Living Room Remodel Update

The plan was to not post any photos of the remodel until everything was perfect but with winter here things are moving slowly and I decided it was time to tell you guys what is going on, perfect or not. The living room is mostly done, the dining & kitchen not so much. With it being below freezing here in Minnesota painting isn’t really an option. Not only are the exterior walls too cold but we cannot leave the windows open for extended periods of time to exhaust the paint fumes. I feel bad because the kind people at Hirshfield’s gave me a gallon of their Platinum Ceramic paint to try out and I haven’t been able to use it yet. As a die-hard Benjamin Moore fan they want to prove to me that theirs is also an excellent paint. They make it locally. Soon, I hope to use it soon.

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.