Posted by Shayla LaFreniere on Monday, June 10, 2013.
So the one thing I’ve learned about decorating a home is that it takes time.
It takes time to find the right pieces of furniture (at the right price) and it takes even more time to collect the little things that make a house a home. We are definitely not finished but if you follow me on instagram then you saw that I shared a photo of an abstract painting that I finished this weekend for our Great Room. So today I thought I’d share the entire room so far.
Both my husband and I like clean lines and things that have a simple elegance, we like some home accessories but we definitely like to keep them to a minimum. My favorite interior designer is Sarah Richardson because she designs in a way that is most similar to my personal aesthetic taste. My husband likes color and I do too but I am much more drawn to monotone color palettes; I find them to be soothing to the eye and love the feeling of visual flow one or two colors in various shades creates. I also tend to get bored with things very quickly and I’ve found that keeping things monotone helps me like them for a bit longer.
BTW if you see something you like, details about where to purchase the items are below.
The painting did not come out exactly how I had envisioned it but both Christopher and I are pretty happy with it. Let me just say that painting is MUCH harder than it may appear (even, maybe especially abstracts). I am an illustrator but I struggle with painting. I’ve always wanted to be good at it but I’m just not, painting a canvas this size is particularly difficult. I have a few more paintings that I want to do for some other rooms in our home but I definitely won’t be taking this up as profession!
Here’s a funny picture of Christopher and I when we were teenagers. No we haven’t dated since then. It’s a long story but in short, he was my first love, we met when I was 15 and he was 18, we dated for a few years then broke up and lost touch for 17 years and then in 2009 he found me on Facebook and now we’re married.
And here we are on the day we got engaged, December 11, 2011. It was an incredibly sweet engagement, he prepared a winter picnic in a beautiful park and proposed at sunset. It was cold, but our love kept us warm.
Wall Paint Color | 50% Granite Grey (Flat) by Glidden (We had the hardest time finding the right greys (we have a few shades throughout the home), we must have purchased 50 shades of grey paint samples. We couldn’t find the right one for this room so we ended up experimenting with lighter shades of tones we liked but were a bit too dark and we finally settled on this one and we love it!)
Rug | West Elm Boucle Rug in Platinum
Curtains | Ikea
Sofa | Belforte Furniture | Abbot Sofa Sectional by Rowe Furniture in Putty
Cocktail Metal Drum Table | World Market
Throw Pillows | Etsy Here, Here and Here(I want to note that Kathy from the Cottage Cupboard is a delight to purchase from, her fabrics are high end and the pillows are beautifully made.)
Sofa Console Table | Overstock
Watercolor Prints | Girl & Parrot (I blogged about Danielle and her Art here a few months ago, I am so happy to own some of her beautiful watercolors and I still want to purchase the In Bloom Print.)
Lamps | Home Goods
Vases | Home Goods
Buddha Head | Home Goods
Wood Puzzle | Home Goods
Glass Ball | Home Goods
Wood Art Figure | Michael’s
Terrarium | DIY (I purchased the Glass Bowl at Michael’s and the plants, rocks and soil at Home Depot.)
{ Sharon } June 10, 2013 at 5:40 PM
Shayla, it is gorgeous! I love the colors and the peacefulness and the patterns that are not overwhelming. So happy that you shared. I am definitely a slow decorator too! I would much rather spend months or even years waiting for just the right piece than jump into ones I don't feel enthusiastic about. I hope maybe you will share other rooms in your house too! Especially your workspace!
{ Shayla LaFreniere } June 11, 2013 at 9:52 AM
Thanks Sharon!
I'll share more rooms as we finish them including my work space.
And good to know I'm not the only one who takes a long time to decorate. :)
{ Tana } June 12, 2013 at 3:41 PM
What a gorgeous room! I love the painting and it's general feeling of calmness in it. Did you use acrylics or oil paints? Getting the colors to blend like that is tough and once the paints dry up, you have to start over!
I can't agree with you more, furnishing a home takes so long but it's definitely worth the wait to find all the right things.
{ Angel Y. } June 13, 2013 at 2:50 PM
Your room looks gorgeous! I love the way the painting came out. I'm totally a slow decorator. It's been a year since I've been in my place and I'm still only 30% complete. If my home looks anything like this when I'm done, the waiting will be worth it!
{ Latrina M. } June 15, 2013 at 1:02 AM
Wow, Shayla. Such a gorgeous home! You styled it so well, too. I love the colors... and all the details you chose. And as an artist, I must say your painting looks stunning! So calming.
I absolutely love the story of how you two met... I have no idea. :) So funny how the world works! So glad it brought you two back together. <3