Family Room Upgrade

Our family room style could best be described as eclectic hodge-podge.  Whatever didn't work anywhere else ended up in the family room.  So here you have it (and proof I have no shame by sharing this crime-against-decorating!):

 

Let's talk about the futons.  When The Captain and I were first married we went to get new covers for his old futons.  Having taken temporary leave of my sanity, I asked him what he'd like. When he said "Southwestern", did I say that I think the only time you can get away with geo-specific decor is if you actually live in the region that inspired the style? Did I say that bright, bold geometric  prints make me nervous?  No, what I said was that I thought it  was a great idea- best ever! After coming to my senses,  I tried with some equally hideous floral print covers that didn't hold up, so the Southwest rose again.

 

 

Enter duvet covers for the futons - and thrifted for $15.00.  Why didn't I think of this years ago? 

New covers, new color scheme - white, blue and tan and things are so much better.

 

 

This little table really started the project.  The Captain spied it on the curb while walking and the price was right - free.  I can't find the "before" picture I know I took, but you've seen lots of these little maple tables.  Some serious sanding, painting and distressing brought this table out of colonial and into cottage.  Now I knew what I needed to do with the rest of the room - all the odds and ends needed the white paint treatment.

 

 

Next up - this coffee table.  Gold-ish metal bottom, natural baskets and pine top - all have to go.

 

 

I sprayed painted the metal bottom and baskets.  After sanding the top, I gave it a white-wash of diluted white paint for a faux vinegar paint look.  This makes a better TV stand than the old green one.

 

I bought the big turquoise frame at an estate sale. I toned it down with a wash of white paint and added my newly distressed frames.

 

 

My painted frames found the perfect spot.

 

 

The tray top of this hassock was black and with a coat of white paint it makes the perfect end table for the bigger futon.

 

 

Newly painted bookcase and a mirror from another estate sale spruce up this spot.  I made the curtains awhile ago.  I wanted to use the branches as curtain rods, but that meant I couldn't run the curtain tabs through the branch with all those twigs through the loops,  so I  looped the tabs  over the branches and secured them  some big buttons from my stash.

 

 

A fun tag sale shelf, newly reframed shell pictures and a jar of mussel shells for some more blue, tan and white 

 

 

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I made a few pillows to bring in some patterns - more on these later.

 



 

 

To recap - from this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

Looking at this picture, think I need to move out the wooden chair as it looks pretty cramped along that wall.,  But so happy with the color palette and the duvet-turned futon covers.  Shabby cottage- at the- beach trumps  Southwestern hodge-podge !