Living room progress

Right after we moved in, we took a trip down to Utah for Thanksgiving.  While we were gone on our trip, the builder was suppose to fix some issues with the paint in the house.  It was good timing, because the work to be done was somewhat extensive, and they were going to be there all day for several days. But, when we pulled up to our house (after driving 16+hours through the snow and arriving home very late) we found that every  room had all the furniture literally piled in the middle, and if there was anything in the closet, all of that was piled on top.  Everything was still covered in drop cloths.  No one had a place to sleep.  So, after throwing some mattresses on the floor that night, I went to bed knowing I had a huge task of rearranging every room in the house.  The next day I was called to be the Primary President.  So, for several rooms in our new home, I just shut the door, and decided it would just have to wait.  Our living room remained in this state for several months.  It didn't have any furniture, and I just kept the door shut.  It's actually where I put all the damaged items from the move, to wait for the insurance guy to come have a look.  This was the room I had decided would house the piano, but we didn't own a piano. It was really fine to just keep the doors shut, and pretend it didn't exist.  Then, in February, I found a great deal on a piano, and we bought it.  This was just the motivation I needed to get that room figured out.  I had purchased a new cover for our couch at the Ikea in MD, but it was a print that was discontinued, so they didn't have the matching love seat.  But when we went to UT over Thanksgiving, we stopped in Ikea, and they had the love seat cover.  Both covers were a STEAL because they were just clearing out the inventory.  So, finally in February, we moved the love seat down from upstairs, and put the matching cover on it. The room is starting to come together.  It's kind of funny - after I cleared the room out, put the furniture in and let the doors stay open, I had some people come over that had been over several times before, comment that they didn't even know i had a room there.  Exactly the effect I was going for!

I found some fabric in green (like the fabric I found for the curtains in my room) and made some for this room as well. 

I also finally hung up my geneolgy fan chart, with our family history pictures.  This is one of my favorite walls, and I was so glad to have it up in our new home!

And the piano - the motivation to put the rest of it together! 

Right about this same time, a guy came to the door selling "hotel" type art.  I decided to look through his stuff, since we have lots of bare walls.  On first pass, I didn't really like any of it.  But then I saw these pictures of magnolias.  I wasn't sure the color was right, but he brought them in, and I fell in love.  We hung them in the entry way, over our DIY bench.  I really love how they look. 

This is the view of our new pictures from the front door. 

I'm loving how things are coming together, but I still feel like I have lots of blank walls, and rooms that need decorating.  The problem is I have a terrible time deciding what I want.  If John and Sherry of Young House Love still did their room mood boards for a fee, I would really consider having them figure out my great room for me.  I also have to remind myself that it's a process to get it done, and while I don't like not having it done, I don't want to rush and do something I'm not going to like.  So, if you come to my house, and it feels a little underdone, just know, it's a work in progress.