Living Room Makeover, New Curtains

 
I've decided to give our Living Room a makeover.  It is the room we spend the most time in so I should probably fix up the little things I dislike about it.  I've shared my DIY mantel many times but I never show the rest of the room because I don't love it.   I have some big plans for the space including building an entertainment center, reupholstering a wing back chair, painting all the closet doors and possibly recovering our sofa.  (please talk me out of that and tell me to just buy a new one.) 

The piece that started the whole thing is this very old rustic desk.  I bought it to sell but then fell in love with it.  Shortly after taking him to the store he came back home with me.  To his forever home.  The only place in the house he fit was in front of the window.

I love his rustic patina.  Next up new curtains. 

 

 

I have been looking for quite awhile for just the right fabric.  I usually pick very neutral textural fabrics but I wanted to step out a little bit and at least add some pattern.  The fabric I chose for the curtains is a medium gray on an off white background.  I found it here.  I needed ten yards so the price was right.  I like the scale of the pattern.  I had planned to line the curtains but when I hung the fabric up to see how it would look I really liked how the light coming through softened the fabric.  So I didn't.  It's thick enough and white on the back so it doesn't look weird from outside.   

I've had that drop cloth covered chair for about three years.  It was the very first chair I recovered.  My cushion sewing job is awful.  Worst ever, but that's okay.  It just shows how far I've come.  The large wicker basket was in my craft room holding fabric.  It fits perfectly under the desk.

 

Here's the before and after.  Another change I made was with the match stick roll up shades.  They used to hang inside the windows but it finally occurred to me that I should mount them on the wall above the window to give them more height and allow more light in.  Those things have been up there at least ten years and I just now thought of it.   They never get put down I just like the warmth they add to the window wall.   

I also gave the basket a make over.  It was kind of orangey and to close to the color of the desk.  It needed a new look.  I had some gray milk paint with bonding agent already mixed up that was left over from a recent project.  I decided to use it to do a wash on the basket.  I didn't worry about full coverage, I just painted one thin coat over the whole thing.  You could probably use any paint and water it down to get a similar effect, but milk paint works beautifully as a wash.  

I really like the changes I've made so far and I'm excited to keep going.  I will be keeping everything pretty neutral in the gray family but will bring in some pops of color with pillows and a few painted furniture pieces.  The wall to the right of the windows is painted a dark Charcoal gray.  Its been that way for several years and I still love it so it's staying.  My accent color has been green for awhile but I'm not sure if I will be staying with that.  The coffee table is green and my husband wants me to keep the table so I may need to repaint it, we shall see.