Living Room Makeover

A Living Room Makeover story

The last few months have been spent painting and redecorating our home. It has been a long time coming and it feels really great to finally get this massive list started and half way done. We started first with choosing a new paint color for our home. Previously, we had a dark beige/taupe color on the walls and I didn't like how dark and drab it made everything look. I would look at Pinterest and some of my favorite photos would be of light and airy rooms with light colors on the wall. Our home just felt dark and heavy. Not only was the dark color an issue but we have limited natural light in our house with only 3 large windows and a patio door in the whole main living space to let in any light. The main living area includes an open concept living room, dining room, kitchen and eat in area.

I wanted a cooler color on the walls that would reflect my french country style and also make it light and airy.

Choosing a paint color wasn't easy for us. When I picked my first sample color and painted a swatch on several different areas; each room looked like a different color. I painted small swatches on each wall in the living, dining and kitchen areas. We wanted a light greige, which is a gray and beige tone that is soft and cool.

I first chose the color "Halo" by Benjamin Moore. I mistakenly painted the whole kitchen before realizing that the color that almost looked white in the can, was now turning out to be a soft pale blue on my walls! YIKES!!! I know, I know! I should have painted a bigger swatch or an entire wall before I painted the whole space. But nooooo....I had to be all diva and get it done! But the light blue wasn't at all what I wanted. Defeated and $100 poorer, I researched some more paint colors. I chose a deeper gray with a warmer beige undertone, realizing that the cooler the color, the bluer it would look on my walls.

I chose three more sample paint colors, painted big 6x6 swatches on the walls and to my dismay 2 out of the 3 looked purple. What the heck was going on? I have never had so much trouble picking a color before! This greige thang was giving me some gray hairs! The one color that looked the best and more gray was "Worldly Gray" by Shermin Williams. It still looked a little more blue on my walls than it did in the can but I decided it would match well with some of my dark wood pieces and accents, as well as the massive amount of brown tile and brown and black granite countertops. I also have black cabinets in my kitchen, a black mantle and a huge black cabinet that I needed to be mindful of when choosing the right color.

A cooler paint color did not look good with all the dark painted pieces already in my house. The other aspect that I didn't think about when painting, was the color of all my trim and crown molding. It is a cream color which was a warmer tone and also changed the look of the paint color it was up against.

Our final choice with all of those elements to consider was "Worldly Gray". Here is a look at the previous way my living room looked when I started this blog.

I'm sure you will notice that the photos are a little more yellow and not as good quality. Let's just say, I have learned alot this past year! Some of the problems in getting good photos was due to my camera ( I now have a better one) and the taupe color on the walls (and I now have a great color palette)!

You will notice the furniture has changed as well as the placement for a more cohesive look. The red couch had to go as it was out of style and no longer fit my style either. Eventually, I would love to replace the loveseat and the brown chair but it will be later this Spring or Summer. My plan is to give them to my son for his first unfurnished apartment in August. (Brillant way to justify buying new when you can give your other stuff away to someone who needs it) :)

Here is the updated living room:

I really love the French Country style of decorating which incorporates a variety of woods, vintage, painted pieces, and soft color accents. In the decor pieces you may see some industrial, vintage and shabby chic accents that all seem to go together. French Country style can also use some provincial pieces, antiques, farmhouse and rustic elements to create this look. I love the more formal feel, even though it is still casual and comfortable. Here is a look at some of the elements that lend to my style.

Maison Designs Home Living Room Makeover

I made these DIY wall art pieces last week to fill the empty space in the living room. I had searched and searched for some art work for the space that I liked, but just couldn't find what I wanted so.....I made them myself. One of the beautiful things about DIY, is that it is custom and special to you and your style! I will be sharing this DIY project with you all soon! I hope you enjoyed this living room makeover! What's your style? If you don't know, put together a board on Pinterest of all the things you like and you will begin to see a pattern to things that make you go...."WOW"!!!

In my next blog post, I will share the updated kitchen and eat in area with you.