Saturday, August 21, 2010

Family Room Update - Part One

My front room needs some serious design help. I lay on the chaise part of our new couch and look at this wall and shudder. It looks old to me--like old people live here. Now, I know I just had a birthday, but really, I'm not this old.


So, the couch stays. It's new and we like it. I hate the throw pillows though. The wall color (sort of a wheat grass yellow) stays. We got four gallons of Benjamin Moore paint for free from my in-laws' reject pile. It was FREE. It stays.

The picture on the wall belongs to history-loving Utah Dad. I love history too. I love the picture but not really on my family room wall. I need something else on the wall. Something contemporary. I need a new lamp. I need some new throw pillows. I think we could freshen up this room. I just wasn't sure how to do it.

Earlier this week I stopped in for a visit at DownEast Home. I love the DownEast Basics clothing stores (don't we all). I shop regularly for clothing and tees at their locations on Foothill in Salt Lake and at the South Towne Mall. The only problem--and I mean only problem--with the DownEast Basics is that we all love it so much that we often see ourselves coming and going at church. But, I digress . . .

Anyway, I knew that they sold furniture at DownEast Home. My sister bought a gorgeous black square table there a few years ago. But I hadn't actually been in the furniture store for years. So, earlier this week I met with Tiffany at DownEast Home. She showed me around the store and filled me in on their products. I already knew that they carried and sold outlet furniture and linens for several popular national brands at outrageously discounted prices. Tiffany informed me that DownEast Home also designs, produces and sells several of their own furniture lines. Which means that you can get an entire matching set. Even if you have to save up and buy one piece at a time.

DownEast Home also has decorative items and there were several items that caught my eye to help update my family room. However, I'm a slow shopper. I have to see it; go home and think about it; talk to Utah Dad; and then go back to buy it. So, I didn't buy anything yet. But I will.

5 comments:

Jenni S said...

Oh, I'm excited to see what you do with it! I LOVE before and afters. Decorating is so much fun. The possibilities are endless! :)

Rheanna said...

That sounds like so much fun! Before you get a new lamp, I would suggest a can of black or brown spray paint and just getting a new lamp shade-or sometimes once the lamp itself is fixed the shade doesn't look so bad :o) Good luck with your room!

Marcus, Angie & Bug said...

you can always paint your lamp different. check out some of these blogs (if you haven't seen them before) and they'll give you some more, usually inexpensive ideas (like buy some fabric to recover your throw pillows...i can help you do that :) http://www.dwellingsbydevore.com/ http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/ http://reddoorhome.blogspot.com

and then they usually have more blogs to link to for even more ideas.
have fun!

budandlissa said...

I can't wait to see it. Sorry, no advice from me. I'm not good at that sort of thing. No matter what you do, it will be fantastic. If you need help, call!!

Rebecca said...

I just left a long comment for you on the Downeast Blog...if you need some help with the photo part that I mentioned let me know...I'm no professional photographer but I am a professional photoshopper....so, you could email me some photos to crop, fix up etc... and I can help you figure out a layout for the pictures as well.