The Living Room Decoration Saga (Part 54)

You might remember back in January, I started to take my living room in hand; it was dingy and dark and badly in need of an upgrade to make it more pleasant to be in and a more comfortable space for us all to spend time in. As you can see from the previous post we aren’t doing a brilliant job of actually managing to sit down together at all, nice new living room or not and for similar rushing around and toddler reasons, I’ve not finished of the actual decoration of it either. It doesn’t look a great deal different and sadly the friends who advised me that the paint I chose would not last, were right. I’ve got a grease marked wall which a daughter sprayed polish on and the boy has kicked and hand-printed and before I go much further, I’m going to need to repaint the blue wall at least. Similarly, I got as far as putting up curtain poles and I’ve not been able to decide on what to hang on them (voile looked awful) so we have this.

I’ve been totally uninspired until last week when I saw these at The Handmade Fair the other week and rather loved them.

I’ve now got a nearly overwhelming urge to print my own curtains on long pieces of linen. It would look lovely but I’m not quite sure how to fit in the time or how to keep the room looking nice enough against the onslaught of CHILD to deserve the time and money I’d have to spend.

If I ever get the wall repainted and the curtains made and hung, I’m left with a couple of other problems. I may have solved the rug conundrum (I really want a rug but I really can’t find a way to afford one that appeals to me) by another stand at the same fair where I bought an outsized extreme crochet hook – next year I’m setting myself challenge – “A Year of Yarning Frugally” – where I’m going to use up my stash and actually a many stranded rug might be just the job all round. After that I need to conjure up a corner desk to make better use of the space we have in a long and oddly shaped room. We need a desk but currently it just gets covered in total clutter ALL the time – and it doesn’t match the room either. I have a deep and unrelenting urge for a lovely oak corner desk but it isn’t happening for a while.

Which is a shame because my last big problem is seating. Granted bottoms will start to move out in the next 2-3 years but at the moment they are only getting bigger and more in need of their own seat space. We’ve got two sofas, both big enough for two adults and a third smaller posterior and that’s not enough and not ideal when we do watch a film together as one is side on to the tv. (It really is a very oddly shaped room). Without the desk, we’d have space for some movement and an extra 2 seater.

I was asked to take a look at the Chesterfield Sofa range from Newman and Bright. I’ve only recently converted to Leather Sofas in my head, having been put off by a manky one in my childhood but lately I’ve got a distinct soft spot for them. In my dreams I will one day have something like this Knightsbridge version which looks so gorgeously snuggly as well as modern and traditional all in one. (I just need one that’s a bit smaller!)

Image credit: Newman & Bright

On the other hand, one of the recliners or the York, which is a fabulously funky coloured version of a chair that belongs in Downton, would fit were my desk wouldn’t be and as for the Carnival….

Image Credit: Newman & Bright

Do you think there is any chance that when Bene wrote on it, he would at least match colour for colour? Or would he see it more of a challenge? 😉

The grand vision is still on Pinterest; suggestions for actually getting on with it welcome 😉

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Disclosure: this post is in collaboration with the company mentioned within the post.