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

16 comments:

  1. Love this post! Your home is so cozy and unique. I would never think to pair a blue vase with a painting, or to showcase a vintage camera - it looks so fantastic!

    Kudos for the chair to hide cords and wires! I'm currently keeping mine under an unside-down waste paper basket with a plant on top. Not recommended. :)

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  2. @ Emily - I can't wait until everything goes wireless... That would be a decorating DREAM!! Thanks so much for the kind words; I love that you used the word "cozy" to describe our little abode. That is totally what I'm after! :)

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  3. It looks great! My favorite is the armless chair covering up all your wires, looks like a wonderful place to curl up and read a book with lot sof natural lighting

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  4. So cute, I'm jealous of your milk glass collection :)

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  5. @ PJ - It is a comfy little reading nook, which is what I originally envisioned when I covered it way back when! Thanks!

    @ Jessica - Yeah, we did a lot of thrift shopping to collect all those (I think we probably gathered about 100 vases for the wedding). But it was totally worth it :)

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  6. I love your home - it's definitely cozy and I really like the little owl that you have on display :)

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  7. @ Gemma - Just you wait! There are many more owls hiding throughout my decor :) They are a very popular motif around here!

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  8. Love the mantle! Such a chic way to use color!!

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  9. Looks beautiful, Carmen! Love that fireplace! And all of your lovely accents (owls, vintage camera, etc). :) How have you been? Hope you're doing well!!

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  10. @ Katie - Thanks so much! A lot of those ended up on the mantel because there was simply no where else to put them! It's nice when necessity works out that way :)

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  11. I love this series! where did you happen to get your white milk glass vases?

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  12. @ Brooke - Awesome! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this series. I wasn't sure if people would really enjoy looking at my stuff, since it's nothing fancy!

    I picked up the milk glass vases at a bunch of thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army. You can usually find them cheap for a buck or less apiece. We collected dozens and used them to hold wildflower bouquets at my wedding!

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  13. Such BEAUTY in your home---thank you so much for showing us!

    I'd like to know how to make those gorgeous rag rugs you made....did a Search of your site, but didn't find any info.

    There's a real spirit of joy and peace in what you've shown, too....how refreshing. :-)

    ---Kimberly

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  14. Oops---here's our address:

    Hebrews113@comcast.net

    Thanks so much for your time!

    ---Kimberly

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  15. Kimberly, I'm so glad you enjoyed this peek around the living room in our old apartment! I didn't actually make the rag rugs themselves; I bought two separate ones and stitched them together with fishing wire. But I have seen tutorials online if you do want to make your own. I'm pretty sure ours are just made out of a T-shirt kind of material. Thanks so much for reading!

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