my 4 youngest kids started school today.
it feels like we JUST got out for summer break.
i didn’t even get a tan line!
how is summer over?
scott was already at school for an early morning football practice.
i made waffles and we shoved out the door.
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i picked up the house (a bit) today and painted things.
the internet was out ALL day and i realized i get much more done with no internet…
who knew?!
i am feeling anxious to decorate but the ideas haven’t all hit me yet.
but a couple of ideas….like my sign letters… are making me so happy!.jpg)
i found several of the letters at Finding Great on Etsy.
i loved all their choices!
29 pages of sign letters??!!
it is sooooo awesome!
i may still hang them on the wall but i love them leaning here too.
Finding Great was really easy to work with… they combined shipping for me…sent them right away.
just think of all the words you could spell!
or just an initial?
i love typography.
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back in june i found furniture on craigslist.
a dining room table, 6 chairs, a buffet and a buffet with a hutch on top.
the buffets were identical.
so we painted them gray (Anonymous by Behr) and put them in the inset part of the living room.
it was a perfect fit!
i had exactly 6 pulls left over from the kitchen remodel.
done.
and we had another dresser that i thrifted that the hutch will sit on..jpg)
i know what you are thinking…. “it’s very white”.
but this is just the beginning.
the layer before all the color comes in.
the walls are Sea Shell Gray by Valspar.
there needs to be some height back behind the smile and the cow.
but i don’t know with what just yet.
the cow may not stay here forever… but she was lonely in the closet so she’s hanging out with us now..jpg)
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it’s certainly not done in here… there are lots of things i want to hang on the walls, pillows i want to make, etc.
but we are getting there don’t ya think?
these are the couches and chairs we ordered from Ikea.
there were lots of questions about them before.
basically… YES i love them. the reasons i think it works:
1. this is not our MAIN kid sitting area.
2. it gets used but the boys camp out in the basement not here.
3. and we have forbid food or drink in the living room.
(mom gets to do what she wants because “mom” does the washing of the slipcovers if she spills)
also i found pet alarms to keep the dogs off the furniture
when we aren’t home.
they really work!
it sounds like a smoke alarm when you touch it… CRAZY loud.
it beeps only when you are touching it, as soon as you stop touching it the sound stops.
they don’t go anywhere near the couches now.
amazing..jpg)
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this room needs curtains.
picking fabric for curtains… ughhhhhh.
i don’t want to do it.
but someday i will be out shopping and i will find “IT”.
and i will know that fabric is the one and the decision will be easy.
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and i don’t know what to put in this corner.
but i do know that it is not this.
those cabinets got put there when we moved in… and haven’t moved yet.
i may hang family pics all over that corner wall.
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and these walls…
and i might even put that shirt away that is on the railing. (HA!)
remember when i said i cleaned up (a bit)?
this was behind me….jpg)
i just cleaned one side of the house.
🙂
the hutch is almost done!
the green is bright but i am digging it.
i need some way to conceal all those electronics….what could i do?
everything needs to be accessed at least by a remote.
i haven’t come up with a plan there yet..jpg)
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and suddenly i am distracted….
zinnias and black eyed susans are pretty dreamy.
i kind of want to blow up these pictures into gigantic wallpaper!
these colors…..these are ME!.jpg)
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so the state of our living room? i think i’d say…she’s coming along!
🙂
do you know what i should do with those electronics on the right buffet?
would you ever get white furniture?
go check out Finding Great and tell me which letters you get for your house!
because i know you will find some great ones!
the Giant G… the hi…. the transparent O…. i want them all.
Jaime ♥ Raising up Rubies - i might sneaky sneak in and steal that lamp with the flower shade when i’m there. also. where is the leg canvas … still waiting.
Kelly - I love how the cow looks like he’s about to eat you flower bouquet 🙂
Jana Harvey - I love the new space. I hope you don’t mind my saying that I think the space could benefit from some unpainted wood…. maybe the coffee table. I love the “smile!!”
Jenna B - You need plants! I think a nice plant shelf would be great in that corner where the old cabinets are!
Michelle Whitlow - Wow, it’s looking great!!! I have an old buffet that I refinished to use as our entertainment center. It has our DVD player, Xbox, games, etc in it. We cut a hole in the back for the cords to run out the back. It has a door on each side like yours & we keep it open when we’re using the electronics. Otherwise it stays shut. Works for us!
http://michellewhitlow.typepad.com/24-olive-street/2014/03/new-entertainment-center-buffet-redo.html
Jenna - I love what raising up rubies made to conceal electronics in her bedroom.
http://raisinguprubies.blogspot.com/2012/05/once-upon-time-master-bedroom-remodel.html
Stefanie - I have 3 kids and I have a white PB sectional, people think I’m crazy…it stays cleaner than any dark couch I’ve ever owned, because we don’t eat or drink on the couch and the kids bath before sitting on it! 🙂
Kristin - Hi Meg,
Your new house is looking great! Thanks for sharing the decorating process, those are some of my favorite posts (next to your inspiring Mom posts!)
I think I might try hanging the Smile letters up, top of letters level with the top of the television. Then under that I would put a simple shelf centered under the Smile letters to hold your electronics. I would make that shelf level with the fireplace (not the top of the mantel, but rather, the main horizontal moulding line below the mantel top-the one that connects the tops of the columns) That will give you a good amount of space on top of the buffet to display things like framed pictures or whatever.
Then for the other buffet, on the right, I would look for a beautiful painting or photograph framed to the same size that the smile letters and electronics shelf on the other wall. That way both sides of the mantel would be balanced. I don’t think your electronics would stand out so much, and I think they blend nicely with the typography. For the artwork, I would stick to these colors: Black, grey, green like the letter M, and white. Something airy and ethereal or abstract, perhaps. I wouldn’t want it to be too bright, to dominate that side. Your photograph 3 down below in your Wyoming post of the mountains, lake, pines and stones would look amazing, I think.
I would trade out the lamp on the buffet for a floor lamp, if you need light in that corner.
Thanks for inviting me to play decorator at your house! I’m sure whatever you do will be absolutely perfect!
Kristin
Rach - You shop for curtain fabric like I shop for slip cover fabric. My kitchen chairs took forever to cover because I just didn’t want to find the “right” fabric. Then one day I did. Granted I only have 2 of them done, but that’s progress!
Lori - That hutch is going to be amazing! Cannot wait to see it all together. My husband has hidden all of our electronics in our coat closet (receiver, dvd/blu ray player and surround sound gadgets)and uses some type of “eye” on the front of the tv that makes each remote “see” the components. I am so not techie, but I could ask him the specifics if you’d like.
Lisa - I have one of those same white ikea slipcovered chairs in white (the ottoman too), and I LOVE it…it washes really well too. Considering the price difference between that furniture and the large slipcovered sectional in my living room that I spent over $4,000. on, I wish I had just bought the Ikea couches. My kids at on it, and it now has stains and cat scratches and the covers are not machine washable like the Ikea slipcovers 🙁 I have lots of white furniture, in fact, all my vintage/antique stuff is painted white..I love being able to change the look of my rooms for the different holidays and the decos don’t clash because of all my white and bits of green. Yours is coming along nicely! Can’t wait to see more…..
Jenn - Just noticed Talby’s hair! She likes color like her mama?! Is really cute!
Laurel - All looks fab! I love the Ektorp sofas-especially the washable slipcovers. For the electronics, you can buy a little speaker looking thing that is like a walkie talkie to all of your electronics in the cupboard. It’s the only thing that has to be out:) and they are small.
the chubby dove - we have those same ikea couches and chairs. we also have two boys and two yorkies. people are amazed that we have white furniture, but washable slipcovers are AWESOME!
Kirsten - I have the same white couch and love seat. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I LOVE that they have brightened up my living room SO much. And I LOVE that they are bleachable (even tho they say they aren’t) – especially when my son throws up all over them. What I don’t love is when I spend all day washing them and then my 2-year-old daughter decides to climb on them after covering herself with bright blue marker. Sigh….
Your house is looking marvelous! I love that you aren’t afraid to try something new. I over think my decorating, which means it NEVER gets done!!
Teri - Love the gray furniture! I have a long dresser with the same scroll – painted the piece red and popped the scrolls off prior – they were plastic. Love you pics!!
Lisa - Your girls are getting so tall – is Talby taller than you now? And Annie is looking older, too. They have such great smiles. Glad that Sean still doesn’t mind having his picture taken with a big smile. My teenage boy has hit the “I don’t want my picture taken so I won’t smile” stage. Happy kids! And BEAUTIFUL flowers!
Andrea - Meg….I love it. would you mind to share your source for the couch alarms……I have a shedder….and won’t buy new family room furniture because she is use to getting on it!!! this might be the answer
thanks
Jill - It is looking good, Meg! I love where you are headed with everything. I’ve been eyeing the ikea couch for our home. Love the white with pops of color.
Kristen - Meg, maybe you can put the large black box (that’s as technical as I get!) behind the cabinet door – the one below where it’s sitting now. You can keep the door open while you watch tv if needed and then close it when you’re done. The top drawer can be put on hinges so the front flips open and you can put the other things in there. And like the door, the drawer can just be used when you’re not using the tv. I haven’t read the other comments to if 20 other people already mentioned this, sorry for the repeat! Love your house 🙂
tracy - Miss Meg,
I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your blog- it is always like a breath of fresh air. you are a true original. It made my day today when you shared the photo of what was behind where you cleaned 🙂 I love the honesty and it helps to know that things aren’t always spotless perfection on blogland.
Laura Oyler - oh my word i’m in love with the buffets!!
Karyn - Meg, we have our electronics hidden behind a cabinet. My hubby bought an infrared extender. It is a little device that allows us to turn on the electronics with a remote even though they are hidden! It works great! Love all the colors!
Jennifer - So I’ve watched your awesomeness for a long time now, but the Finding Great site was my push over the edge to comment. You’re always so inspiring, and I’m so glad you’ve shared that site with us. Beautiful!
jenn - I would look through your photos for all the amazing flower shots in fun bright colors. Then do a whole wall in the corner with canvases of fun flowers. Do you have a piano? That would be a good spot for it if you do! Or a fun little bench/settee/love seat with a lamp for a reading nook? Then I would do a gallery wall of family photos in another spot…down the hallway or the stairs?
Tracy - Well if you don’t make those pics into wallpaper, you should at least add them to your shop!! My kitchen wall looks so great with the collage of photos I purchased from the shop. THANK YOU!!!!! 🙂
Kim - Everything looks great, can’t wait to see how you continue to add your touch and color to the room! I could see some wide floating shelves above the hutches for all sorts of fun color and punch.
I just solved my electronics issue. I had my TV off center for years just for the electronics to sit next to it on our hutch. Then I read about a remove extender and upon researching that I found out about RF remotes…. you can use it thru a wall. Guess what I also found out my Direct TV console had an RF remote the whole time! I promptly drilled holes into the back of our hutch for cords and centered the TV! Best free project ever! Now, if your remotes and devices are not RF already, they have fancy things on amazon that will do that along with extenders (but the RF attachments can be hidden away with the rest of the electronics where the extenders can’t).
Have fun decorating!
Martha - Your home is like a canvas, how exciting right? How about painting the two sides of fireplace you favorite zinnia color or green like your Buffett, or Black-eyed Susan yellow. Or just tell me to shut up and paint my own canvas!
tasha roe - love how it’s coming together!!
What about floating shelves above the flanking buffets? the color looks so good on them and they are just too perfect for that space!
i wish i had an idea for the wires. i have the same problem. rats.
Jenny B. - For the electronics, there’s some sort of radio frequency controller thingy that lets you put them behind closed doors but still be able to operate them. I don’t know much about it, but maybe google RF controller? I’ve been thinking about white slipcovered furniture lately. I’ve read several blog posts about the IKEA sofas, and every person has said they are perfect for families with kids because you can wash them and even bleach them if needed (and full replacement covers are cheap). For your corner, maybe a small round dining table with a couple of wooden chairs and a board game or two? 🙂
Molly - I think wallpaper with your flower photos would actually be fabulous! You can create your own wallpaper on spoonflower.com and it would be so fun in the nooks flanking the fireplace 🙂
Jess Noble - I have been itching to buy those couches for years! I finally just convinced my husband that white couches weren’t insane after reading some reviews about how easy it is to wash those slipcovers. They look awesome! And those gray buffets are just lovely. 🙂
Kerri - Our daughter and SIL just bought their first home and she chose a great sofa from IKEA (but in a dark color because she has a 3-yr-old 🙂 ). I am VERY excited for the IKEA in Merriam, KS to open next month. That’s only an 1-1/2 hours from me. Woo hoo!
Janet - Your home is great, and the zinnias are beautiful. My favorite. Hope your kids have a great year!
Mel - L-o-v-e what you got going on there…and you are a lot better at this decorating thing than me, but I can tell you a couple things we have done to hide electronics. We took off the solid wood panel of our cabinet and replaced it with mesh. This allows for the remote to work and for the components to keep cool. Also, we put my husbands big sub-woofer speaker in an old picnic basket (with a lid) in the corner on the floor. And it still shakes the room! Works just fine. 🙂 I really like your smile!!
Gina - Meg, when I read your blog I come away so inspired!! I just want to go paint something or do something new!! And I live in a mostly white house but you make me want color. 😉 Maybe. 🙂 I am definitely going to look at the letters because I have been wanting a “B” forever but I love the thrill of the hunt so may wait to find it at a flea market or wherever. 🙂 I thought of a crate turned longways also for the electronic stuff. Thanks for sharing your home with us. 🙂
LInda - Hi Meg,
I love watching your progress with your new home; it’s looking beautiful!
We too have our TV over our fireplace and have our electronics concealed inside a cabinet. Right now we have to open the cabinet to use the remotes, but, my husband bought an eye to install outside the cabinet so that the remote will work with the cabinets closed. I’m very excited about this! So…it is possible to conceal all those electronics and still access them by remote. Maybe this could also be an option for you.
FLWendy - You are so creative, Meg! I had that IKEA sofa and the chairs. They are awesome. I washed those slipcovers constantly and they always came out clean and bright. About the electronics, are the areas behind the scroll-work on your cabinets removable? Maybe you could replace them with some sort of screen to make it accessible by remote?
Lori - Can you hinge the drawer fronts a la House*Tweaking for your electronics?!?
http://www.housetweaking.com/2013/09/04/diy-hinged-drawer/
Julie - Wow – you room is looking great – love the white with pops of colour. Especially love those flowers, think I will have to plant zinnias this summer too.
Rebecca W - Put them into an old crate (standing on it’s side) that has slats on its bottom so that the wires can go through. When you don’t feel like looking at it all, turn the crate so it’s bottom faces the wall…if that makes sense :p
Johanna - House is looking great! Your blog is always a decorating inspiration! What color paint is on your walls? It looks like a light grey? Really nice color to add all those color-pops you always have…
Beth - Oh, the electronics! Such a pain when making decorating decisions… Something like this would allow you to hide almost everything inside those cabinets I think!
http://www.amazon.com/Next-Generation-Remote-Control-Extender/dp/B000C1Z0HA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1408426479&sr=8-4&keywords=infrared+remote+sensor
kristen - It looks great! You inspire me!