The 5 Year Itch

It's been said that in a relationship there comes a time when happiness declines. Typically this is around 7 years, in a marriage at least. Well, I've been living with a living room for almost 5 years now, and I've got a big itch for change.

How's that for a Carrie Bradshaw impersonation? ;)

I was at a good friend's house the other night, checking out her freshly painted first coat of coral in their half bathroom (she may have been having a minor freakout, and needed a little nudge to keep going), when we started talking about how small change leads to major changes.

When we bought our house 5 years ago, I painted this room Kentucky Haze by Benjamin Moore the night we moved in. Yep, I'm crazy like that! And while I still love this color (it remains in our laundry room, for now...) I'm ready to switch up the feel of this room.

I've been searching for new pillows for our sectional in here for almost a year, but I couldn't pull the trigger (or push the order button) since I wasn't exactly sure which direction I wanted to take this room next.  When I found these Zazzle pillows on Joss & Main a month or so ago, I figured I would go for it, and trust that my new obsession with navy blue would tie everything together. 

 

Then, while shopping at Target, I found another set of pillows that intrigued me. Whether they went together was questionable, but I could return these if not. 

 I waited patiently for my Joss & Main pillows to arrive. When they were finally delivered (really it didn't take more than a week), I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved them together! 

 I love Instagram filters, don't you? This photo almost makes me want to keep the wall color. But alas, it IS a filter, and not quite like this in real life. Back my not-so-new navy blue obsession. I've been itching to paint something navy - a wall, a room, the back of a built-in, anything!  Now I've got the perfect victim space. 

Opposite of the sectional we have our fireplace (which is in desperate need of a mantel, don't you think?) and our lovely built-ins. My plan for these bad boys is uncertain at this time. One thing's for sure, I will be constructing two new sets of doors. Look close and you'll notice that the left door under the TV is pushed in. Little hands seem to think it's okay to push on this door and check out what's on the inside!

I would also love to paint the backs of these shelves, possibly continue the navy, or maybe introduce another color. Opinions welcome! Here are just a few ideas I've put together from my Pinterest board.

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From left to right: love the planking that Karianne at Thistlewood Farms did on the back of her bookcase, but I'm afraid it might be a bit much with our fireplace. The burlap might be winning in the "alternative to paint" category. I love the texture and warmth it adds, plus it looks pretty easy to do! Of course, painting the backs would be a quick way to change up the space. I love the bright color chosen in this room. Last but not least, another plank style, painted to match the built-ins. It's clean and classy, but we've got plans to spruce up the 5th wall as well!

Let's talk ceilings, shall we?

So we have these beams. They're fake, but we're still friends. However, the acoustic tiles in between them are not my friend. I'm not sure why they were installed in the first place. In my opinion, they make this space look a little cheap. So, instead of tearing it all out, we plan to cover it up. 

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I thought about a coffered ceiling, but the beams we have aren't centered on the fireplace for some reason, and it drives my nuts every time I look at them. I think adding more beams would make it even more noticeable. Our thought is to add some sort of painted paneling between the stained beams. We also want to beef up the beams with trim to give them more of a custom look.

Do you see what I mean? I bought a few new pillows and now we're talking about painting, adding paneling to the ceiling, maybe a mantel... possibly new curtains?  These things naturally snow ball. And that's why my husband LOVES doing home projects with me! :) Lucky for him, I'm going to try out the left over paint from M's room, since I only did a stripe around the wall, but insisted on a gallon of paint. So, let's get started!!

Linking Up To:

Love Grows Wild - Time To Sparkle Link Party #33 

Beneath My Heart - Best DIY Projects of October