I’ve got to be honest, writing this post has really intimidated me. I’ve almost not written it a million times, and even today, this is going up super late, because it’s so out of my ordinary content/comfort zone. But if I don’t keep pushing myself, then what is even the point of this blog right?
So here goes.
I really love nesting. Making our house feel like home is one of my favorite hobbies and something that brings me a lot of joy, but it’s not something I’m super confident in yet, especially sharing it with the world. I’m still learning, and trying different things with my spaces, and I don’t always get it right. There are so many amazing decor blogs out there now, it’s made me kind of feel like crawling into my little home design hole and just keeping my house to myself.
But then I read this on Brooke from Nesting with Grace’s instagram the other day:
“Who do you decorate your home for? I sure hope it is for the people who live in it. I do it for these people right here. I enjoy using my talents and creating, it gives me joy. I share photos of my home not because I think it is the best, far from it. But if I get negative and think why share this? So and so has a better, bigger, cooler kitchen than me, It would paralyze me. Those thoughts are Satan trying to make me feel less than.”
I’ve thought about this over and over. This idea has been mulling in my mind for days since I read and honestly, that is the reason I’m posting this today. It’s not because I think I’ve got this whole nesting thing down, or because I think I’m so good at it, but because this is a process for me and I want to share the journey with you. And maybe we’ll all learn something along the way. ;-)
As soon as the weather turns cooler, I get the serious nesting itch. I’ve been wanting to give several rooms in our house an update, for awhile (I’m a slow cooker when it comes to home updates) but none as much as our living room. It’s the room we spend most of our time in.
We’ve had these same couches for years, and they are really starting to look their age. I still love them though. We bought them when our kids were all really little, back when I still thought that all your furniture needed to “match and be from the same set.” I also loved that they were slip-covered so I could take them off and wash them whenever sticky hands got the couches messy. They don’t look super pretty anymore, but I love these couches anyway. We’ve had thousands of memories on them, countless naps, snuggles, long Sunday afternoons reading, sleepovers by the fireplace. They’ve been spit-up on, held sick kids, and been moved from house to house with us as we’ve changed jobs, states and cities over the last several years. I love these couches, but they are definitely due for an update, as are our end tables (which were one of the first things we bought after we graduated from college 10 years ago…)
Our living room set up is tricky, mostly because it’s so open there aren’t really walls to give it structure, so it’s got to be done using the furniture. I’ve been arranging and rearranging the space in my head basically since we moved in. I’d like to replace our old couches with an off-white tufted linen couch(this one is around $600), two navy nail-head chairs(under $250), and add a couple short white bookcases (under $100) next to the fireplace. I still love our trellis rug, but I think the room could really use a little life so I want to add a fiddle-leaf fig. I love our home to be pretty but also livable. I want my kids and husband to feel like they can be comfortable and really live here, not feel like they’re in a museum. I like lots of textures and patterns in a room. Not over the top, but just enough to make the space feel interesting. I like pillows and throws, books and fun touches, like this pretty painted globe.
Here’s what I have in mind for our nautical living room update:
tufted linen sofa. navy chair. white bookcase. industrial coffee table. striped curtains. fiddle leaf fig basket. striped blankets. metal basket. globe. striped pillow. graphic pillow. boat photo print. boat art print. Trellis rug.
So what do you think? Do you dive right in on home design, or are you a slow cooker like me?
I think it will be great with your updates! I’m a slow cooker too, mainly because it’s expensive to buy furniture, rugs, etc. I love home design though and I like all different styles. Mainly though I want it to be comfortable for my family. I think adding a sofa table behind your new couch would look great as well. I love the look of sofa tables behind couches that ‘float’ in a room.
oh I love that idea! Now to go search for one…
I think that’s why I’m such a slow cooker with home stuff, I want to get it right. I don’t want to buy a couch and then hate it two months later, haha. and that is such a great idea about the sofa table! i hadn’t thought about that, but it’s a great way to give the two spaces some separation.
Such a great post! I hope you have a lovely day.
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thanks Myra! And you too!
I should probably slow cook a lot more than I do! I tend to add pieces here and there, which means that for a while our rooms look a little bare as I switch stuff out. I love all the items you are thinking of!
thanks! I totally do that too! I got rid of our old lamps in here a few months ago, but haven’t found a standing lamp I adore yet either so it looks a little bare in the lamp department while I search for one. ;-)
Thank you so much for sharing! I tend to buy individual pieces that I love – but they don’t necessarily fit together in a room. I’m learning how to take a step back and look at the whole picture. I love your current room. It looks very cozy and relaxing. All your updated choices are beautiful as well. I can’t wait to see the end result!
Thank you! It is cozy and we definitely kick back in this room, I’m the same way and thinking about the big picture really helps me avoid buying things I regret/don’t have space for later. Thanks so much for your comment! xo
I am a slower cooker. I love so many different styles it is hard for me to decide on one or figure out how to combine thing cohesively. We recently, sold the majority of our furniture and moved out of the country. Starting from scratch with what is in our furnished house. Trying to make a house a home. Your post is motivation to get moving.
Cute look! Loving the outfit!
LOVE your friendly living room and the new ideas look great. I have an idea that you might really like…how about adding navy paint to the fireplace wall? Benjamin Moore Old Navy and Hale Navy are great true navies. It’d set off your beautiful white fireplace and artwork and the new furniture and accent colors would pop off that darker color but wouldn’t darken the space. It’d be a cheap fix or a HUGE impact and if you didn’t like it it’s just paint and you can paint it back! :) Good luck!
As a person who has a design background… I love the couch, but you want it to last a long time, especially with rambunctious kiddos. Make sure the quality is there. Aka… corner blocked, double doweled, and the spring system isn’t a couple of springs that will pop after a while. I loveeeeee this brand, and it’s made in the USA …. Society Social http://www.shopsocietysocial.com/collections/sofas/products/copy-of-charlotte-sofa-no-skirt
oooooh! thank you! can’t wait to check it out! that’s why I take so long deciding on furniture!
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Loving these casual outfits!
I love your curtains, the boat photo print and the idea of adding a fiddle leaf (obsessed)! With so much blue already in the curtains, rug and pillows, you might consider selecting chairs in a complimentary color instead of more navy – https://www.pinterest.com/pin/159877855496558334/. Same for the lamp(s). I also love the idea of swapping out the rug for a jute/sisal one.
oh I love this idea! I have thought about a jute rug, but I do love having a rug that’s soft too… do you have any experience with sisal rugs? How do they hold up?
We’ve had a jute rug for three years. It has held up great and is very easy to clean. I actually really like the feel of the natural fibers against bare fit, but if your kids like to lay on the floor, it may not be the best option. I like the ones with color on the border, like this one: https://www.wayfair.com/Safavieh-Natural-Fiber-Natural-Light-Blue-Area-Rug-NF114M-FV34829.html.