Apartment Tour: The Living Room

So this is the first post in what I promised would be some photos of what our new apartment looks like. I mentioned a couple of days ago that I want to showcase our place as it is, "beauties, blemishes and all." So you can see that the photos aren't perfect, some things are still waiting to find a home, and others still waiting to get a good cleaning. But that's life, right? At least, it's my life.

Here's my attempt to provide some more details about what's going on in our humble little living room:


Thanks to my lovely, structured couch cover, you have no idea that underneath hides a pretty gnarly brown-and-orange floral pattern straight out of the Brady Bunch! It’s a vintage one I inherited from a family friend that is quite sturdy and I love the straight lines of it.

Above the couch is a large swath of blank wall that I have yet to determine what to do with. It's begging for something but I just don't know what yet. Isn’t that always the case?


LEFT: The sitting chair that I recovered a few years back (which, just so you know, covers up all our internet cable cords that come in just behind the chair). Also a good shot of a couple of blue rag rugs that I sewed together (with fishing wire, no less) and subsequently have used in every apartment since! I am thinking about getting (or making!) a new area rug for this space, but we’ll see what creativity and time deliver.

MIDDLE: An up-close look at the vintage-inspired pattern of one of our throw pillows. I loved it so much that I bought two of the throw pillows, one with a blue print and the other with a green-and-pink print.

RIGHT: Our media center, where we store all our DVDs and CDs, is tucked into the corner beside the sofa. And you can't see it here (instead, scroll up to the top photo), but just to the left of the shelving is our lonely little record player, sitting on the floor, waiting until we can find a proper place for it!


Remember this? The little vignette I showcased awhile ago, which sits atop the shelving. (For more details on the where’s and what’s of the little spread, read this post.) There's also no overhead lighting in the room, hence the corner lamp. Plus, you can also see the damask-patterned curtains a bit better here, which give the room a sunny glow. I threw them up one day just to cover the view from the street. I don't love that they stop just at the window sill (I'm a sucker for floor-length), but I like the pop of color and the print, so they've stuck.


We have a fireplace! This is how the mantel is decorated for now, though I'm contemplating incorporating more white candlesticks and ceramics. In case you forgot, I made the framed nest artwork last year. (Visit that post for more details.)


LEFT: More of the fireplace itself, which is stained with soot that I need to get around to cleaning, though I'm unsure of how much will actually come off. You can also see the log that sits in the pit that was here when we moved in, which I think makes it feel especially rustic.

RIGHT: I painted the vase to complement the blue in the poster and then spray-painted the dried foliage a stark white. I love how it pulls out the light blue! There are also a couple of candles I have on hand that I needed a place to put, and the mantel seemed as good a place as any.


Up-close of the decor on the right-side of the mantel, including our wedding cake topper that my sister hand-painted of us (and a little “Happily Ever After” banner I pinned overtop), plus a vintage lomo camera that I've only ever used once. (Sad, I know.)

The milk-glass vases were table decorations from my wedding as well. (You’ll soon notice that wedding pieces are sprinkled everywhere throughout our décor, which is a fact I love, since I also loved how our green-and-white, wildflower-themed wedding looked, too!)

Related Posts
The Process of Turning a House into a Home
Making the Framed "Nest" Artwork
Mixing and Matching Prints in Our Living Room