My {little bit country/little bit rock n' roll} living room....

I have to say, I am really pleased with how this room has evolved.

Although we moved into this home just over a year ago,

designing this room was challenging.   Because our home is essentially a great-room

style floor plan, this room, just off the entryway could serve as either

a formal dining room or formal living room.  I took my time and sought

input from my family on how we would ultimately use this room.  I was the lone

vote for a dining room, everyone else wanted a living room, for various reasons

but mostly because we had two living spaces on the first floor of our 

Minnesota cottage {just one with a tv} and my family enjoyed having a room

to sit and read, talk on the phone, playing a game in etc...that didn't have a television

in it.  How can a momma argue with that?

Basically the room was decorated around the granny-sofa.  The damask Waverly

fabric had originally been purchased for curtains about three homes ago.  When 

we were leaving Minnesota, I had a talented slipcover maker in Minnesota 

make a slipcover for the quality Restoration Hardware sofa I had but was not really 

digging the fabric anymore.

The two chairs were a Craiglist purchase - $40 for both!  The chairs

had great 'bones' but very tired fabric.  I had them reupholstered in a 

beautiful cream chenille fabric.  I could have simply done a cream linen

but I love the warmth, comfort and texture that the 

chenille brings to the room.

The room originally had carpet which I loathed but couldn't 

justify spending the $$ on new hardwood.  My dad put down

the whitewashed Ikea laminate for me for just about $500.  The 

9x12 'Heathered Chenille Jute Rug' from Pottery Barn covers 

a good chunk of the room and almost looks like wall-to-wall sisal.

I have said of myself, "I have never met an accessory I didn't like" and this room

speaks to that!  In addition to my love of collecting, this room has everything I

love: decorating books, vintage tortoise bamboo furniture, beach collection {driftwood,

coral, shells, starfish}, vintage walking sticks, vintage suitcases,

vintage books, vintage glasses, old silver,

Asian blue & white pieces and vintage prints {see below}.

I guess that's what you might consider the "country" parts of the room
{yea, 'cause I used the word 'vintage' about 58 times in that last sentence!}.

I began to stray a bit in this room at one point.....reading blogs can do that sometimes.

I began to think I needed to go more toward a 'designed' room direction, even

modern {gasp!}.....I began to question if using 

vintage things was growing tired and perhaps over-used.  

I'm glad I stayed true to myself and I believe I was

able to successfully mix in some more contemporary elements,

like the 'Bengal' Schumacher fabric covered pillows on the chairs -
just enough for me.

The vintage tool caddy pictured above is filled with driftwood 

collected both in Oregon and Hawaii.....I look forward to adding to 

this collection over the summer!

"hello pretty bowl!"

"hello pretty chair!"

I hesitated to show you this vintage shelf......

"hello, my name is Jill and I am addicted to collecting....EVERYTHING".

This old stool found recently at Monticello in Portland sits

next to a chair and is a good place to set a book or glass of wine!

I loved the old leather top.

And finally......the rock n' roll element in the room - the framed 

collection of vintage egg prints.  I am going to do a separate

post on these later this week.  I had the egg prints originally

framed in a traditional style with dark frames about 9 years ago.

When I realized this wall needed something BIG with a BIG

impact, I decided to re-mat and frame the prints in a more

contemporary fashion - large mats and white Ikea frames.

And I will leave you with these thoughts - this room may not

meet the approval of many designers but this room is 'me' and my family;

it has things in it that we value, have collected and speak to the way 

we live, to me that is the essence of a well designed living space.

Sources for this room:

Paint "Duxbury Gray"BM

Curtains: Ikea

Rug: Pottery Barn

Coffee Table: World Market

Frames: Ikea

And finally, I did not 'design' this room alone......I sent out an SOS to the fabulously

talented Holly Mathis who flattered me with compliments and guided my choices,

and offered loads of options and advice - most notably, the paint color choice 

and the ticking fabric on the french chair.  It has been a treat to chat via email

with Holly.  I have the article that Better Homes and Gardens {about 2002?} 

published of her home still in my "Ideas" binder {I'm old like that - this was 

BEFORE Pinterest, peeps!}.