Before & After Living Room Makeovers

I just love looking at before and after photos to get a real
sense of the transformation that has taken place. I really
love this room. It's soft of a living room with a desk in it.
A cross between a living area and an office area. It looks so
colorful and inviting.

This is what the space actually looked like before (to the left.)
What a transformation it makes with just a coat of paint and
draperies. I love the color palette.

This is actually the other side to the same room above. If you
look closely in the 1st photo, it shows a little bit of the chair above.
The second photo shows a little of the fireplace and sofa. It's neat
to see the other side of the room. The faux fireplace with the mirror
really adds a glamorous touch.

Here we have quite transformation - a more major renovation
in removing the brick wall and putting in windows on either
side of the fireplace. The room has gone from totally outdated
to positively modern.

Here's a closer look after the transformation.

From outdated to midcentury modern Chic.

I really like the beams on the ceiling. Love the white shag carpet
and the wood, square coffee table.

Here's something more of a traditional makeover with a
contemporary twist. The whites in the room have certainly
brightened the space up.

This space wasn't too bad to begin with but it just needed
better space planning and the pulling together of accessories.

Now this was a total gut job. The results are fantastic though.

From a disaster to what feels like a beachy sort
of cottage. Very relaxed and easy on the eyes.
I just love wide and deep sofas.

Last but not least is this sweet makeover. New paint on the
window trim, a comfy sofa and pops of color with the floor
rugs really make a huge difference.

101 Living Rooms: Stylish Room Solutions

Although the cover the book looks dark, this
book is full of great photos and examples of
different styles for your living room.

101 Ideas for Downstairs:
Kitchens, Dining Rooms & Living Rooms


The English are great at combining their sensibility
with design. This is a great book from BBC/Good
Homes for you to check out. I've always been a fan
of English decor publications.

House Beautiful's
Living & Dining Rooms

I own quite a few of House Beautiful's decoration
books. I love all the images and ideas in their books.

I can't believe it's already May. My time flies.

All images from Domino

Gone to the Dogs!

I am veering away from my regular subject matter because I need help. My husband and I are pretty serious about getting a Multigenerational Australian Labradoodle puppy. Now, as wonderful as it would be to rescue a dog, I have pretty bad allergies so I need a non-shedding "hypo-allergenic" puppy and my husband doesn't want a tiny dog, so the Labradoodle seems pretty ideal for us. I have done a ton of research and they sound like absolutely wonderful dogs, but many of our friends with whom we have shared our puppy plans seem to think that they are less than stellar. Today, my friend Jennifer told me all about her friend's Labradoodle and how crazy it is. We would definitely have a trainer come to the house to help me teach the puppy basic obedience and house training, but I am still worried. My sister in law doesn't think they're cute. Not that this is an issue.To each his own, but seriously, who could resist beautiful, shaggy dogs like these?

If you own a Labradoodle or even a Goldendoodle, or have a friend or family member who does, I would love to hear your personal opinion on these dogs. They certainly aren't cheap, so we want to make absolutely certain that this is the right breed for us. We are planning to visit some breeders in the coming weeks, but there is nothing like someone sharing their personal experience with you. What has your experience been like? Does your dog have a fleece coat or a wool coat? Would you recommend the breed to a friend?

Australian Multigenerational Labradoodles are the result of Labradoodles being bred to Labradoodles. The regular or F1 Labradoodles are bred by simply pairing a poodle with a labrador. When this is done, there is less predictability over their coats and how hypoallergenic they are.

Labradoodles come in three sizes: miniature, medium, and standard. They also come in a wide range of colors. My personal favorite is this cream/apricot color with a black nose.

Such a cutie! This little guy is a red miniature Labradoodle.

Sitting Pretty

Another of my very favourite things are single chairs. Shabby and old or newly upholstered, mismatched, large or small, odd chairs are lovely in any room of the house. They are high on my endless antique and junk shop wishlist - the search goes on!
.

Image 1 - Decorology Image 2 - Stacey Brandford Image 3 - Tripod Agency Image 4 - Notebook Magazine Image 5 - Easy Elegance (Atlanta Bartlett) Image 6 - Mulberry Home

Love .... Table Mirrors

Image 1- Gemma Comas Image 2 - Deborah Whitlaw Image 3 - Emily Jenkins Followill Image 4 - Thane Studio Image 5 - Day Birger-Mikkelsen

House Tour

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Enjoy!

No matter what you've got planned for your day, enjoy yourself!
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Image - Tattler Magazine

Happy Birthday, Fabian!

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband! He is truly the best husband and friend I could have ever asked for. This is the eighth birthday we have celebrated together and each year it becomes more and more difficult to find a gift that he might like. I'm sorry that I couldn't get him a Porsche 911 Turbo. Maybe next year!