{THE ENTRY WAY & LIVING ROOM}
Ok, so, due to the lack of projects going on around here, I am sure that it is very obvious that I haven't gotten my mojo back......YET!! I'm still waiting for it. Any day now! I am sure I will be lying on the couch when I find it ;) LOL. So, while I continue to wait, I thought I would show you/tell you a little bit about the place I call home.
As I've already mentioned, I "met" (re-met for those that know the story) my husband in January of 2010. He was in the process of moving, so I thought I'd help him look. I was living in San Diego still, renting a room from a friend until I found a more permanent place. He had started his own law firm the previous year, and wanted to find a bigger home that had an extra room for an office. Now, historically, I have LOVED looking at empty homes/apartments for rent/sale. I love the open spaces and all of the possibilities. My sister used to say that I wasn't allowed to go apartment hunting for us when she and I lived together. She said that I could see the good in anything - to a fault - dumpy apartments especially! haha!! Well, what does she know.....?! I have great taste!! Anyway, while my husband (new boyfriend at the time) worked hard all day, I spent my free time after work (ok, sometimes during) searching Craigslist and rental websites for listings. I was going to find him something great!!
Low and behold...I found it. The MOST AMAZING place!! I was so excited. The minute we toured it as an empty home, I said "WE NEED TO LIVE HERE!!!" and everything was history! He and I BOTH moved in there the following week!! LOL!! I love our home. Rental or not, it has FAR surpassed any expectation about the home that I would get to live in as a newly married woman in Orange County, CA. I am so grateful and thankful that my husband let us live here! ;)
So, let me quickly set the stage. The neighborhood is about one mile up from the ocean, just off of a main thoroughfare. It is a small neighborhood with tree-lined streets that back up against a lush hill. Our house is in the middle of a quaint little cul-de-sac.
From the front, truthfully, it doesn't look like much. Kind of small and outdated.
But once you open the doors, it's a completely different story :). The front door opens up to a bamboo-lined courtyard.
It was really weird at first getting used to the fact that our front door wasn't really the "front door".
This is the view from inside the entryway looking out. This open space creates the best cross breeze and sunny spots! I love it!
Once you enter the house, on the left there is a small sitting area. Sometimes I read here. It's very peaceful. (Please disregard the empty photo frame. It's on my get-my-mojo-back list)
On the right is a console table, mirror, and some succulents that I am desperately trying to keep alive!! haha! (my black thumb is throbbing as we speak)
Straight ahead you walk in to a half wall. The owners said that when they purchased the home, there was a brick wall that went straight up to the ceiling. They wanted a more open feel, and I am so glad they did what they did. We have so much natural light pouring in all day long.
On the other side of this wall is a fireplace. It's a fake one that turns on with a remote (hilarious!!), but it still keeps us warm and toasty on those rare chilly evenings.
And then you enter my favorite room in the house - the living room.....it's a giant wide open space.
I did my best to incorporate some of my favorite new things with things that I already had.
The couches were so fun to pick out. I got to pick the fabric, the shape, and the pillow fabric as well. We got a truly amazing deal at a local furniture store down the road!
LOVE those nickel nail-heads!! :)
....and my quatrefoil coffee table! A STEAL of a deal for $40 on Craig's List :) They definitely didn't know what they had!!
And that's all she wrote. :) When we moved in together and merged our stuff, we had more than enough stuff to work with. But even though it was all really nice stuff, in general, it was kind of a hodge-podge. We are really happy with how the final look turned out. The before shots wouldn't have been bad to show you, but these after shots are way more "us"!
Thanks for looking - and stay tuned for the next part of the tour - The dining room and kitchen!
:)
-lisa
(*P.S. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. I need to stop using my Iphone as if it's a professional camera. Haha!!)
This year has flown by way too quickly. Although hard at times, it has been an amazing journey that I wouldn't wish to be on with anyone else. I am very much looking forward to all that is to come for us.
The dining set was a C.L. find that we refinished.
And I am in L-O-V-E with the capiz shell chandelier. It was already a fixture in the house when we moved in (surprisingly), but I added the white "scruncii" (spelling?) to conceal the icky looking chord. I know, I am just so crafty haha!!
The table has 2 leaves and is quite large. It can fit 10 chairs very comfortably, and more if needed. It was already black, but needed major TLC, and the caned chairs needed a fresh coat of paint and new cushion upholstery. Unfortunately we (my husband, Ali, her husband, & myself) tackled this one before blogging began so no real before photos exist. Boo). This table definitely gets it's fair share of use. Second from hosting both of our family Thanksgiving's last year, it doubles as a game table, work space for my hubby, and is in general the most social spot in the house. We love it!
This is where I keep our extra dinnerware, all of our "fancy" glassware, and my special trinkets i.e. my oh-so-famous citrus reamer collection (haha), and some of my favorite milk glass pieces.
(The pillow is Dwell Studio for Target - from our wedding registry :) )
Ahhhh.....Carrera marble!! Love it so much!!
And this wall of cabinets was another BIG selling feature for me. They are push cabinets (Ikea, I think?) and have so much room for food storage! So clean looking too!
The prettiest dining room & kitchen I have ever had....BY FAR! As I mentioned, I know that we won't live here forever, but for the time being, it is home, and we LOVE it!
But once you open the doors, it's a completely different story :). The front door opens up to a bamboo-lined courtyard.
It was really weird at first getting used to the fact that our front door wasn't really the "front door".
On the other side of this wall is a fireplace. It's a fake one that turns on with a remote (hilarious!!), but it still keeps us warm and toasty on those rare chilly evenings.
And then you enter my favorite room in the house - the living room.....it's a giant wide open space.
I did my best to incorporate some of my favorite new things with things that I already had.
And that's all she wrote. :) When we moved in together and merged our stuff, we had more than enough stuff to work with. But even though it was all really nice stuff, in general, it was kind of a hodge-podge. We are really happy with how the final look turned out. The before shots wouldn't have been bad to show you, but these after shots are way more "us"!
