ABOUT THE ROOM AND PHOTOS

This is our living room and is my favorite room because of all the light. I fell in love with our house after being in it for just five minutes, but I think this room was the biggest reason. Wes painted it white for me, but after living with the white for two weeks, we decided that it needed and wanted something more. The paint color is EE2063A Crystalized Ginger Brilliant Metals by Valspar. I usually use Sherwin WIlliams for all things paint, but I fell in love with this and could only get it at Lowe's. It is a special finish that requires an underbase of a different color first, so it takes a little bit of extra work. Wes wanted the more vivid darker gold but I thought this was perfect and after much discussion, he graciously let me have my way and later said that we had chosen well. It is not currently being sold, but they can custom mix it for you, which was exciting to discover because I plan on using more of it elsewhere in my home. It makes me happy with the lovely sheen and it works almost as a neutral because everything looks absolutely gorgeous with it.

The gray sectional that we had when we moved in actually cost more than the sectional we replaced it with and all the other furniture combined, but turned out to not be high quality. It was too dark and large for the room as well. Wes loved the large antique Asian cabinet, but we decided it was too large and dark too. The grandfather clock, Chinese screen and Asian side table belonged to Wes. The antique secretary and Heriz Persion carpet were purchased inexpensively at auction, The rug has seen some wear but is still gorgeous. The leather chair and ottoman with faux ostrich skin hide were purchased from a used furniture storee. The bench, console table and floor lamp came from a damaged freight store. The sectional, ottoman and lamps were found on Craigslist. The rods were already up and we found the curtains in our basement and I sewed new curtain rings to them. I decided the living room was the perfect place to honor Wes and display my favorite pieces of his work. The book collection and personal photos are mine. 

There is still much to do. The photos belie this somewhat, but the sectional, although in great shape structurally, very much needs to be reupholstered to add more color, and the back pillows need to be more structured and the upholstery is stained, pulled and in rough shape. I also want to build up the fireplace to properly mount the television and hide the wiring.I would love to change the fireplace from woodburning to gas or electric so that it would actually get used and to change the scalloped trim on the bookshaelves to something more classic. The plaster ceiling needs to be refinished / repaired. The room desperately needs a better lighting fixture but it can't be too large because the ceilngs are only 8 feet high. And I want to add deeper heavier crown moulding and refinish the hardwood flooring to a walnut finish throughout. 

I believe in working with what you have or what you can find. I love to shop Craigslist, eBay and local stores, as well as at auction for pieces that I can afford. If I wasn't an artist, I would shop local artists and art students or even posters to find affordable art. I rearrange frequently, especially with artwork, so things will change over time, although I love the layout we have now. I can't wait to see how this room evolves as it is collected and curated over time.