Home Sweet Home--Part 1: Entry and Living Room

The Farmer and I made the big move into a duplex on a sweet, little street last year. I lived in an apartment for 6 years before we got married, and then we lived in the very same apartment for our first year of marriage. We were SO ready to be done with apartment living. Dealing with noisy neighbors, maintenance issues, water leaks, and the small amount of living space and storage was getting so tiring. That apartment will hold a special place in my heart forever, but we were so happy to move on! 

Now, we rent a beautiful, 2 bed/2 bath duplex. We have a yard to mow, a garage to park our cars and work on our signs, a fireplace to keep us warm, a sunny kitchen, a laundry room, and a back patio for summer sitting and grilling! We feel so blessed to have this beautiful space to call "ours for now!" 

I took a few "Before" pictures of our place before we moved in last spring--obviously, since we are renting, we aren't able to change anything permanently (although Josh and I have had talks about what we would do if we had free reign of the place!). We have put a lot of thought and hard work into making our rental as cozy and beautiful as we can! 

Living Room BEFORE

We have a gas fireplace, tons of space, tall, tall ceilings, and great lighting in this room. 

Living Room AFTER

We added as much warmth and coziness to this area as we could.
1. Chairs--because this room is so big, I broke it up with a small seating area in front of the fireplace.
2. Curtains instantly dress up a room. They fill out this wall and flank the fireplace well.
3. Hearth rug--this rug anchors the seating area, separates this area from the rest of the room, and adds interest and warmth.
4. Mantel--I wanted to fill as much space on this wall as I could without things getting to busy or cluttered. This giant, vintage window is a great solution! I change the wreath, garland, and accessories with the seasons, but the window stays! I love how it draws the up in this area, creating a triangle with the two chairs!

Something else we added to this part of the room is our piano. I think the piano is another way of separating this area from the rest of the room. It adds interest and weight, and I also think it makes this area feel cozy. 

I don't have a "before" picture of this area, but this is the main living space in our great big living room. This space has been tricky because it's just so large! It has 14' ceilings and tons of floor space! It has taken some trail and error, but we have been making this space feel cozy little by little.

Because we can't add beams or ship lap or whatever to take up some of this space, we have done what we can with furniture pieces. We used this beautiful book case my grandpa built to add height to one corner of the living room. We also added even more height by sticking the plant on top of the bookshelf. I love how the plant adds some life to that corner.

Another thing we did (just last weekend!) is add a barn wood shelf to the space above the couch. We had a sort of under-sized picture in this spot before. We decided to add a shelf with a collection of larger pieces to make more of a statement. I LOVE the way it turned out!

I made the sign with words from the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness," and everything else on the shelf is form Hobby Lobby.

This is the wall opposite of the couch--another wall that gave us a run for our money! We struggled finding balance on this wall. The TV and stand seemed too small for this giant, blank space. Josh built a decorative (7' tall) blanket ladder to add some height! I'm sensing a theme! HEIGHT!!! I love this ladder and the interest it adds to this space!

Entry AFTER

Again I don't have a before picture of this space. We didn't do a lot to this area due to space--no room for a console table or a lamp--but we added a few things to add interest. 

1. A cozy rug

2. The boxwood wreaths on the double doors--these wreaths break up all of the white in this entry and definitely make a statement when you first walk through the door. 

3. A happy plant getting lots of sunshine!

4. A rustic ladder above the doors

5. Coat rack for guests to hang their coats! 

Hope this shows that even if you aren't able to change paint colors, finishes, or add architectural details, coziness is still achievable! Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Height can be added with furniture and decor pieces
2. Use vintage windows to add interest to a mantel (you can change the accessories around it seasonally)
3. Break up a large space with rugs and designated sitting areas
4. Curtains add instant coziness
5. Plants bring your room to life!
6. Add lamps, twinkle lights, and candles for ambience
7. If you don't have large artwork, hang a shelf and layer several smaller pieces
8. Remember when decorating, items placed in odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye (threes and fives, especially)
9. Cultivating a mix between new and vintage adds texture, interest, and a more livable feel
10. Ultimately, what makes your rooms feel cozy is entirely up to you!

I hope you've enjoyed a peek into our cozy home. I also hope this post has inspired any renters out there to have the freedom to make their "home for now" a more pleasing, relaxing space!

grace & peace,

Mairin

LINKS:
Chairs by the fireplace
Gingham pillows
Red Toile pillows
White tin above couch
Cotton wreath above fire place
Eucalyptus garland
Greenery on shelf:
Eucalyptus bunch
Olive branch
Galvanized olive bucket (not exact, but similar)