a little livingroom makeover (rental version)

Pretty sure it was way back in the spring when I decided to do a little living room makeover. It wasn't bad, but I just wasn't satisfied with it and really wanted something with more of my developing (vintage) personality in it.

Here's the Before:

When my Grandma passed away last year, I asked for some fabric and this blue/purple/gray floral on cream was one that I didn't sell on Etsy. I kept all five beautiful yards for myself. This came in handy when I decided to use it for curtains! I cut the length exactly in half to get the longest yardage I could for both curtains and then doubled it over to make my pleated look.

For the curtain rod faux pleated look I just sewed the largest button holes my machine would give me all along the top. I alternated the holes as I put them up and voila!

I love them.

I'm hoping to pull inspiration colors from them for future pillows, decor, etc. but this is all I have for now.

I  snagged this birdcage from a garage sale last year and I'm so glad I did! It was sitting on top of the tv cabinet but when Jeremy's electronic project took over it found a new home. In the basement (*tear!).

Then I had a stroke of brilliance and decided to remove the bottom and the feeding bottles and rework it into a hanging light. After a little bit of research, a lamp wiring kit from the hardware store, and a bit of wiring help from my husband, I had a new hanging lamp!

Jeremy is always saying that we don't have enough light in our living room at night and this was a small way of helping the problem. Since then I've moved around another lamp so we're left with the same problem for now. Oh well.

(I love it and its chippiness! And I'd love it more if it was hardwired into the ceiling, but renting makes that a non-option. Maybe some day.)

Finally, I switched out the three black and white European photography prints for a shelf I've been planning to make for quite some time. (Shelf tutorial to follow soon!) I wanted a rustic shelf to display some of my vintage finds out of the way of curious toddler fingers.

Here was my solution.

White pitcher (IKEA), faux flowers (Hobby Lobby), rustic wood frame (garage sale), metal letter "S" (vintage sale), brownie camera (antique store), vintage fan (garage sale), vintage books (free from library).


The Before (again):

The After:

Oh wait! I mean...

:-)