3 Simple Changes to Lighten Up My Living Room

Ah, January – the time to make all these ambitious plans for the new year.  Time for a fresh start.  Time to lighten up…

Sometimes I make New Year’s resolutions, sometimes I don’t.  I think it’s because I always have a running list of house goals and personal goals.  For me, it doesn’t make sense to declare them all in January and then feel the pressure to finish them all by a specific deadline.  Here’s an example…Around this time last year, I announced one of the first projects of the year and did I accomplish it?  No.  Am I still planning to do it?  Yes, of course!  But as we all know, sometimes life gets in the way and sometimes other things take priority.  If you read my blog often, you might remember how long it took me to buy my counter stools!  Hey, things happen…

While I am still working on many things from last year, a new goal popped into my head the other day.  I stepped into my living room and got the urge to freshen it up!  Spoiler alert – these are just my plans so if you are expecting a bunch of before and afters, you will be horribly disappointed!  (But, I did include an updated link at the bottom of this post, where you can see the latest change I made to the room!)

I love this room.  I know some people don’t use their formal living room too often, but we actually do.  Maybe because ours isn’t too “formal”.  In fact, it’s very family friendly.  The kids practice their piano in there, I read in there, my dog, Rosie sometimes sleeps on the floor in there.  I often find my younger son on the iPad in there…probably escaping his older brother! But for whatever reason, we all use the room and I want to keep it as inviting as possible.

I think if I just make these 3 “simple” changes, It could give the room a fresher look…

1.  Take Down the Tapestry.

This tapestry has hung on this wall for at least 15 years and I think it’s time to change it.  Although the colors work well with the room, I think I want to hang something lighter or brighter.  I have never really been a tapestry type of person anyway…whatever that means.  I guess it means, I need to make a change…

To replace the tapestry, here are a few ideas I have in my head:

• One large mirror
• One large mirror with smaller prints hung on either side
• A gallery wall

What do you think would work there?  Although one large piece of art would be nice, I don’t want to buy some inexpensive, mass produced artwork…and an original piece of art that size is not in the budget!  (Especially when you see #3 below!)

2.  Change the dark red pillows.

These darker pillows have been in here since day one.  I always liked them because they help give the room that British Colonial feel I love.  They are still in perfect condition and I will probably bring them back in next fall but for now, I want something lighter.  Possibly, some green since after all, it is the color of the year!  Not that I really care if green is the color of the year…I just want the room to look refreshed.  The rug has a mixture of white, tan, yellow, green and red so I have a few colors to work with.  The rug is staying by the way.  It’s traditional, wool and in perfect condition.  Plus, I could never justify that purchase to my husband!

3.  Swap the silhouette shades for plantation shutters.

I say “swap” like it’s a two second project!  This one will actually take some serious husband-convincing but it was one of the half-finished updates I made in the room long ago.

Originally, I planned to complete the look by hanging curtain panels on the sides of all three windows.  The shades were less expensive than plantation shutters so I thought I was doing the “right” thing.  Well, I never committed to window panels and also realized that by the time I actually did, the price would have been more than if I had just gone with the plantation shutters from day one!

So, now I have these partially finished window treatments that look plain from the side view.

Most of the time we just keep them open which is why you have probably never seen them.

I do love it when the shades (and windows) are open, but we need to have some privacy in this front room sometimes.  Although, we don’t run around naked in our house too often…

Then after installing plantation shutters in the family room this year, I knew that I definitely wanted to add them to the living room as well.  Luckily, the existing shades are in perfect condition so I hope to sell them on Ebay or Craigslist.

With these “simple” changes, I hope to have a lighter and brighter living room!  Time to start watching for plantation shutter sales again!  (That part make take some time…and it won’t be “simple” convincing my husband I need to buy them!)

**Update:  Click over to my more recent post to see the changes I made to the room so far – The Clean and Classic Look of Plantation Shutters.  (I guess the title of the post is a giveaway!)

What changes are you making in your home? 

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