decoupaged with lampshade made by me.

We put our two armoires together since it isn't a huge bedroom and they fit there just perfectly.

Just a vintage chair and a side table I keep there for sitting and putting on shoes. That's my wedding dress hanging there and my baby doll's dress when I was a toddler. So that's almost 70 years old. The ephemera has been given to me by friends and collected over many years.

Our bath was pretty bland when we built the house even though the garden tub is lovely. So I went to work making it my style with the pink walls, pink netting draped over the tub and held back with ribbons and roses and with the little birdhouse and other accoutrements such as towels, shelves to hold pretty things, a few pictures and faux plants

I really do love the tile work though. It would go with just about any color.

Laundry rooms tend to be the place where we least want to be, but once you've pizzazzed it up a bit you won't mind it so much. Ours is the proverbial pass through from the garage to the house—no different than most of the laundry rooms in homes today. I've painted mine pink, added a rose border, put up little letters I made with wood and fabric, added little packets of laundry soaps I've received from an eBay seller, wreaths, clothespin bags, paintings I've done (not to be confused with Susan Rios!) and assorted other things needful and beautiful.

Lace adorns the shelf holding my laundry supplies and a curtain hides other necessities. I Mod Podged fabric to the pole and brightened things up with pretty things such as hangers for keys and bags. Purple and pink towels I purchased at TJMaxx for a song are strewn across the washer and dryer.

Pretty picture behind washer.

Laundry supplies.

Roses wallpaper border. Iron and ironing board close at hand. Doorway to hall and rest of house.

Back from a chair I painted and it broke apart. No way was I going to throw that piece out so Love Bunny salvaged it for me. I tried a ribbon on it and hung it up and put some little cards that a fellow blogger, who is also a very famous artist, sent to me for helping her with her computer. Coats are hung here also.

Just to have some more color in there, I put up this shelf we purchased at Home Depot, threw hankies over it and put some faux greenery up there.

One of the cute clothespin bags I made, tried to sell on eBay but didn't. Their loss, my gain. ;-)

My detergent is kept in this little tin. I don't do ugly in my laundry room!

This little message board hides the electronic circuitry for the house. It's in a weird spot so I just covered it up with the board and that works just fine.

A sign I made years ago and little seed and detergent packets pretty up this small wall.

A pretty wreath that I didn't have a spot for anywhere else so it went in here.

Pantry closet in here that holds extra supplies for kitchen.

Even a pretty cover for the ironing board.

I made this decal along with several others for doors in my home.

Curtain hides many things up there. Just mostly unsightly extra appliances and cleaning supplies.

And a beautiful throw rug in magenta or fuchsia. Love it.

I've updated the little shelf also—painted the pot pink, added some decoupaged roses and added lace trim and also put a scrap of lace on that shelf.

I am still in the process of redoing my office and my studio. But this is what it looks like today. I still have much to do in there. I don't craft in here. It's my computer room and home office.