I've got the blues...

The Kraft Macaroni and Cheese blues, that is. Every time I walk through the living room I want to sing that catchy jingle like the adorable kids on the commercial. I eluded in my previous post that the owners of this house had a thing for painting the walls to match the curtains. We've discovered that trend in five of the seven rooms in this house, but the living room was certainly the boldest color choice made overall. Unfortunately I didn't get an up-close shot of  it, but get a load of the awesome olive drapery with gold and orange vine detail.

In all reality, the drapes weren't that awesome. Actually, they were spider egg-sac infested, dusty, and clawed up from the owner's cats. I put this poor thing out of its misery, and packed it away in a box along with the mustard braided tie-backs. 

One of the awesome features the living room boasts is the working fireplace that is in the middle of the room. Unfortunately, it's looking a tad 70's chic at the moment with the psychedelic yellow and orange paint, and the outdated red brick. It won't take much to take this baby from looking drab to fab, though. I like the idea of a contrasting paint the owner's had going on, however it is MUCH too bright a color for my taste. I also think it takes away the attention of the beautiful woodwork that is throughout the room rather than highlighting it. Just look at that beautiful, original mantle. 

Feast your eyes on those french doors. Not one set, but TWO! The first set on your left leads out to the enclosed front sun room, and the second pair at the rear lead into the foyer of the front entryway. I'll have to admit that this room, despite its garish colors "sold" me on the house. It has so much potential! Looking back through these pictures remind me of how small and narrow the space appeared because of the color choice in here.  It was definitely the first room on my list for renovation. Here's what a little bit of paint has done for the space, and how she looks now:

I can't tell you how much lighter and open this room feels because of something as simple as paint! We chose Glidden's "Swiss Coffee" in a satin finish, and just love how well it compliments the woodwork. It is also a forgiving hue throughout the light changes of the day. I was a little worried that the space may appear too neutral at first. I was even surprised that I found myself gravitating towards such a light color considering that I had spent the last 5 years in military housing that was completely devoid of color. Somehow, though, this just felt right, and I am looking forward to bringing in lots of color through accessories. 

I played musical chairs for a few hours with our furniture until I achieved a placement that felt right. The room is rectangular, and because of the placement of the fireplace and french doors, it can be a tricky fit; especially for our furniture. At first, our sofa and loveseat were at the opposite end of the room, but it seemed pretty unbalanced. I then split up the bulky pieces between each side of the room. The sofa and large coffee table on one side, and the loveseat, oversized chair, and ottoman on the other. 

I'll admit that I hadn't realized how oversized our furniture really is until now. I love it although the couch is in desperate need of new seat foam, but the microfiber has been extremely forgiving. Something we could not say for the living room set we previously owned-- a lovely red couch and chaise that did not last more than 18 months. It was extreme disappointment to say the least considering we had spent nearly $1600 on that "investment". The only thing to remain from that purchase are the two end tables on either side of our chair. Even they have seen better days, but at least they fared better than the matching coffee table who's legs were snapped off when it was pushed into a wall. The lesson we found through that experience is that you get what you pay for. Cheap furniture usually doesn't last. 

This room has evolved so much, but we are far from done. The fireplace has yet to be painted, and the large window at the end of the room is in desperate need of curtains. There are also a lot of finishing touches that I have planned for the space such as mantle decor, updating some of the fixtures, and artwork. 

So what do you think of the big changes that a little paint has made? Doesn't it look a million times better already? How about you? Are you a believer in the power of paint? Have a space you want to share with us? We'd love to hear from you!