Progress

An update on the progress over the weekend. My friend came to help...thank goodness! She is always lucky and confident when it comes to choosing paint colors. We tried 6 different paint colors on the wall. We started with three but weren't satisfied. What a frustrating process! Once we got the colors on the wall, they didn't look at all like the swatches. Nor, did they look anything like the website! Sheesh... You really can't tell in the photos, but we ended up with 'warm suede' from Glidden. I really like it. Very warm and yet not too much. It probably could have been a shade darker, but at this point, we just didn't care!

 In this photo (above) you can see that we got that desk moved out and put the buffet in the nook. Really like it here. We also moved the stain glass piece that hung at the other end of the living room. I liked the stain glass in the window as it was gorgeous in the morning light, but we agreed that it competed with the fireplace and that the colors in the stain glass were not right for that end of the room. I like it here!

 Here is shot of the china cupboard that was moved from the 'parlor' into the new dining area. You get a little feel for the new wall color here. I really like the height of the china cupboard in this space. I think it did A LOT for giving the room some balance.
You can also see that I added two lamps to the sofa table which I like for dividing the room and at night, the light is great.

 Another shot of this room from the far end from the fireplace. Not sure I'm satisfied with the round mirror over the buffet. I wasn't sure what to put there and didn't think a framed mirror would work. Compete with the stained glass? Ideas? I am really liking the light that has been added to this end of the room in the evening from the two lamps that sit on top of the buffet.

 Here is a shot of the china cupboard that was moved. You can also see that I took the quilt square down from above the tv cupboard. I think that also competed with the fireplace and things look cleaner.

 Here is a shot of the parlor. The china cupboard is gone and has been replaced with the desk unit. We painted it. More on that later.  Decided to go with the chairs in this configuration and did order the round copper coffee table. Can't wait until it arrives! Tried various curtain colors, but since we painted the desk will likely go with the red curtains. The chocolate brown was nice too. Note: the back of the leather chair is not right up against the island as it looks to be in the picture. There is plenty of space to move around the chairs.

 Another shot of the parlor. Try to picture the coffee table there. I will add a stump as a side table. Added the snow shoes to the wall. The snow shoes use to sit next to the fireplace. Kind of miss them there. Might have to find another pair.

 Here is the fireplace after we removed everything and started over. Decided to stay with the wreath as it has pinecones, antlers, pheasant feathers and things that I like. It is also so nice at night when it is lit up. We really stream lined what was on the mantel. I owe this all to my girl friend. I have a tendency to mix too many different elements together.

 Also removed everything that was on the hearth and went with something simple. (My hubby liked it with more...who would have thought he noticed?)

 Rearranged the bedroom! We decided with the change of arrangement, we liked the gray color. The only thing I don't like is that I can't see out the windows when I wake in the morning. That was the reason the bed was in the old spot. Ah well...
Note: Didn't get as far as rearranging everything on the bookcase for a good display.

 View from other side. I am buying a slip cover for the stripped chair in an off white.

 View from the other side of the room. I like the picture over the door. It use to hang in the 'parlor' and was replaced with the quilt square. (I should have shut the bathroom doors so you couldn't see all the way into the closet.)

 Opps..pictures a bit out of order. Here is another shot of the china cupboard that got moved.
(Funny story here....I really wanted to get the furniture moved, but knew we couldn't do it. So I went to the local feed store on Saturday morning to see if I could find some buff young boy and a friend. I found one! Very polite young man too! However, when he arrived, rather than bringing a friend along, he brought his grandfather! Egads...The young stud had no difficulty moving these heavy pieces, but his grandfather nearly gave me a heart attack. At one point, they had the top of the china cupboard in their arms as it began to sway and I could just see it crashing to the floor. Yikes.)

 In this photo you can see the wall above the tv cupboard and how there is nothing hanging on the wall anymore. I think it looks better this way, but my husband thinks it looks too bare. What do you think?

 In this photo you see a picture added to this wall. The picture use to hang above the buffet. I like it here. Breaks the wall up a bit and defines this living room space. Notice that the stained glass no longer hangs over the window on the right. Looks much cleaner.

When the budget allows, the next thing will be replacing these couches with a sectional.

China cupboard's new home...flanked with two dining room chairs.

The desk make-over:

 So, the young man and his grandfather got the desk moved to the parlor.  This desk came with the house and I never really liked it. It is solid wood and was very heavy. If I decided to get rid of it, I just wasn't sure how we would go about that. I can't even imagine how I could convince someone to move it all the way out of the house!

 We set out to transform it and I know that those people who are opposed to painting wood would shudder. We also wacked it a good bit with a hammer to rough it up and give it some age. (The previous owners would have a heart attack if they knew I did that.) Here it is with a coat of primer and beginning to paint it. Originally, our idea was to paint it red and then dry brush black over it...which we did. We were experimenting the whole time. After we got the black on it, it looked somewhat like the original finish! That surprised us. We were really liking it when we had it painted red, so we went back over it with red paint leaving a bit of black in the creases, which you really can't see in the photos. I'll have to take a few close up photos.

 Here it is finished. You can't tell in the pictures, but we sanded the edges and you also can't see the dents, dings and bruises that give it a more repurposed look. Added some decorative stuff to try to keep it the lodge feel.
Oh...it's also missing the new hardware that I will get on this weekend.

I think it looks okay! I didn't want it to be the focal point of the room, but wanted it to blend in. Unfortunately, pictures don't give you the sense of depth or space.

 In this shot you see the picture I hung that use to be in the bedroom and the window box with dried flowers use to be here, but I set it on top of the desk. I love this folk art picture, "In the Shade of My Garden". I like many different styles and am always drawn to folk art. I wanted to hang it here originally, but it didn't work so well then. I think it does now because the desk has some of the colors in this picture and other colors in the room as well. I love it.

I moved this quilt square from above the tv cabinet to this spot. In this spot there use to be a picture that now hangs over the door in the bedroom. I think this quilt square fits this parlor room and also incorporates the colors in this room. 

So...there you have the transformations over the weekend! What I think is so great is that we were able to use all pieces of furniture and decorations that I already had. We just moved things around (and quite a few times until we were satisfied!)! It's so cool when you can use what you have! The only thing I've purchased was paint (and lots of samples!), the three chairs, curtains and ordered a coffee table. 

I am so grateful to Kristen for her decorating advice. I am also forever in debt to my girlfriend who came to my rescue to help paint, move furniture, hold heavy mirrors and pictures up on the wall as we made decisions, her great ideas and her support!

Now, I am free to start to think about what I will do outside!

furniture arrangement: Need help

I have been SO incredibly lucky to have Kristin, a designer, helping me with my house. I am posting these pictures for Kristin to see the tiny changes I have made to decide on next steps.

In this picture, I moved the greenish couch to where the red couch was and shifted the red couch to the other wall. The great thing about your suggestion Kristin, was that the red couch isn't quite as big which allowed me to move the living room area down about a foot and gave lots more room for the dining room table. I really don't like the red couch body, but it can hold the spot until I can get a sectional. I also think that the balance is better, as you suggested.

Also notice, that I moved the striped club chair that was sitting next to the buffet and used a couple of the dining room chairs. There are usually three dining room chairs on each side of the dining room table. I always end up taking one out unless we need to seat 8, and this way, the table is set for 6 and not crowded on the sides.

 Here is the dining room table now, not at an angle. I tried moving it the other direction as you suggested, but it came out so far into the room that there was only a couple of feet between the end of the table and the buffet. It was a barrier to getting to the other side of the room. I could move the buffet away completely???
I also tried to put the table on the side where the buffet is, but it was smack in the opening between the two rooms where the stairs drop into the big room.
Ugh!
Does it look better this way, rather than at the angle before?
I still think I want to put the buffet where the desk is in that cubby. What do you think?
I'm thinking to move the desk where the china cupboard is in the 'parlor' or get rid of it??

Here is a shot of the dining room table looking at the buffet. You can see the dining room chair next to it, and there is another one at the other side of the buffet. I neglected to get it in the shot.

Here is the flow of the room now. What do you think?

Too much sun coming in when I was taking these...I don't like how low the back is on the red couch, but it will eventually be replaced.

Okay, so now for the chair arrangements:
Here is one option with the three chairs as you look into the parlor from the living room. We'll call this Option A: What I don't like about option A is that from the kitchen the chair with its back to the kitchen doesn't allow for the parlor seating to feel like it's part of the conversation in the kitchen.
Note: When 'we' get this all figured out, I will move the antler chandelier so it hangs over the coffee table in the parlor...wherever that turns out to be!
You suggested maybe switching the antler chandelier with the one above the dining room table. My husband says that will be really hard. However, if you think it would be better, he is game.

Option A from the kitchen:

Another shot of Option A from kitchen (sorry again about all the light coming in the window)

Option A from the other side of the room

Last shot of Option A as you look into the kitchen

We'll call this next arrangement Option B:
This was one you suggested and I like the flow from the kitchen into the 'parlor' better. Do you? Really easy to move around. I wish the wall from the opening into the big room was deeper. It's only about 47 inches so hard to not cover up the door opening.

Another shot of Option B from the kitchen

Option B as seen from the living room:

Option B from the other side of the parlor area (back bedrooms behind me)

This is now Option C from the kitchen. Not real different from Option B, except that there is one chair on the left and two on the right. Do you think the three chairs are weird? There just isn't room for a fourth chair...sure wish there was! (You have to picture a round coffee table there.)

Another shot of Option C

Yet another shot of Option C from the living room

And another:

 Do you like the cowhide rug? Notice the longer curtains? I took down the valance. These curtains are a reddish color. Would you go with a dark brown or light curtain or do you like this color? You can't tell in the photo, but they are a pretty thin fabric and I think I'll look for something like a micro suede? I think heavier fabric would be better.
In this photo you see Option C and the china cupboard. This is where I was thinking of moving the desk. I was going to paint the desk black, then red, then sand it. What do you think?
Do you think the angle of the chairs works in Option C?

Guess I had one more of Option C. Not sure the lamp works right here...

Coffee table I am considering: Copper top...would allow the rug to show.

So, I moved the chair up from the living room to see if it would work. The reason I did this is because this lighter colored leather chair is one of those that isn't as big as a love seat, but I think they call it a chair and a half. It easily fits two people. I'm a bit worried that with three chairs it will be awkward with company when you can't have four people sitting there. I think there would be room for a love seat where the light leather chair is. They have a love seat in the same leather as the chairs I got.
You suggested a love seat under the window with the two chairs flanking it. Hmmm? Unfortunately, the place where I got the chairs won't let you return furniture. So if I got the love seat, I would have to keep it.
This lighter colored oversized chair doesn't work does it? I think the furniture all needs to be the same? What do you think?

Here's another shot with the light leather chair.

 And one more...

 And another...

Paint: I tried a swatch of 'Twig Branch'. Impossible to tell in a photo. It wasn't a good time of day when I did this. I was surprised that it looked so gray, as after my bedroom, I didn't think gray was so good with the knotty pine. I thought it might be greener. Wondering if I should try a different color?

 Another shot. Funny...it looks greener in the photo than it does in person. I DO like having color on this wall and am incredibly excited to get it painted. I think it's going to really balance that long wall and look great! Not sure whether to do just the long wall, or all the walls in the living room. What do you think? Start with the long wall and then decide? Would you also paint the cubicle at the top that has the american flag?

Just for you to be thinking about. Here are some shots of the bedroom. It's a bit of a mess, as I've been putting all the furniture from the living room that doesn't fit in here until I figure it all out.
I really thought I would like the gray walls, but it just isn't right. You also see that the bed is kitty-cornered (not sure if that is how that is spelled!). The reason I did this is that I like to be able to see out the window from bed. Also, if I move the bed into the other area of the room, it blocks the flow. I wish I could draw the floor plan of the room so you could see, but not sure how to do that.
The door to the bedroom is off that long wall in the living room nearest to the tv cabinet. You walk in to the bedroom and most of the space is to your left.

Terrible picture because it is so dark. Too much light coming in, but you can see that the bed is kitty-cornered.

Another shot to see the bed. This is from the doorway coming in to the bedroom from the living room.

This shot is from the bathroom door. 

Fireplace. Photo taken just as you enter the bedroom and look left.

This shot if from the bed looking toward the bedroom door going into living room. This tall armoire houses a tv. The trunk is in the corner of the living room now. I wondered about putting the headboard on that wall. But see how it cuts the room in half then? You would have to walk around the bed to get to the rest of the room. I guess I could put the headboard on that wall and push it really close to the fireplace, but would it cover up the fireplace too much?

You can just see the corner of the airmore here and the end of the bed.

Taken from the fireplace. The door you see to the left of the dresser is the bathroom. This is what I meant about most of the room all being to your left when you walk into the room.

Photo taken as you walk in. The doors on the right are to the bathroom. The doors are two narrow doors, like a french door.

No expectations that we solve the bedroom yet! Just providing photos for you to think about. I don't think the gray wall color works with the knotty pine. What do you think?

Fireplace:

Here is the fireplace in the living room. My best friend gave me this wreath and I really like it (though it was for Christmas) because it has antlers, pheasant feathers, rustic stuff on it. I think having something with light is good on the stone. I'm lucky because the mantel has an outlet. 

It is challenging because the mantel is so high. We had the mantle replaced with the heavy pine board as it was a really contemporary mantel before. There is no way to lower it. The rock goes all the way to the ceiling and it is high. When you stand in front of the fireplace the mantel is over your head.

I'm struggling to figure out how to decorate the mantel.

I have a set of snowshoes to the side, but maybe I should hang these above the mantel?

I also have an old fishing basket, a canoe oar (you can just see the handle here) large pinecone, spurs, old wood box

This is a closer view of the mantle. I have a garland with white lights left from Christmas, some aspen logs with candles on top and a single candle. You can just see the top of the oar on the right side.

This is the fireplace in the bedroom. It has the more contemporary mantel. Paint it? I also could paint the gold on the fireplace to black? This mantel is lower (thank goodness). I have a mirror propped up there now.

Whew! That's a lot for you to think about!!!

Having everything really work is SO important to me. I feel so blessed to have found a home we love, now if I could get it decorated to really show it off to its greatest potential!

THANK YOU!