Spring Living Room

Welcome to my Living Room!

Come in!  This is the view from the hall.   I did a lot of work out in the garden yesterday but then it started to rain :(   You know what they say - God invented rainy days so that gardeners can get their housework done!!  So, I moved inside and started Spring cleaning.  Yes, I know I'm a bit late with the ole Spring Clean thing but between one thing and another I haven't got round to it!  Anyway, better late than never!!  So, I started on my Living Room and gave it a thorough de-clutter and clean.   Now it's much better!

I can't believe it's taken me so long to get to this room!  I really wanted to give it a little makeover so it feels fresh and Spring-like.   You can check out what the living room looked like when we first moved in and what it looked like at Christmas, by clicking here.  The photos I took at Christmas are so dark but you can make out what's there!   Out went the rug and mismatched photo frames.  I also put my faux fur throw (which I love) away until Autumn.  This room feels so much lighter and airier now.  This is the view into my new office - the making of which you can read by clicking here.  Double doors into office open . . .

. . . and closed . . .

To add a little Spring colour I treated myself to a new hydrangea and zinc metal planter.

I also bought these new cushions for the couch - they were a bargain buy - 7 or 8 euro at Penney's (Primark)!!  The couch is from Ikea.

Love my new hydrangea . . .

The roman blinds are inexpensive ones from Argos . . .

If you read my Easter Sunday post, you'll know that I recently bought a mirror for over my fireplace - problem is it doesn't fit!!! so we have do a job on the fireplace - more about that later!  At the moment, I have this piece of original art which I love which is unusual for me as I generally like more traditional pieces.

The strange beige strip around the hearth is a rubber bumper so that little baba doesn't bump his head!!

 

 

This is my office chair I bring in to the Living room on occasion . . .

 A French candelabra and framed postcard . . .

 I love these French metal round tables - they are so handy and easy to move around the house when you want a change, I have them in this pale French grey and also in black . . .

 

My treasured white marble lamp!

 

 Spring means baby herb plants, I like to have a few around the house - this is rosemary.

 

 
One of the things on my 'to do' list is print and frame lots of photos and create a gallery wall somewhere - I've done three so far - at this rate the wall should be done by about 2020!!!  From left to right - photo number 1 - Niall and myself (hate myself in photos - I'm just not photogenic), photo number 2:  my eldest son Aran on the day of his graduation - isn't he handsome! photo number 3: Niall with our baby Criostoir - I love this photo of Criostoir laughing!!

It's really amazing what a good clean and de-clutter can do to a room.  I actually enjoyed doing it too!  I put on my Amelie CD (from the film Amelie) and flew threw it in no time! 

I really like my new cushions too - love a bargain!

 

Curly metal photo frame . . .

 

 I always have a few books on the coffee table and swap them out from time to time.  On my coffee table at the moment . . .   

Pure Style by Jane Cumberbatch

At Home with White by Atlanta Bartlett

French Home by Josephine Ryan

Farrow & Ball The Art of Colour by Coleman & Addeo

 

And that's it!  Hope you enjoyed the little tour round my living room!  After all the cleaning and de-cluttering I think I'll be taking it easy for the rest of the weekend!  Now, I think a nice cup of tea, my Easter egg -  haven't eaten it yet!  and the film Somethings Gotta Give!  yes - that sounds like the makings of good Saturday evening!  : )

 Enjoy your weekend!

Sharon

xxxx

ps - just reading over this before I hit the publish button!  phew - it's a long post - congratulations if you made it to the end and your reading this : ) 

The Living Room

Before. . .

These are photos of the Living Room from the estate agents brochure:

 

We viewed ALOT of properties that Summer.  I had my heart set on buying a period property but the minute I saw this place I knew it was the one.   It's a timber frame detached house built in 2003, but for a newly built house it did have some character, e.g. timber windows which I loved.  Also, being a new house it had those lovely practical things such as hypoallergenic insulation, modern plumbing and geothermal underfloor heating! Eco friendly and efficient!  so hubby was happy!!  We fell in love with the location, in the countryside just outside a small village, with views of the forest and the valley and only one mile from the beach.  We were sold!

This is the Living Room on the day we moved into the house back in September 2009.

At the time our baby was just 1 year old so this place was perfect as we felt we weren't taking on too much.  Really it was just a matter of putting our own stamp on it as it just needed a few cosmetic touches.  The interior and exterior of the house just needed painting and decorating and the grounds some landscaping and a little finishing - the fun bits!

We moved into our new house in September 2009 and since then we've gradually been putting our own stamp on the place and turning it into our home.  The first year the priority was repainting the interior, putting up light fittings and bedroom storage.  Then last Spring we moved to the outside and concentrated on landscaping.  After the Summer, thoughts turned once more to the inside of the house and getting rid of the carpet became my number one priority.   So last October we started our Living Room Project!   (We're big on 'projects' in this house!)  The living room was a fine, large room 13' x 28' but it felt a bit long and narrow and as I needed an office space I had a brainwave!  This involved carving off the end of the Living Room with a partition wall and double doors thereby creating a smaller room (my new office) with the dual benefit of now having a much better proportioned main Living Room area!! 

Here you see the new wall going up with an opening for double doors which leads into new office.

 

 We then put down a lovely oak floor (engineered oak to match the rest of the downstairs flooring).  I was so happy to see that carpet go!  After that a little plastering and painting and some new trim around the windows and it was finished  (Well, almost, just a few finishing touches still to do!  I'm still moving into the office, but more on that later!)   At least the Living Room was ready just in time for Christmas - phew!

After . . .