Salvaging

One of the most difficult things about our big move to California is finding a place. We lost the fabulous place we found due to the job delay, so we're back to searching online. The thing about California rentals is they're small, or smaller than what we have now. We have debated selling our furniture and downsizing everything, but that doesn't seem like the most financially savvy plan. So we're working with what we have. We hate our couch. It has smooshed pillows with busy fabric and we're over it. But it's all we have so I am determined to give it new life.

Here's what our furniture looks like now:

I really like the shape of our furniture. It's not traditional or contemporary. It's kind of tailored, but not formal. It's definitely not stuffy. It has potential. What I don't like about it is how brown it is. Everything is brown. The cushions are a camel microsuede (great for kids) and the horrible pillows are multiple shades of brown paisley/stripes. It's as if brown puked in my living room. I am so over the brown. I want to brighten it up.

So I found some inspiration. If I could redecorate anyway I wanted, this would be my new living room:

Photo source unknown. I found it on Pinterest via Katie, but it is not linked to the original source. Apologies. 

Our furniture has very similar lines to the couch on the right. I love the lightness of the room and how the accents are the only sources of color. Me likey, me likey a lot.

Here's another gorgeous living room that I am using for inspiration:

Photo source: My Design Dump via me on Pinterest.


My furniture looks nothing like this, but I wish that it did. Again, I like the brightness of the room, even with dark walls everything looks fresh and light. The furniture is not the focal point, the accessories are. That is my goal.

Since I can't redecorate completely, I have to work with what we've got.  There's the camel couch and our blue and camel area rug (look closely in the photo of our living room). If I recover the pillows in a light fabric, your eye will be drawn to the lighter pillows and away from the darker couch. At least that's how it works in my head. I found more inspiration in the form of thick ivory stripes:

Photo source:  House To Home via me on Pinterest.


I don't like anything except the couch in this photo, but I am digging the thick stripes that can be paired with almost any color or decor scheme.

I have a fabulous Victorian chair in the attic very similar to this. I am going to have it reupholstered. It will be the final piece of furniture in our new, salvaged living room.

Photo source: Belle Maison via me on Pinterest.


So, my goal is to tone down the camel color couch by recovering new Euro pillows in a lighter fabric to make the room appear brighter. I have been to every fabric store in town and have picked out swatches. I think I have found my fabric for the chair. How fabulous is this?

It's another bold pattern but the Victorian chair has such a small cushion area, there would be very little fabric needed. Plus it reminds me of those darling footstools in the first inspiration photo above. I kinda love everything about it.

I found the thick ivory stripes I was looking for:

It's considerably lighter than our camel couch so it's kind of tripping me up. I feel like I'll love it once it's all together, but I'm not convinced it's really what I want.

I love the pillows in the second inspiration photo. The geometric print is really fun and feels so much more updated and younger than our current paisley. I found this fabric today:

It's another bold print though and it's brown. That's what I'm trying to get away from. Plus, if I reupholster the Victorian chair in the blue tribal print, this may be pattern overload.

What do you think? Do you think if I make some fabric changes, the furniture will get a breath of fresh air and not look so brown? Here's a handy dandy poll for you to vote:

Which fabric should I cover the pillows in?

• Thick ivory stripes
• Brown geometric print
• Neither, get rid of that terrible furniture

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Do you think I stand a chance at liking what I currently have as much as my inspiration photos? Should I save my money on new fabric and save for furniture that we love? I would love the input.