This week my kids are on school vacation, which for 3 teenagers means approximately 9375 combined practices, games and team dinners, so forgive me for screeching in here in the 11th hour with a Week Three One Room Challenge Update!!!
My self-imposed challenge is to actually finish my family room – the last 20% or so that has been in the works for half a year. I’m an awesome project starter, not so strong with the finish.
I began with a brown leather couch, two floral chairs and our newly remodeled fireplace, and this is the direction I am loosely headed.
This week lets talk about the rug, pillows and curtain situations.
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THE RUG
I am a huge fan of natural fiber rugs. We have the seagrass runner on our stairs, and basketweave seagrass rugs in our living room and dining room. I was going to use this chunky jute rug that we already had in the family room. It’s pretty soft underfoot and I love the texture it brings to a neutral space.
But then……change of plans! A while back I saw this rug in the beautiful home of Julia Ryan and thought the colors would work so perfectly in my sister-in-law & brother-in-law’s new home. After I looked up the rug to email it to my sister-in-law, the picture followed me around the internet for days, you know how that happens?
{One night Mark was ordering pizza online and saw it in ads on my laptop. When he checked it out he thought it would be perfect for our family room, saw that it was 70% off and just like that, we bought a new rug. See honey? I let you weigh in on these decisions too! I’m a team player!! ….Sometimes…..
The rug that Julia has is listed on the site as the TAN, but looks more like grey-beige in her pictures and I love how it looks in her house, so I went with it despite that misleading color label. When mine arrived, it was indeed a lot more greige than tan. (Clearly the rug manufacturer needs to hire me as their color namer, because this is sooooo not tan.)
I was a wee bit worried that 1/ I wouldn’t like it with the color and pattern of the fireplace, and 2/ it would get destroyed quickly between all the wood fires we have in the winter and the eating and drinking we do in this room as a family. But – we love it!! It’s 100% wool, a nice thickness (especially with a really good rug pad), is so comfy to walk or sit on and I think the pattern works because it’s pretty neutral and so is the herringbone tile. It does shed a little, but not bad compared to other rugs we’ve had. Thumbs up on the rug.
THE CURTAINS
I mentioned last week that I stole these curtains from our living room because that whole scenario was just not working…..
…..and because I really wanted longer curtains that I could hang high and wide in the family room. They are white linen panels that I sang the praises of last year. (I’m sad to say I think Ikea has discontinued the white – they haven’t been in the store and they are no longer on the website. Why Ikea, whyyyyy??) When they were in the living room I attached a dark teal blue ribbon the leading edge of the panels with no-sew hem tape and this color works perfectly in my family room.
THE PILLOWS
Then there are the pillows. I have an affinity for beautiful and expensive fabrics, but I also like to do things like spend 2 kidless days in Mexico with my honey drinking frozen concoctions by the sea, which kind of kills the budget for yards of delicious fabric. So what’s a girl to do? DIY of course. For my LAST 20% CHALLENGE two of the painted no-sew pillows I talked about a couple weeks ago for My Five Favorites will be making an appearance…..
….along with these solid blue linen-like babies (the Ikea Vigdis strikes again – I matched the paint for the pillows to that tealy-blue). The paisley number below was a Homegoods find that I LIKE but don’t LOVE, but sometimes its okay to be just in-like with something. (This sweet phone photo below is thanks to my camera charger staying behind in Mexico, oops! Too many Pink Ladies perhaps.)
Rug, check – curtains, check – pillows, check –
so why does my to-do list look like I have about 19 of the 20% left???
THE LAST 20% HIT LIST
Finish reupholstering the two chairs
Lighten up and bring some blues to our brown leather couch
Finish the art project for over the couch (did you see this post about an unexpected source for large scale art?)
Figure out what else is going on the walls
Build or buy doors for the lower shelves of the bookcases for hidden storage
Style the bookcases
Rug – Pillows – Curtains
Buy a new coffee table
I can’t wait to see everyone else’s progress at Calling It Home, be sure to check out the amazing rooms that are linked up on Thursdays, as well as the 20 One Room Challenge Featured Designers on Wednesdays!
cassie @ primitive & proper says
LOVE the pillow combination and i am loving the glimpse of the rug and fireplace… so light and pretty!
Lisa says
Thank you – that’s the goal Cassie, especially with my big brown leather taking up a lot of visual space!
Shelley @ Calypso in the Country says
The rug looks beautiful in there. You’re right, it really does not appear tan. I think you need to be hired as the color-namer! I love the direction you are going in here!
Shelley
Lisa says
Thanks Shelley, the rug has worked out great considering I did not obsesses over the purchase beforehand like I usually do!
Sharon says
I’m going to try that pillow you made and hope mine turns out like that! I love the new rug you chose and think it will make the room look even lighter and brighter than the new fireplace already does. You can do this!
Lisa says
Thanks for the encouragement Sharon! I have a tutorial for painted pillows in the works. It was really fun!
Kris {Driven by Decor} says
Lisa, that rug is killer!!!! It looks perfect in your room! And you know I’m loving all of that blue and white goodness with your pillows!
Lisa says
Thanks Kris! We are really happy with the rug, it lightens up the room so much!
Denise says
Looking good! I am a sucker for anything blue, so I love the pillow combo. And that rug looks awesome, especially against your fireplace!
Lisa says
Thanks Denise! I am loving the blue too!!
Shelley | Crazy Wonderful says
The rug is perfect!!! It is the perfect compliment to the tile in the fireplace and looks amazing with the blue and leather you’re using. Up top on that one!
Lisa says
Thank you my friend! I am going bonkers with the blue everywhere these days!
Carol @ CAD INTERIORS says
I was chuckling at your rug backstory! It looks great… and yes, the manufacturer needs to hire you as their color namer. 🙂 Love the curtains and how you were able to re-purpose them between rooms. Love the pillows you’re pulling together! Good luck on the remaining 10% now?!
Lisa says
I think I missed my calling as a color namer, especially in the nail polish industry! 🙂
Tiffany says
I love that rug! And on sale? It was clearly meant to be. I can’t wait for us to be done with our rooms!!!!!!!!