Fall Fix-Ups

We decided that this year we'd pack as many camping trips and vacations into the Summer as possible and save all of the house projects for the Fall. So, here we go. First order of business was laying brick for our trash can pad. Now that it is out of the way, we've moved into the house to redo the living room.

When we moved in 5 years ago (hard to believe it's been that long. . .), we had no extra money, so the front room was just pieced together from what we already had. The walls got painted with a very thin coat of a leftover gallon of green paint from our last place and the curtains were made from some fabric I already had. They were the only two pieces of fabric that were big enough and went with each other color wise, so burgundy curtains it was. Not at all my favorite or even something I'd choose. The cafe rods were the cheapest I could find and I've hated them since the day I bought them. There were very few things I actually liked about our front room:

1) The weird pineapple/pumpkin light I salvaged from the rafters in my grandparent's garage (which, btw, most people hate, including Chuck).

2) The corner windows and big picture window. They let in lots of light and being on an inside corner at a bend in the road, there's a great view down both directions of the street. My only complaint is that none of the windows in our front room open so ventilation is an issue when it gets really hot outside.

3) The pass-through fireplace that goes between the living room and our master bedroom. It's fun and unusual.

4) The pocket doors into the kitchen and hallway because we can use the front room as a guest room when needed. I think our couch is actually more comfy to sleep on than our bed.

About 6 months ago, I found a piece of fabric at Beverly's and fell in love. I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be the inspiration piece for my new living room.

So, this weekend (with Chuck and the kids banished to the back of the house), I started painting. After painting the walls a light tan color it became evident that our old wood paneling and red brick fireplace just did not fit in with the new look. So, we've decided that we're going to paint them!! I can't wait to see how it will look in here. It's definitely getting to have more of a cottage look and feel to it rather than the outdated '50s look.

Here's the room right now: The walls have been painted, but the paneling and fireplace still need to be primed and painted.