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Here are a couple of before photos. I’ll post the after hopefully later in the week.

I also bought a new wide angle lens which makes interior shots so much easier to capture. I hope to get a chance to use it outdoors in the next couple days. My decorating style is a mixture of Scandinavian and Asian with some old world thrown in. Although the coffee table is kinda disco, so maybe the best way to describe my style is if you like it, buy it because you can make the things you love work together.

My furniture is a mishmash of new purchases, Craigslist, antique and thrift store finds, and one fancy writing desk handed down from my grandmother. You can see that in the right side of the photo above. The walls look dark blue in the cold winter daylight. At night they turn more eggplant. The sofa was chosen first for it’s size (it was the only one that would fit through the tiny hallway) and second for it’s clean lines. The chair was purchased at Dayton’s warehouse (remember them?) years ago and has worn like iron and embraces you like an old friend. There are also five pieces of Ikea in the room which I worry is too much. See if you can find them.

This view looks into the hallway. The hallway, office and soon the kitchen and dining rooms will be painted this grey-white. I wanted the place to look clean and crisp with the living room being more formal for entertaining. There is still more artwork to be hung, which is also going slowly as I am trying to avoid making the place look cluttered. The brass flower sculpture on the wall above the sofa needed to be out of the way because it is LETHAL. It looks delicate but those brass leaves will poke your eye out. So of course, the first thing everyone does is touch it. No one can get near it there.

Another view showing the mid-century cabinet and the crystal chandelier. The chandelier isn’t hooked up yet. There are wires in the box but no matching ones at the switch. Wish I had known that before the new ceiling went in. Hopefully the electrician will be able to figure it out. I love the color of the floors but I would love them more painted white – which I will never do but I dream about it occasionally and sometimes vocalize to realtors just to watch them spasm.

Here you can see the antique Chinese window screen. The glass has been covered in a static cling plastic with a rice paper look. This hides the view of the neighboring building next door. It looks like I did the same thing to the big windows in the next photo but that is a trick of the light. Below the window is a vintage Asian inspired bedside table that holds either the bonsai tree shown or an Ikebana arrangement.

And the final photo showing the overflow of junk from the dining room. (Sorry no pictures of that mess just yet!) Still no window treatments on the large window. I keep going back and forth between simple white cotton drapes on a white wood rod or honeycomb shades that can be lowered from the top or bottom. I am leaning towards the shades most likely because I am tired of thinking about it.

Hope you enjoyed the quick tour. More photos of the rest of the place in the days to come. I would love to hear your thoughts so please leave comments below. Thanks!

P.S. You may also be interested in my bathroom remodel.

I was reflecting on this conversation while drinking coffee in my living room this morning. It got me thinking about why I feel certain areas of the room worked better than others. The photo below is of a completed section of my living room. This area is dominated by a mid-century cabinet that I picked up at a antique fair. When I bought it I thought that the refinishing job was sloppy and had planned on having it restored to the original darker finish that can still be seen inside. It’s kind of grown on me though so we’ll see what, if anything happens to it in the next few years.

Corner of the Living Room

The light finish on the cabinet glows against the dark painted walls. The white trim adds a clean line and finishes off the room. The stacked Ikea Gilbert chairs are stored in the corner and provide extra seating. Their dark finish and chrome legs mirror other finishes in the room. I have always liked the look of mixing woods in a room, it adds interest.  The paintings (by local artist Jonathan Clark) add necessary color and visual excitement while the plant on the left and the Japanese pottery vase add softness in shape and color.

Why this works: The stepped shape of the cabinet is mirrored in the arrangement of the two paintings and in the placement of the stacking chairs. The plant and antique vase break up the lines with their rounder more organic shapes. The effect is somewhat stark, but clean and inviting. Candles glowing in voltives placed on top of the cabinet at night look dead sexy. The entire composition is asymmetrical but works because the visually heavier cabinet is balanced by the lighter elements which also provide interest.

Vintage Danish Teak Dresser ($280) & Ceramic Lamp ($50)

The ad for the lamp is here.

Vintage Orange & Red Rya Style Rug. $150

Vintage Sparta Bamboo Ski Poles. Could make nice drapery rods. $20

Set of 4 Walnut Mid-Century Dining Chairs. $240

Bentwood chair by Plycraft. $60

Black vinyl mid-century daybed/sofa. Delivery available. $220

Large vintage Chrome Articulating Swing Arm Floor Lamp. $150 OBO

Danish mid-century dining set. Delivery available. $300

Mod (70s?) orange loveseat. $180