Welcome to our final week of the 2017 Fall (for all the northern hemisphere peeps) One Room Challenge. If you are not familiar with it, this is where design bloggers and guest participants completely transform a space in just six weeks, documenting the process on their blogs, and revealing a brand new room at the end. So excited – that’s today!! If you are new here I’m Jane, Aussie Mum to 3 kids and interested in the fusion of home organisation and interior decorating. I blog here at Organised Pretty Home, which focuses on the best organising and decor ideas for your family home. A very warm welcome to you! And now big drum roll please! For my first ever time participating in the One Room Challenge, here’s our living room reveal and all the gorgeous details!
Ok one more reminder of how this room started out.
Related Post: Week 1 – The Plan For The Living Room
AND NOW…
Well let me show you around my new living room!
The Buffet
Related Post: Week 6 – 5 Simple Tips For Styling A Bookshelf
This came about in a mad rush at the end. It was me experimenting with how different pieces looked together. Surprisingly, I used a lot less stuff to decorate this area than I thought I would need.
For those who asked, the cabinet is actually a second hand orange pine one I bought years ago. I painted it in Dulux semi-gloss Antique White and added black handles from Ikea.
Sources: Scripture prints – Etsy, Clear Wood Frame – Kmart, old books, shells and bottles – already had.
The Big Purchases
Related Post: Week 5 – Decorating On A Budget
THE SOFA
The plan all along was to get the Ikea Kivik 3 seater sofa for our family friendly living room. We had been sofaless for over 3 month after our last one gave out. However things didn’t go according to plan, of course! Note to self; don’t leave purchasing the main piece of furniture in your room for the weekend before the room needs to be finished.
Picture, feeling of panic as I find out from the Ikea customer service assistant that “THERE ARE NO KIVIK FRAMES IN THE WHOLE STORE!” It happens to be the only Ikea in our city and actually, the entire state. The next delivery wasn’t due to late November/ early December. Now picture a mad, frantic dash BACK through the maze of Ikea to the living room section. Thankfully, Ektorp sofas were in stock and hubby and I were in agreement about getting a 3 seater Ektorp couch instead. Phew – I could finish the room after all!
I love how the Ektorp fits into the room like it was meant to be!
THE PRINT
OMG did you see the peek of the print hanging above the sofa?
That was my huge, surprise find through Gumtree! It’s actually a brand new 1.4m long canvas print of Bluff Knoll, Stirling Ranges (Western Australia) by photographer, Steven Gersbach. And the Stirling Ranges happens to be one of my favourite places ever! I have many memories of hiking up that mountain with my siblings, cousins and assorted friends over the years.
How awesome it is when your home decor choice is able to be beautiful and also meaningful!
THE RUG
Another change of plans, this time because hubby wasn’t keen on my preference of floor rug – a natural Ikea jute rug. Too plain for his tastes! But we both agreed on the Ikea Sattrup floor rug, jute for me and some colour for hubby. Plus, look at the texture!
I did go smaller with the floor rug than the interior design experts, would probably recommend. But I don’t want to have to vacuum! Yes, no vacuuming people! A smaller rug is light enough to shake the dirt out regularly and sweep it up.
The Smaller Purchases
CUSHIONS
I think am a bit of cushion minimalist! Despite an extensive search for the right cushions, 3 felt like enough! Actually it felt like a lot!
Source: Patterned cushion & plain teal cushion – Target, White/ Navy Cushion – Spotlight
LAMPS
Rattan Table Lamp – Aldi, White & gold floor lamp – Target
PLANTS
Source: Blue and cream pots – Bunnings, fern – Bunnings, potting mix – courtesy of my worm farm.
Hidden Storage
Related Post – Week 2 – 7 Ways To Hide Kids Toys In The Living Room
THE COFFEE TABLE
Under the coffee table will be home to the kids’ puzzles and small board games. Also we will be moving a white 8 cube storage shelves into the living room to hold Lego and bigger games.
Source : White baskets with lid – Kmart.
MEET OSCAR, OUR PET FISH
Yes, our Oscar fish is called Oscar! He’s almost 4 years old and is a delightful part of the living room decor.
Also hidden away underneath Oscar’s fish tank, are a lot of the fish tank cords and the modem. I enclosed it all with some curtain wire, hooks and part of a curtain from another room in the house. (Ok -curtain still needs to be hemmed!) But it makes such a difference having them all out of sight now!
From Old To New
Related Posts: Week 3 – Before And After Coffee Table Makeover, Week 4 – A Chair For A Reading Nook
PALLET WOOD COFFEE TABLE
Our refurbished coffee table with it’s pallet wood top, I reckon is the quiet star of this living room. It has so much character!
Source: DIY project from freebies.
ARMCHAIR
While this reading chair. is more noisy about its change of status from backyard reject to living room seating.
The chair frame is painted in Dulux Semi-gloss Antique White USA, same as the buffet and fish tank stand. Existing cushions have removable denim covers which I sewed. Just have to say… First time, sewing a zip ever!
More curvy detail!
What About… ?
Well I hope you have enjoyed my living room tour so far! But there is one part of the room I haven’t shared yet. There’s a good reason for that! It actually doesn’t have much to look at.
One surprising thing about re-doing a room from start to finish in 7 weeks, is that everything that doesn’t add to the overall look of the room gets edited. I ended up with a lot of STUFF being edited out. And you know what, I don’t want to fill up the space again too quickly!
Here’s what it looked like before.
And Now…
Now, let’s all hop over to Calling it Home to check out the final reveals of the 20 featured bloggers and other guest participants. So many amazing, gorgeous rooms to be inspired by!
I might just be putting my feet up in our new living room and doing the same!
Hi Jane Rao, I just stopped by your site 15mins ago and read all this post. So great what you done! I like it a lot! Thanks for sharing this post.
Thanks! 🙂