Greetings! Recently we had several rooms painted, and I’m thrilled to finally have fresh walls. I’d been wanting to paint since we moved in, so the new coat of white truly gives us the clean slate I needed to move forward with decorating. If you missed the “before” look, it showed why this refresh was so welcome. The lighter walls make it much easier to shape the clean-yet-cozy style we’re after.
The room isn’t finished and nothing feels completely final—does it ever?—but it’s wonderful to be making progress. Layering textures and accents is warming the space and turning it into the relaxed, welcoming room we envisioned.
There’s a thermostat awkwardly placed above the gold dresser—an all-too-common quirk in many homes. Our plant does a nice job of softening its presence, though. I’ve been excited to style this corner of the room, which sits diagonally from the rattan daybed and opposite the corner windows. Most of the pieces are ones we already owned, repurposed for our new home so the space feels familiar yet refreshed.
All the furniture came from our previous house or family pieces, except for the daybed.
The gold dresser moved from the bedroom and now stores entertaining linens.
The wood game table is a family heirloom, paired with a vintage blue-and-white lamp outfitted with a new navy shade.
The framed botanicals, the café chair, a blue plant pot and one of the two wall baskets are newer additions.
The rug was purchased before Christmas and continues to bring color and pattern to the floor.
We kept the linen settee, leather sofa and round coffee table from our former home. Whenever we can avoid replacing furniture or at least delay buying new pieces, I’m all for it. We’re saving for larger projects—like a side patio, sewer updates and a kitchen remodel—so holding on to what works helps our budget and keeps the room feeling like us.
The herringbone-topped game table has a flip-over checkerboard center for games; it’s a beloved family piece and fits nicely here as a small desk area. I considered removing the glass from the framed botanicals to reduce glare for photos, but at some angles the glass reflects the water view outside, so I’ve left it in for now.
Using what we already have while adding a few thoughtful new items not only saves money, it also makes the room feel more personal and comfortable in a way that suits this house. Small changes—a new lampshade, a rearranged chair, a wall basket—add up to a cohesive, lived-in look.
The room is starting to feel inviting and less like a freshly moved-into space. The relaxed seating arrangement works well for conversation, enjoying the view, or curling up on the sofa or daybed to read, nap or work. On the daybed and fireplace side of the room we’ve added a few new pillows and a new mirror above the fireplace after moving the previous mirror to the dining area; I’ll share updated photos soon.
This week we installed bamboo shades in the dining room and plan to add matching shades in this room next. They’re a perfect finishing touch, and I’m looking forward to having them up.
Sources:
Leather Love Seat // Botanical art (we found ours locally) // Round Coffee Table // Linen Settee // Blue and White Rug // Gold Dresser (Grace Chest) // Bistro Chair // Blue and White Pillow Cover. More items and favorites are available in my shop.
Hope you have a great Friday! What projects are you working on around your house these days?