Jan 4, 2012

Living Room Update - 2012

We have a big list of 'to-do's' for 2012.  And now that the backyard is done, we will have some time to devote to things like ... EL PINKO!!!  (which is marginally better since we painted the walls and counter.  Marginally.  [read: not worth showing - still sucky]) The goal for this year is to get some things done around the house that don't break the bank, like updating with paint, wallpapering, polishing out metal hardware (which I've been doing every day for the last two weeks - I have officially erased my fingerprints).  So over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting some of the projects we are going to tackle, room by room.  The big items for this year are El Pinko and painting the exterior.  Other than that it's updating as we are inspired and the budget allows. 

The first room, only because I am currently in it, and can assess while I'm sitting down, is the living room.  Now, I know I said I wasn't going to bring in any more retro items into the house, but we flipped things around in the living room after we de-xmas treed, opened up the space and added some modern pieces to balance out the old. So, yeah. I lied.  

We finally have a dedicated, comfy little area for reading in the living room.  

Love my new HBC blanket from my ma/pa.
But, since there is not a stitch of built-in lighting in the room, we need some task lighting. A pole lamp - just like this one - would be perfect.


However, I seem to only come across pole lights like this on Kijiji.  No.  

 A vintage typewriter for beside the reading corner.  I love design that is kid friendly and interactive.  I hide little figurines in  small spaces and love when kids can play with decor without it being too stuffy and formal. I'm sure I'll be driven mad with phonetically-misspelled typewritten notes strewn around the house by my 5-year old but I can handle it. 

Attempts to thwart Santa from our youngest.
I also want to find a new chair to replace this one this year.  

I love our little mad men chair but it can't handle all the girly swooning it gets daily from the kids and is starting to show its age.  This little chair epitomizes 'occasional' chair and would be much better preserved in a quiet room with a cute side table.  Like a grumpy old cat who doesn't like to be pet.

I also think I need some of these yellow ball flowers in some German pottery that seem to be in every mcm design shot lately.  I have no idea where to find them but I'm willing to have them sent from some ridiculous place on the other side of the world so I can create a cool vignette like this one.   
Courtesy Brick House
A bullet planter.  This has been on my list for years.  Easy to find online but impossible to source in antique stores.  Perfect for the rotating plants that I kill on a regular basis.  Purgatory for plants, here, I tell you. 

Courtesy ModCats.com
We desperately need more light in the living room.  With such wide exterior overhangs, it's like 8pm in this room at all times.  I've been coveting this from Schoolhouse Electric for our corner teak unit - which you may not know, has a secret compartment for adult fun.

Ion Lamp in White
Why yes, that is a light globe and two lava lamps (one which might be my daughters). 
What have we here?  A secret bar?
Finally, we need a new rug,  which is strategically placed to hide the silly putty ground into it.  We purchased the current one for our very first townhouse back in 2005 for $90.  I've been on the hunt for a new rug for years but have since learned that we get ripped off on rugs here in Canada.  A decent rug is at least over a $1000 and Overstock.com won't ship rugs here. I know.  You feel sorry for me. You should send me a rug.

LP

4 comments:

Heather said...

Two things: I am totally going to try and grow Billy Buttons (which I'm realizing I was calling Billy Balls--oops). I'll send some to you if it thrives. :)

And that secret bar is AMAZING. I need one of those *so badly.*

Erin said...

The yellow flowers are called billy balls (official name is crespedia or something like that) and you can often find them in the flower shop in Marda Loop. Actually, one of my goal s for today was to get a German pottery vase and fill it with Billy balls!

Sandi Ratch said...

The bar is so cool. I never would have guessed! And, seriously, I love the pole lamp on Kijiji! We had a hanging lamp that was made of string glass like that - it took me back.

Laura said...

Billy Balls! I'm thrilled I can buy them locally. Thanks for the tip Erin.

I looked up how to grow, Heather, and although hardy, they have been known to kill sheep. So keep that in mind.

Sandi - Did you? How funny!

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