Emily A. Clark

design. simplified.

Our Living Room: The Details

May92011

   

Our living room is literally the first thing you see when you come through our front door.  And, it’s open to our dining room that I shared a couple of weeks ago. I knew I wanted the rooms to have a similar feel, creating one bigger open space.  I gave them the same color of paint (Dutch Boy “Flatlands”) and used the same IKEA curtain panels, with added trim.

We rarely use this room, to be honest.  The most traffic it gets is to and from the armoire, which was too big to get upstairs to the nursery and quickly became our art cabinet.

This room was probably done on a dime more than any other space in our house. Almost every piece was bought from Craiglist.

Here’s the rundown:
The artwork was a Craigslist purchase.  It was one of the first pieces I bought while the house was being built.  I didn’t know where it was going, but it was big and a great price.  Unsure of the artist, but the seller told me a friend had painted it for him.  Wonder what the friend thought of him selling it . . .
The Rowe sofa and loop rug were also bought from Craigslist.  I previously used the sofa in our family room and the rug in our playroom.  Nothing ever stays in the same place around here.  
And, the two accent chairs?  You guessed it–Craiglist.  This one is in pretty bad need of reupholstery, but until then, it’s getting the old folded throw and big, pretty pillow trick:

Most of the pillows are from the Etsy shop, Elegant Touch (who also happens to be one of my wonderful sponsors!).  I won the two cream pillows (in Kelly Wearstler fabric) from a blog giveaway.  I told you this room was done on a budget :)

The lamps were a consignment shop purchase and are one of my favorite parts of the room.

The end tables are actually nightstands turned sideways.  And, the “coffee table” is more like a tea table, but the size works well in the small space.  I bought it several years ago at a thrift store and have used it as a nightstand and end table.  I’ve found that if I just buy what I like, I can usually find a place to make it work.

Proof that you can piece a room together, without a set plan and on a small budget. . . If you’re in a rut, I would suggest starting with a walk through your own home and looking for pieces that you may be able to use in different ways.  You may be surprised. . . and inspired.

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Comments

  9. This goes to show good design does not have to cost a fortune. You have created a warm and inviting room. You are one clever lady!!Kathysue

    Reply

  18. You should do a post about how to purchase from Craigslist. How long did it take you to find the things you were buying. I find I look for an hour or two one day and then get discouraged not knowing how long it should take. The room is gorgeous.

    Reply

  19. Emily, you have the best luck with craig’s list and I never find anything. Boo-hoo.

    Loved that mother’s day pic, btw :)

    Reply

  20. The lamps are my favorite! I love that you found the artwork on Craigslist…wonderful find! Rooms designed around the artwork always turn out beautiful!

    Reply

  22. Beautiful design. I love the artwork, it works great in the space. You did amazing job searching craigslist, I am still trying to get the hang of it.

    Reply

  25. Beautiful room! One of my biggest concerns about buying furniture off craigslist is the “clean” factor, in particular a sofa. Did you do anything special after purchasing it to clean it??

    Reply

  29. Emily, I am loving all of the black, white and green! So much so, that I’ve had to come back several times to study the room. And I find it immensely satisfying that you can accomplish something like this on a small budget — I think all of your readers really appreciate that!
    Camille

    Reply

  30. Even though you didn’t feature the armoire on the right hand wall, I love that you used an unpainted piece along with the painted wood pieces in your room. It adds a real warmth to your already inviting room. I’d love to curl up there with a good book.

    Reply

  31. Emily, I love the curtains. I want to add either a ribbon or ribbon of fabric to the edge of my white sheets. Is your fabric a grosgrain ribbon or fabric that you sewed on? Any suggestions of where to get some great patterned ribbon?
    Thanks!
    Amy ~mysunshineshere.blogspot.com

    Reply

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