Living Room: How We Live (version 4)

We moved to the Cape Cod the very last days of March 2013.  That first week brought my husband's first days of work, Easter, my oldest son's first days at a new school, starting a new Cub Scouts Pack and racing in the Pinewood Derby, soccer practice, my youngest son's 4th birthday party, and lots of unpacking.  Of course, we did our best to settle the boys into their bedrooms, their new environments, and our new routines.  That said, it's not surprising that I didn't totally finish unpacking and decorating the first room until mid-April.

The last eighteen months have been a process of learning how we live in our living room.  I know my husband hopes this will be the final version.  Following I'll share updated pictures of version four. 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

No reflection or big revelations today.  I'm just changing it up here by rearranging...  again.  Well, I will self-disclose this one nugget: My husband thinks I have a strange fascination with changing up the furniture and decor.  Honestly, I think I may.  Aside from little changes in the boys' bedrooms, I've had one room in one house that I was able to rearrange one of two ways... until now!  Honestly, this past year and a half I have really enjoyed rearranging and changing up our home, especially our living room.

{Check out the Arrange-a-Room program at Better Homes and Gardens if you love playing with floor plans too.  That's how I created the four versions of our living room at left.}

Okay, one more bit of self-revelation: Time has changed me.  It doesn't take great effort to change things around a bit.  In the past I wanted to spend money to update and change our home.  However, now I find it a fun challenge to use what he have around the house, borrowing from another room to rearrange and decorate around our home.  

After living in a Bungalow, a Four-Square, and a Cape Cod, I have learned a great lesson: Love the home you have.  

{You really should check out Melissa at her blog The Inspired Room or as guest blogger at Better Homes and Gardens for some decorating inspiration.  She coined the phrase "Love The Home You Have" and has a new book out with that title.}

Living Room: Pops of Color (version 1)

Finally, finishing up some rooms!  While my laundry is still all over the bedroom floor (well, nothing new there), I did get the boys' rooms unpacked fairly quickly.  After two weeks, we are finally adding the finishing touches to the living room and the boys' bedrooms. It feels great to no longer have bare walls and to feel a sense of accomplishment having totally decorated a few rooms. 

I've always loved wood floors.  There's something comforting knowing there's wood throughout the main level, but I have to say having carpet in the living room has really grown on me.  The boys have done a great job of leaving their shoes and food in the kitchen and keeping the beige carpet clean.  It was interesting decorating an all vanilla room though without having wood on the floor and a colorful area rug to pull all the colors together.  So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and decorated with bright pops of color and played with asymmetrical design.  I also stepped away from relying on dark brown wood tones to ground everything and added touches of black throughout the room.