I don't know about you, but I am fascinated by the stories that are behind things. And people. And places. (Which is probably what makes me such a huge history buff, but that's another story all together.) Antiques intrigue me for their story and history, not to mention the beauty of most pieces.
So here is the story of my (current) happy place.
What finally started/ended the living room decorating was the arrival of my new couch. I sold the last couch I had over a year ago, and it's taken me this long to find/have the money to get the couch I wanted. (West Elm.)
We'll start with the above dresser. A lady who used to own a vintage shop in Layton, UT posted this on her facebook page. She's moving across country and is unloading a lot of her stuff. This piece came with a mirror that I will use elsewhere. It also needs quite a bit of work. I'm going to keep it the original color, but it definitely needs a good sanding down! And the drawer bottoms are falling apart. But the knobs on this piece were almost worth the cost what I paid for the whole thing! ($60. YAY!)
That huge doily is one that my mom let me take from her home. ;) She had it in her yardsale last summer! AGH! I snatched it up as fast as I could.
I LOVE having random groupings of eclectic pieces. It just makes my heart happy having lots of color, and textures and things to look at. This is probably my most favorite part of my whole living room!
That blue bottle with the silver ball top is an old 1960s(ish) Avon mouthwash bottle. How gorgeous is that?! If Avon still had bottles like that, I'd totally order all the Avon things! ;) The blue and gold candles are from Target. The milk glass was given to me by a friend. The glass star was from Target, years ago when they had that "global bazaar" collection. The porcelain pitcher I found at a local thrift store for 50¢. I use it to hold spare change. (If anyone needs any, I have TONS of pennies in there. I always end up using the larger change. haha!)
And my little elephant! Oh, now THAT'S a story. I've had that little guy since I was 10 years old. My mom and step dad got married two days after my 10th birthday. They left my siblings and I with various neighbors and friends while they went on their honeymoon. I was at my best friend's house, happily enjoying my time there, when after only a day, my mom and step dad showed up. Turns out, they came back and ended up taking all us kids on their honeymoon with them. (I think my older brother was severely misbehaving at the place he was staying. My mom just says she missed us. lol!) So for a week, possibly two (time for a 10 year old feels so different!), we drove all over the place. Colorado. New Mexico. Idaho. I can't even remember everywhere we went. But the only places we really stopped (that I can remember) were either train museums or antique stores. And I found this little elephant at one of those antique stores. In southern Utah, if I remember correctly. Honestly, I can't believe I still have him after so many moves and years have gone by. But I treasure him!
The white frame with blue flowers was from Hobby Lobby a couple months ago. (Their alternating 50% off sales are my favorite!) The frame on the right is one I found for $4 at Fleatitude, a local vintage flea market type event. I found the little glass dish for $1 at the same market.
These gold frames were actually black as of last week. I found them at a DCWV warehouse sale about 5 years ago. (I was trying to utilize existing holes in the wall, ignore my un-aligned picture hanging there. LOL) I spray painted them gold. Curtains are IKEA.
This chair is one of my favorite vintage finds. $15 off a Facebook vintage yard sale group. My favorite go-to place for finding old things. ;) Pillow came from Joss and Main.
Quick project idea:
See that canvas with the heart?
Materials:
Paper
Hazel & Ruby letter masks
Burlap Canvas
Gold spray paint
1. Draw a heart from your paper, to fit the canvas.
2. Cut out heart.
3. Adhere heart to canvas.
4. Stick Hazel & Ruby letter mask letters to spell "LOVE" underneath the heart. (They are self adhesive, removable, washable and REusable!)
5. Spray paint. (spray paint doesn't wash off the top of the masks too well. But they'll still work again.)
6. Let dry.
Done and done.
My gallery wall isn't quite done, but it's getting there. I'm still deciding what to put in my big giant gold frame. Which used to be a mirror. But it shattered a few weeks ago. So now it's a frame. (Facebook vintage yard sale group.) The gold mirrors are 1950s(ish) plastic ones that I found for 50¢ each at a local thrift store, that I sprayed gold. Bird prints and white frames are IKEA. My butterfly frame is a project I did when I was working as the graphic designer for Roberts Crafts. (Oddly enough, within a year of making this project, I was hired by My Mind's Eye, who manufactured the paper I used on the butterflies. Go figure! LOL) My random zebra print frame is Hobby Lobby.
Photography (in the frames) credit: Amanda Hendrickson Photography and Leslie Smith.
Mason jars painted blue on the inside. Frame from Hobby Lobby.
(Photography in the frame credit: Tara Dawn Photography)
So that's my living room. I can FINALLY move on and decorate the next room on my list.
DINING ROOM!!
Most of what I used I just shopped for from things I already had. Which is always fun, and a challenge, to see how different something looks when placed in a different spot or updated with a little paint. No need to spend tons and tons to get the look and feel you want! :)
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