Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Warm And Welcoming Room From Cast Off Furniture

 I like the feel of my living room - it feels pulled together but the furniture doesn't match at all.  I had a guest this past weekend comment on how well see liked our home, and said "You obviously have a knack for decorating."  It was a nice compliment.  Since I was a girl I have always been interested in decor and furniture - I was ALWAYS moving the furniture around in my small 10x10 bedroom - just ask my Mom!


Tim and I were involved in missions when we met and were married and have always lived on a tight budget.  As the years have gone by, and our family grew, we made the decision to have me at home and for me to home educate our children.  That meant living on one income with a family of 8!


This is where creativity and thankfulness come into play.  We have made due with what we had!  We did buy a brand new couch  and chair once, but the couch fabric didn't hold up well and the chair has seen better days! 


Being unwilling at this point in our lives to spend money on furniture, I had to get creative and cover up those ugly pieces of furniture.  Oh, did I mention we have furniture that was given to us, and one chair that I found by the side of the road?  The bones were solid and good, the fabric - not so much.


Let me show you the offending pieces...


 We bought this recliner many years ago...it is well used, but not by me.  Recliners are built for taller folk than me - the padding for the head always hits me in the wrong place.


 This chair was given to us - it is so comfortable and the one I usually claim in the living room.  Not too horrible but a gold tweedy fabric - yikes!


 My roadside find....this is a comfortable chair to sit in.  And it fits very well by the piano...


 This is our purchased couch...the salesman assured us this fabric would allow you to clean it yourself...not! The padding in the arms in nearly non-existent, too!


 This tan couch was given to us, gently worn, but is so not my own style...


So how to hide the hideous (seriously people!  I have shown you some reality this morning haven't I?) furniture and make the room look warm and welcoming?  I cover it all up!  The green couch has a tan couch cover to be neutral just like the color on the other couch.  The recliner has a white bedspread on it, the gold chair a tablecloth in a Waverly print, the small green roadside chair has a red tablecloth on it!  The tablecloths were just sitting in my closet, no longer in use, after Tim made me my giant table.

So now you know my secret...What do you think?

7 comments:

  1. i love your furniture.
    seriously. it's real and lived in, in a good way. you've been wise to choose and find things that will stand the test of time. real life isn't always cushy and comfy.

    by the way, that gold tweedie chair you usually claim? i love it. big time. and i would *not* have covered it up! haha. i'd love to find a chair like that.

    love,
    jAne

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  2. Of course I love it! So comfy and warm. You are so smart to not spend your money on new furniture yet. Maybe one day....but you'd soon be covering any new furniture you got anyway. You just have way too many little visitors pass through your door. We don't want that to stop!

    Hugs,

    Becky K

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  3. I think "home" is a cozy spot where we can relax and be loved. Clearly, your guest felt those things, which makes your home a success!

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  4. Mrs. R! I had to laugh! We used to call our home the "Furniture Graveyard" -- where old furniture goes to die! LOL I was never as gifted as you are at "camouflaging" the old -- and finally, when we moved into our current home (and after 16 years together), we permitted ourselves the purchase of a living room suite. My favorite pieces, though? My auction finds -- a wonderful red chair and two wingbacks at $30 each!!
    Keep making your home lovely!!
    Blessings,
    Mary Lou

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  5. Your living room looks cozy and well loved and lived-in :o)

    After we literally built our own home many years ago, we had 2 small and totally different coloured tub chairs that had actually been in my in-laws' living room when my husband was in high school ~ we enjoyed them and the memories they brought for a LONG time!!

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  6. You're just like us, cast-offs and yard sale finds. I'm looking around my room, and the only think I bought new was our bookshelf and homeschool cabinet, and of course, they were on sale :-) I think you've done a wonderful job! My mom used to have a rocker just like your favorite chair, except her's was green tweedy instead of gold.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Blessings,
    Marcia

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  7. Deanna...kudos to you for pulling together the pieces and making them work. It looks homey and comfortable. I actually LOVE your freebie chair...she's perfect, I hope she stays uncovered!!!

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