most improved?

Don’t even get me STARTED about the living room. Sure, it looks pretty bad in the above photo. But at one point, it looked like this:

Yes…if you were wondering, THIS is the stage of the renovation that brought me to “we’re-never-going-to-be-able-to-move-in” tears. Of course, I blame a little of it on the pregnancy hormones. Mostly, though, I blame it on the six-foot pile of rubble in our living room (mostly the product of the demolition going on in our upstairs bedroom … more on that in a few days). But a couple of months later, here’s the current state of the living room:

Nathan constructed these gorgeous built-in bookshelves for me, with absolutely no cabinet-making experience. They are super-sturdy, have TONS of room for our books (which have been in boxes/storage for quite a while due to a lack of adequate shelving in all previous residences), and look straight-up professional, if you ask me.


We plan on putting the crown molding (which was originally on that wall) along the top edge of the bookshelves, as well as doors on all the lower cabinets. I’m going to have a cushion made for the window seat (which hinges open and has storage underneath!), and am still working on the styling of the shelves. Still, I love them already!


Here’s a better shot of the couch, for my mother. It’s an antique I bought at a closing (now-closed) furniture store downtown. I got a great deal + love the shape and the way the yellow ties in with the yellow chandelier in the dining room. The two bamboo armchairs are a garage sale find and I plan on painting AND reupholstering them. At some point.


I had to include this shot of the boys, who I shoved into a corner while I took the room pictures (and they watched the World Cup). Those doors behind Winston lead to a coat closet + the basement. The coat closet is currently full of ALL my framed art and mirrors, which are just begging to be hung — I’m trying to be patient and make sure the furniture is where I want it before I hang art. And I haven’t even painted the living room yet…or bought a rug…or a light fixture… There is a lot to do in here, but I love the way it’s turning out so far.