5.21.2012

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!}.


31 comments on "My {little bit country/little bit rock n' roll} living room...."
  1. So light and beautiful. I love your attention to detail & the wall color!

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  2. This is beautiful! Love the fabric on your sofa!

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  3. Love it and hope
    to see it in person
    this summer!!

    xo Suzanne

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  4. It's gorgeous - your living room is my kind of room. I love the blue on the walls, the interesting bits and pieces like shells, and driftwood, and furniture you have collected, I love the egg prints on the wall. That's the kind of living room I'm aiming for. Don't ever apologize for your decorating as there will be loads of people out there (myself included) who appreciate what you have done.

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  5. Speechless............:) (and that's hard to do!)

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  6. :Hey Jill,
    The room turned out great! I love the chenille chairs and all of your collected bits and pieces. It's what makes your room,you. Thanks for sharing. I'm feeling inspired now to do a little redo myself.
    Hugs,
    Lisa

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  7. Hello Jill

    I love everything about it, we have recently moved home, we live by the sea and mountains in Glencoe, Scotland I have saved magazine clippings for years an emalgamation of bits that I love and I am so looking forward to doing our living room we have shell collections and old books and Andy has some eclectic things from his travels to India hope the finished room looks like it does in my imagination.

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  8. I LOVE how this room has come together and I am so glad that you are posting more on decorating again...that is what I loved about reading all your back posts!!

    I wanted to share with you that I am doing a giveaway over at my blog...

    ♥ Ashley

    atparsons.blogspot.com

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  9. It looks great Jill! Invite me over for a glass of wine to see it all in person! ;)

    xoxo!
    Meg

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  10. This is a beautiful room and I think it's important that our room decor please us and not the designers. You did a beautiful job.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  11. I think it's perfect. I love how it represents what you love and your family. I personally would much rather see a room that reflects the people that live there than one that looks designed and I'd much rather spend time in the second kind.

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  12. Looks good sista...

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  13. I love the sofa! I think the way everything is done, makes it look like new! Paint color is fabulous, and wow those floors...Ikea?? Really? I will have to go look....
    Nancy
    http://wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

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  14. oh my, where do I begin? love your coffee table book selections; the glasses on top are adorable. That bookshelf is to die for. LOVE. Are you going to the Oregon coast this summer or Hawaii?? Love the feel of this room, and I know what you mean about getting distracted! ;) ha ha!
    (we are going to Maui in July...)

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  15. BEAUTIFUL!!! I love every little thing about it. Wanna come do my house :(

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  16. You have a great taste. It is really superb.


    leather sofas perth

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  17. jill!
    every.
    single.
    detail.
    is.
    perfection!

    love your room! thanks for the links to where to buy things. love that rug!

    the ticking on the chair is just a match made in Heaven! gorgeousness!

    ....i need AA for collecting, too.
    ha.

    happy day to you,
    becky
    x

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  18. it looks so good..so fun to work with you!!

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  19. Some of the prettiest rooms I've seen are the ones designed by homeowners who have great taste and follow their "interior" convictions. Your room speaks to your love of history and nature and it's perfect! I too have a room for reading or visiting, and currently I have an old mirror on the main wall. But after seeing your rockin' frames, I'm inspired to go to Ikea to purchase a couple!
    Great job on this room, and I adore your blog!

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  20. HiJill!
    I think the room is gorgeous! And I love the paint color, how do you think it would look on a staircase? I have a lot of white moldings and would do a gallery wall going up, maybe in white frames.

    Does the color read very green? I'm just wondering if it would be too dark on a staircase. Although I do have a window.

    Just interested in your thoughts! Love your blog
    Thanks,
    Paula

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  21. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  22. Absolutely beautiful!! Love, love both your, and Holly's, decorating. And, also love that you were a "Cottagewood" Minnesota girl for a little while...I am a Wayzata girl and have followed your blog for a couple years. Can you give me the name of your MN slipcover person. Am desperately looking to find someone good and reasonably priced. Thanks so much and love everything that you have done. Oh and p.s. your couch is SO not a granny couch!

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  23. {Popping over from Holly's} Oh, I LOVE it! All of it! The "granny sofa" {I have a pair of chairs upholstered in that same fabric}, the driftwood, that SHELF!, the rug...all of it. :) I've been on a hunt for a wall color for my living room that would go with the colors of my furniture {hello, chairs that match your sofa}...I may have to give your pretty color a try!

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  24. Hey there! Just found your blog through Holly Mathis! Beautiful work!! I'm a designer from Stillwater, MN and would love the info on who did your slipcover. Let me know when you have time!! Thanks!

    Natalie

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  25. love your room. I came over from Holly's blog and I love your style!

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  26. LOVE the room! I also have the BHG issue featuring Holly's home. My husband is always telling me to throw out my old magazines but I just can't part with the good ones!

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  27. Was searching for images of that Heatherd Chenille jute rug and came across your beautiful room!! The damask on the sofa is amazing! And I love the big impact of the Ikea frames. I have 3 in a row at my house and love them (although I didn't love trying to get them level!) Just wondering... do you think that jute rug would be soft enough for floor play with little kids in our TV room? We have all hardwoods and I'm trying to find a rug that's durable w/kids, but not ridiculously expensive. The price on that jute rug works for me and I love the texture.

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  28. Happy to see your blog as it is just what I’ve looking for and excited to read all the posts. I am looking forward to another great article from you.

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  29. Such a warm....pretty.....curated room!

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  30. I love the blog shared. Thanks for sharing this one.

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