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Emily A. Clark

easy interior decorating ideas

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Now. . . And Then: Rene of Cottage & Vine

June 16, 2011

Blogger: Rene of Cottage & Vine


Now:

Then:

What makes me cringe when I look back:
Our home had become a big sea of brown lacking contrast and color.  Also, for too long I tried to “float” the sofa and chairs in our family room.  For traffic flow purposes and overall comfort, our room works better with the sofa anchored against the wall.
What I love most about my home now:

I love the fresh and airy feeling in our home now.  Even on the darkest day, the inside feels open and light.  I like that there is a good mix of old and new so that each room feels collected over time.

The biggest influence in my evolving style has been:

The biggest influence on my evolving style has been magazines, blogs and e-zines.  I have spent countless hours studying images and trying to pinpoint my style.  Through this process, I have learned that a collected look is what I love the most.

See more of Rene’s beautiful home here.  

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Filed Under: Now. . .And Then series

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Comments

  1. Heidiopia says

    June 16, 2011 at 11:55 am

    Beautiful! I’m in the midst of such a transformation from a sea of brown myself, so it’s thrilling to see the difference. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. rachel @ Just a Touch of Gray says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Great before and after! Looks so much better with the lighter color palette!

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    I love the “now” and the collected look of Rene’s house! I too have been working on breaking up the sea of brown and love Rene’s ideas and how she pulls together a room.

    Reply
  4. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    i absolutely love the fresh and naturally influenced rooms rene has created! her home is stunning! and it feels so much lighter than the “then”!

    Reply
  5. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    i absolutely love the fresh and naturally influenced rooms rene has created! her home is stunning! and it feels so much lighter than the “then”!

    Reply
  6. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    i absolutely love the fresh and naturally influenced rooms rene has created! her home is stunning! and it feels so much lighter than the “then”!

    Reply
  7. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    i absolutely love the fresh and naturally influenced rooms rene has created! her home is stunning! and it feels so much lighter than the “then”!

    Reply
  8. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:06 pm

    i absolutely love the fresh and naturally influenced rooms rene has created! her home is stunning! and it feels so much lighter than the “then”!

    Reply
  9. jillian :: cornflake dreams. says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:33 pm

    wow! what a transformation, it looks great. so bright and cheery! xoxo jillian:: cornflake dreams

    Reply
  10. Janna McCalley says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:38 pm

    So bright and fresh!

    Reply
  11. Luciane at HomeBunch.com says

    June 16, 2011 at 12:54 pm

    This shows that you don’t need to break the bank to make it right!

    It feels so comfortable and cozy. I love it! Truly!

    xo

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

    Reply
  12. Jessie says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:16 pm

    Love her current living room. It looks so fresh, bright and airy now!

    Very lovely space! I am off to check off her site now.

    Jessie
    http://www.mixandchic.com

    Reply
  13. L.Duncan says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:29 pm

    I love Rene’s style and her home transformations! Her kitchen is my favorite next to this room:-)

    Reply
  14. The enchanted home says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Wow thats quite the difference, love the fresh, clean and elegant NOW. I am not a fan of a sea of brown bu it seems to be a common rut. The key is recognizing it and doing something about it!
    Stop by..doing a great giveaway for a Kilim bench.

    Reply
  15. 17 Perth says

    June 16, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    I love the “now”! It is so open and airy!! Currently, I am trying to convince my husband that we need an update. I am hoping for something similar. (Fingers crossed it turns out.) We also have a good bit of brown and tan. : ) Great work!

    Reply
  16. Kelle Dame says

    June 16, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    How beautiful!! I love how fresh and comfy it looks! Very inviting and warm too :) Loved this post!
    Kelle
    xx

    Reply
  17. Courtney {a thoughtful place} says

    June 16, 2011 at 2:56 pm

    Oh, Rene . . it looks so great. I love the mix of patterns on the couch. So fun to see the transformation. I need to go back and see what color is on your wall.

    Reply
  18. Teresa at Splendid Sass says

    June 16, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    Rene,
    You have done a great job here! Talented lady!
    Love this.
    Teresa
    xoxo

    Reply
  19. Elizabeth@themustardceiling says

    June 16, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    Love the transformation! The lighter/brighter color palette makes all of the difference. Rene’s design is so fresh now. Great series Emily!

    Reply
  20. RaleighEM says

    June 16, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    i love your style! it’s beautiful.

    Reply
  21. Pam says

    June 16, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    Emily – what a fun series, reminds me of looking at my old hairstyles that were so ‘in’. :)

    Rene – Your classic, yet modern style is always one of my favorites for inspiration! btw, your picture is darling, I couldn’t help but notice the pearls paired with bright modern blouse!

    Reply
  22. Sara Szatmary says

    June 16, 2011 at 5:42 pm

    I love how light the new look is!

    Reply
  23. meenal bishnoi says

    June 16, 2011 at 7:05 pm

    What a transformation!! Love the crisp and fresh look of the ‘now’ room!! Love this series..and your blog too..I’m your newest follower..I would love you to visit my blog..and maybe follow it if you like! Have a wonderful day..xx meenal

    Reply
  24. Rambling Renovators says

    June 16, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    Amazing how furniture layout changes the feel of the space. Loving this series Emily! Its interesting to see how everyone’s tastes in colour palettes has changed too.

    Reply
  25. SHERRY HART says

    June 16, 2011 at 8:49 pm

    I love Rene and her room is so fresh and stylish! Love this series Emily…..

    Reply
  26. Kat says

    June 16, 2011 at 9:01 pm

    This is SO fun to look at! This is one of my favorite “themed” posts! Her “now” looks awesome!!

    Reply
  27. Conspicuous Style Design Blog says

    June 16, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    This is my FAVORITE series — love it!
    Stacy

    Reply
  28. House of Clark says

    June 16, 2011 at 9:20 pm

    How beautiful. I especially love the pillows.

    Reply
  29. Glidewell Family says

    June 17, 2011 at 2:17 am

    http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/

    I just couldn’t help but share this site with everyone. I’m always so jealous of all the decorators out there. However this site made me feel really good about my choices of decorating. I also enjoyed the vintage houses. Some I really liked and enjoyed stepping back into time.

    Reply
  30. Cassie {Hi Sugarplum!} says

    June 17, 2011 at 2:54 am

    Great transformation, Rene! Thanks for sharing Emily!

    Reply
  31. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    June 17, 2011 at 5:00 am

    Love Rene’s style! This is such a great series!

    Reply
  32. Fran says

    June 17, 2011 at 11:52 am

    Emily, love this series!!! Rene, the transformation is amazing!! So beautiful!!

    Reply
  33. casey at loft and cottage says

    June 17, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    Rene, your room is looking so chic–love your mix of patterns and the art/mirror arrangement. Thanks for showing us the latest version of this space!

    Reply
  34. Rene says

    June 17, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    Thanks again Emily and thanks to everyone for the nice comments! Happy weekend!

    XO,
    Rene

    Reply
  35. Kathysue says

    June 17, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    What a wonderful transformation. I love the lighter fresher take on design and your new look is wonderful,Kathysue

    Reply
  36. Loretta Fontaine (APPLESandRUBIES) says

    June 19, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    Emily– Rene is so wonderful! What a change she made in that room!

    Loretta

    Reply

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