Over the past twenty or so months, we did all the necessary stuff - floor coverings, driveway, landscaping, blinds and so on, plus we acquired furniture for other rooms. And still I had no clue about what to do in here. I had vague ideas about it being a comfortable and quiet place to sit, without being too formal, as well as a room we could entertain guests in. I collected images that I liked and waited for inspiration. I suppose I was really waiting for the room to tell me what it needed, which might sound a bit odd, but I think that's how these things often work best.
Finally, these photos sparked an idea in me:
It's probably going to take a while, but here's what I have in mind:
1. A wall of bookshelves. This one's mostly ticked off, thanks to good old IKEA - apart from a couple of missing height extensions (*ahem* Somebody mis-counted. Oops) and some glass doors along the top row of shelves.
We ruthlessly culled our book collection when we renovated our old house, and again before our two house moves. Now we need to go book shopping to fill those empty spaces.
2. A cream couch on the opposite wall. We want to keep the sofa bed - it's handy, plus it's a good-quality one and I like the style. The colour's all wrong though (navy), so I'm thinking maybe a loose cover? Reupholstery would be great, but it's usually more expensive than buying a new couch. Hmm.
This is almost identical in style to our trusty sofa bed:
3. A couple of armchairs - or armless chairs, actually. Something like this in style:
4. Accents in green and turquoise. Cushions, maybe soft curtains to dress up the windows a bit, and some pretty bits and pieces amongst the books. Perhaps a rug too.
5. A table lamp next to the couch and a reading lamp of some kind in the opposite corner.
6. Coffee table or ottoman. Haven't decided yet.
7. A small cabinet or table next to the bookshelves (at the end opposite the windows). I'm keeping an eye out for the perfect thing. Hopefully eBay or a trash and treasure stall/garage sale will oblige.
I have a couple of framed prints already hung that I'm happy with, but I'll be staining the frames, as they're the wrong colour. Our Van Gogh needs new glass as well; the existing glass is cracked in several places. It's only been waiting for nine years. Hey, you can't rush these things...
Other than that, an urn or tall vase with some greenery and a couple of tropical-looking decor items should finish things off.
That sounds like a lot, but it's a decent sized room and is open to our "gallery" (I love how grand that sounds. It's a hallway. LOL), which looks onto the al fresco room through glass bifold doors.
Progress at last... more pics to come, but don't hold your breath waiting. This might take a while.
2 comments:
Bookcase looks great, lol about *someone* not counting it properly.
Love the chairs, you can get some nice ones in the not so big furniture shops for a decent price. Collins at Thomastown have a better range of stuff than Collins at Sth Morang too.
I'll be saving like mad for a new couch for the family room first, so the chairs may have to wait a bit longer. Maybe I'll find something second hand that'll do for a while.
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