I kept our fall decor simple this year. A few new pillow covers in warmer tones, mini pumpkins and fall leaves scattered around the house. I’m in love with the white pumpkins and the subtle, yet sophisticated fall feel they bring to the room. And the pillow covers are one of my new favorite things in the living room. I might even keep them out through Christmas and into the new year! I also updated my gallery wall behind the couch with new book page art and a more fallish animal print.
I’m finally ready to reveal the first part of my house makeover since two major events happened: I got loads of goodies from my Grandma’s house, and I stumbled upon another goodie at an estate sale a few weeks ago. So here’s how my living room currently looks:
First, let’s talk about the crowning beauty: the couch! I had actually wanted a navy blue velvet tufted couch, but since I purchased my other vintage sofa, I hadn’t been looking for a new sofa. Plus, it’s not like IKEA carries vintage navy blue velvet tufted sofas for me to go buy. (Although, I did notice on my last trip there that they now carry navy blue velvet sofas, haha! They’re not quite as cute as mine, though, and definitely aren’t tufted). As cute as the teal couch was, I spent all my time sitting on the other, boring couch looking at the cute new one, because honestly, it wasn’t that comfortable. And in my modern, new apartment, I just felt like it looked kind of shoddy. In a midcentury house (or older!) with wood floors and built-in character, that couch would SHINE. But it just didn’t in my living room. It was fun while it lasted, but one day after work I popped into an estate sale, and noticed this lovely little lady in the corner. I was in love! When I couldn’t get it out of my head the next day, I went back to the sale and the seller discounted the price so that it was actually cheaper than my teal couch. Sold! My patient, loving husband cheerfully used his lunch hour to come pick it up and it’s been perfect in our house ever since! It definitely brings an additional element of granniness to my space, not that I was lacking that before…
I brought the trunk home from my Grandma’s house and am now using it as a coffee table. It’s a little low so my plan is to put it on casters. It’s currently very stylishly placed on two thick hardcover books (I jest, it looks lame but whatever, it works for the moment).
I told you you’d be seeing more of the children’s heads I brought back. Again, I think they’re kinda creepy but I love them.
I changed up the wall gallery using the art that formerly lived in my dining room, including my DIY book page artwork. I also incorporated some of the pieces I brought back from Grandma’s house, including the two silhouettes, which are my mom and uncle when they were children. So sweet, right?
I was going for an asymetrical arrangment, but once I got everything hung I realized it kind of looks like a lopsided box. Oh well. Probably won’t stay that way for long anyways, knowing me.
This corner still needs some work. I’m not sure I like the chair now with my sofa, and this little cabinet thing is too tall for the chair. It’s one of the pieces of furniture I brought back from my grandma’s, and I like it, but maybe not in this corner. What do you all think? What should I do to make this corner less meh?
Part 2, my dining room makeover, is still in progress but I’ll be sure to share it soon….
Truthfully, it was more like “Treasures from Every Square Inch of Grandma’s House.” Isn’t it fun that I literally have golden objects spilling out of a treasure chest? Settle in, grab a snack or two, and be prepared for an onslaught of photos and more information than you ever wanted to know about my hoarding tendencies, especially when it comes to dishes and handkerchiefs of any sort.
When we were visiting my family in Arizona, my parents and I took a trip up to my Grandma’s house to check on it and collect anything I wanted before the family started dismantling her household. Gram has been living with my parents for several years, and her house has been vacant since then. Since no one else in the family shares quite the same love for old stuff, I was given free reign to take whatever I wanted. Basically, I felt like I walked into a giant, well-curated thrift store where everything was free and as clean as imaginable (family germs aren’t really germs, right?). Dangerous combination. Good thing it was like 120 degrees both in and out of the house until we got the air conditioning running…otherwise I might have taken even more stuff. But enough talk…on to the treasures!
A vintage purse…it’s reversible, and black on the inside! Will I ever use it? Probably not, but it was too cute to pass on.
Leather gloves. I would be more excited, except I seriously already have a box of my grandma’s old gloves. Again, just can’t turn them down!
I am in love with the ivory bangles, and the gold charm bracelet. It was my great-grandma’s and on each circle the name of one of her grandchildren and their date of birth is engraved. So sweet. I’ve been wearing it incessantly and it makes a lot of noise every time I move, but I just love it.
More hankies…to add to my ridiculous collection. Some of the prints are so sweet. I wish I could think of something to do with them, but most crafts/decor involving hankies doesn’t quite fit my taste. Oh well. Ok, on to the decorator items.
Pretty picture with a lovely frame that I don’t currently have a place for.
Amazing frame…I have some ideas for this one. As I was taking stuff, and starting to get overwhelmed about where to store everything, my mom told me, “Just get rid of anything at any time. I release you from feeling like you need to keep all this stuff forever!” Which felt great, until she saw this frame, and said, “Except that…don’t get rid of that!” We started laughing and then she gave me permission to get rid of even this frame.
More pictures! You’ll see some of these again soon when I show you my updated house.
Brass candle sticks, silk pillows, and on straw placemats. I can’t wait to use the candlesticks for my fall and Christmas decor – my mom has had similar ones with her Christmas decorations and I always thought they were so festive. And now they’ll remind me of my mom and grandma each year. The silk pillows didn’t work with any of my decor, so I might ditch them (some of the buttons are missing), but the placemats are so cute and we’ve been using them every day.
Tablecloth, napkins, napkin rings, and a Mexican table runner. Wouldn’t the runner be so cute at a party with Mexican food?
Why yes, I did bring home a pair of children’s busts (apparently from 1962, according to the back), and yes, I do realize they are rather creepy. Don’t they look kind of like they belong in a haunted house? As a child, I always thought that they were plaster casts of my mom and uncle, haha. This isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of them, either. I also brought back two new sets of idols, as my husband calls the birds, the amazing gold box, and on the floor on the right hand side is a fun pot for plants. On to the dishes…
One thing you must know: I share a generational curse tendency to hoard dishes. My grandma had more than FIVE full sets of china at her house…my mom has three…and my sister and I had already taken one set from my grandma’s house that we used in college, and which I refuse to let my sister part with. Just a little context for what you’re about to see (and I’m only showing you one or two pieces of the sets I brought home)!
One of the things I wanted most from Grandma’s house was the set of drinking glasses she used every day. I also found the bowl, which I can’t wait to serve veggies and dip or chips and dip in, and my mom found the amazing cabbage-leaf plate. I love it so much I almost ate my lunch on it today, even though it’s a serving size dish. So pretty.
I’m absolutely smitten with this set. I have no idea what you’re supposed to use the pitcher for, and only have three plates to go with the four sunday goblets, but ohmygoodness, they’re cute.
A closer view of this little art deco beauty.
A complete set of Spode china. It was my great-grandma’s. Isn’t the lace detailing on the edges gorgeous? I will probably hardly ever use this, but really, I couldn’t let it be sold at an estate sale…
The second set of ice cream goblets I brought home…good thing we eat a lot of ice cream.
I also brought back LOTS more depression glass. This is a tiny child’s play size sundae goblet – isn’t it seriously the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen? I better have some little girls one day, because I’ve been saving lots of sets of children’s china for years for them to play with.
And last but not least…
Gram had this radio in the bedroom we would always stay in, and I always loved it. I don’t know if it still works, but I’m pretty sure it does…
I have a few more things (hint: they’re pieces of furniture!) that I’ll reveal soon. I think the best thing about all of this has been that occasionally, when I walk into my house now, I’ll smell her house and think of her. When I see her old pictures on my wall, drink from her glasses, and look around at the furniture that she lovingly cared for for so many years, I’m reminded of the incredibly sweet, loving, generous, homemaking, beauty-loving, dish-hoarding, fun Grandma I’ve been blessed with. All of this stuff could disappear tomorrow (or in our case, be shattered by an earthquake…at least I’m pretty sure that’s what’s going to happen), it will all burn one day, but I will always, always have the memories and legacy of my beautiful grandma to cherish.
More pics to come, as soon as I finish styling my new vintage sofa!
A few months ago, I found this frame at a thrift store for about a dollar. I loved that it was gold and had that unique oval hanging thing on top. I had seen this on Pinterest and loved it:
Source: rufflesandstuff.com via Kristin on Pinterest
It was so quick and easy to replicate this kitschy artwork, and I love the finished effect.
I cut a page out of an old encyclopedia I bought at a thrift store for $2 (I bought a “W” volume to coordinate with our last name, haha).
Source: graphicsfairy.blogspot.com via Kristin on Pinterest
After saving the image to my computer, I inserted it into a Powerpoint document that I had resized to match the dimensions of my book page, and centered it where I wanted it on the page.
Then, after removing all of the other paper from the printer tray, I loaded my book page and printed it. Because the encyclopedia paper was slightly smaller than the frame, I used a sheet of scrapbook paper to fill in the remaining area of the frame. Voila! An unexpected piece of art that no one else in the world has!
Total cost for the project: $3
Check out the Summer Pinterest Challenge at Young House Love for more great pinspiration!
Is there anything better than finding a treasure hidden among ugliness? There’s just something about taking an old, sometimes hideous, always underloved item and breathing new life into it. Since I live in a 700 square foot apartment and simply don’t have any more rooms to redecorate, nor space to hoard my “treasures” I thought I’d share all the fabulous finds I passed up at thrift stores in the past week.
My first find:
Vintage cobalt-blue glass custard cups. They were adorable and the perfect color of blue, but alas, they didn’t stack well, and considering the fact that my kitchen is already stuffed, I had to pass them up. The funny thing is that this is the second time I’ve passed these cuties by – last week I stopped by a yard sale and saw them, but decided against them. Since the thrift store I was at today is right down the road from where the yard sale was, I’m pretty sure they were the same set. Haha! $5 for the set at the yard sale, $1 each at the thrift store.
An old fireplace mantle. I keep seeing these on Craigslist too, but no space in my apartment since I (thankfully) have so many windows. I would paint the outside white, the inside a chalky black and put a backing on it. $95
This picture doesn’t do it justice, but this open backed shelving unit was amazing. It would be even more amazing painted a bright color, like kelly green, bright white, gold, or even distressed in a light robin’s egg blue. ONLY $14!
Vintage picture frame with green velvety inlay. Unfortunately it was rubbed off in a few places, but still a fabulous olive green color. I saw it last week, and then almost bought it today, but $5 seems like a lot for this type of frame.
Vintage blue suitcase. Not hard-sided, else I would have snatched it up. The light blue color was lovely, and it was a steal at $5.
A partridge hen and chickie (I think?!?). Too cute, right? Too bad I already have a very similar set. +-$4
An old object (I have no idea what it used to be), turned into a planter filled with succulents. But for $99, the succulents should all be alive (notice the blackish foliage).
Love love love this type of chair. If the upholstery had been in better shape and it hadn’t been $32, it would have come home with me. I actually love the original color, but alas…
And finally, crowning glory. I almost wanted to change the color scheme of my entire house after seeing these pieces:
The lamp was gold and the lightest, most perfect shade of peachy pink. Simply lovely. I was nearly beside myself when I saw the picture in another section of the store, and it incorporated the same rosy peach and gold, and added in the perfect accent colors of black and gray. Such a pretty, fresh, yet sophisticated palette. Can you imagine the chair above painted a cream color with black upholstery, and then this lamp and picture? Swoon worthy, a la this:
Source: everythingfab.com via Kristin on Pinterest
Source: isuwannee.com via Kristin on Pinterest
Lamp, $12. Picture, $13.
Any treasures you’ve snagged or passed up lately?
When we got married and set up our household, we were blessed to be given nearly everything we needed. The only furniture purchases we made included a side chair ($6 from a thrift store)…
two nightstands ($25 from another thrift store)…
an end table ($7, and I really dislike it, but whatever, I can replace it one day when I find something better)…
and a sewing desk ($4 from a thrift store).
We were given or found (on the side of the road!) everything else. That included a nice neutral couch:
It’s been great for us! It’s big, so we can fit lots of people on it in our small living room; it’s neutral, which is great for my inability to commit to anything colored since my taste in decor changes daily; and it’s comfy. However, I’ve always envied people who bought couches. Like, they went to the store, picked a couch that they liked, brought it home, and every day got to look at / sit on a couch that they PICKED OUT. Never in my life had I picked out my own couch. Unless you count this number:
This was the futon that my roommate Rachel and I bought when we moved to Croatia. It cost us about $70 and was even more uncomfortable than it looks. After a few months, whenever guys would come over and sit on it, you could hear the springs breaking. Literally. But, we were blessed that it was a solid, neutral brown, since so many couches in Eastern Europe look like a bad psychadelic nightmare from the 80′s. I didn’t pick it; it picked me by virtue of the fact that we could afford it and…we could afford it. But really, it had no soft place in my heart.
Fast forward a few years…with extra time on my hands the past few months, I’d often find myself typing “vintage sofa” into the Craigslist search bar. There was a close call a few months ago when I found a green (like, avocado green) couch for sale in Menifee. But, alas, it was in Menifee. It got sold, and that was the end of that.
Until I again found myself browsing the ‘list one day and this little guy popped up:
It was advertised as being “aqua”, having absolutely no stains or tears or smells, and being in excellent condition. My heart melted a little bit, I fell in like, and that was that. Although it was also in Menifee, my accomodating husband used his Saturday to drive up to West Covina to pick up a truck and drive me all the way to Menifee to see my little couch. And then I arrived, and I met it for the first time. And I was shocked.
It was not the lovely, muted teal that I had seen in the picture. No, this little guy was a bright, 1950′s aquamarine. However, since we had driven all the way out there, I felt like I should get it. So, we bought it, brought it home and unloaded it, and I tried to pretend like I liked it, but I was definitely torn inside. I mean….THE COLOR!
I immediately decided it smelled funny and so would maybe have to get rid of it. Then I realized it didn’t smell, and about four days into owning it I decided maybe I could live with it for a year or so. Which brings me to today:
My couch. The first couch I ever picked out, purchased, and got to create a whole room around. Is. AQUA. Some moments I’m enamored by it, admiring it for how adorably cute and unique and vintage it is! Some moments, I’m repulsed by the color, the fabric, the age of it. I’m a little fickle. But overall, my heart is warming and I kind of love it.
But, my dilemma is, how in the WORLD am I ever going to accessorize this thing?
What was buying your first couch like? Did you end up with something you loved, hated, or both?
