Sunday, April 28, 2013

Mixing Vintage W/ New: Living Room Tour

I recently made it my mission to update our living room on a seriously small budget and using as much vintage furniture as I could.
 
The updates started to come into play a couple of months ago when my husband and I decided we finally were going to buy a new couch.  We've needed one for a couple of years now, but we were able to stretch the old sofa by using a slipcover and removing the back, dated and bulky cushions.
 

 
My husband wanted new, well-made, but not expensive. I wanted vintage. We even went to look at a sofa we found on craigslist. Totally. Did. Not. Work. Out. Seriously, how do people judge what good condition is? If you list your couch as excellent, then the arm should not feel like it is about to fall off!
 
 
We were totally at a sofa standstill when I happened upon a really great couch, that was very much like our number one pick from Pottery Barn.  It was new, gorgeous and priced at an incredible discount at a local store. I went back the next day with Martino, praying that it would still be there and it was! So excited!
 
 
 

 
A new sofa calls for a complete change-up of furniture and accessories, right?  My heirloom secretary desk from my childhood home and the free Windsor chair I repainted and stenciled last fall fit in the space perfectly!
 
 
 
See all those scratches on the desk? That's because Figgy apparently has some sort of obsession with knocking over my pewter collection. He is a seriously untrainable cat!
 
 
 
My favorite gold chair still fits perfectly in the room . Probably one of my favorite thrift store purchases ever and at $24.99 is was a fantastic bargain! I tied the golden color in with a new throw pillow I got for the couch from Target (you can see it in the first picture). The mix of golds, blues and reds tie in all of my accent colors in the space.
 
The side table is a really old piece that my Mom found for just $10 last year at a tag sale. It's floated to just about every room in the house, but I finally love it here. The finish remains untouched and is extremely rustic, which is such a nice mix with my more vintage pieces. It really keeps the space interesting!
 
 
 
Two of my favorite things to decorate with are pottery and bits of nature so I made sure to include them when I was accessorizing. I love the color and texture of the pussy willows. I never put them in water and they just last forever (these are actually over a year old.)
 



 I sold our bulky entertainment center and bought this small sideboard on craigslist for $40. I'm still working on this corner and will be sure to share more of it soon. I painted and stained the top of the piece and still need to work on the bottom. I'm planning on just doing a good cleaning and restoring rather than paint. (Love the two-toned look!)

 
 
 I'm also assembling a little gallery wall in this corner to bring in more of our accent colors. The pieces are all vintage. (You can read about them here.)
 
 

 The $20 tag sale dresser that I refinished and had planned to sell is now a focal point in the room. I just could not let it go!  Plus, before I knew what was happening, my Mom had my house pretty much totally rearranged trying to fit it in. It really is meant to be in our living room. Love it! We also kept our $1 tag sale leather chair in the space. It's super comfy!
 
 
 

Here's a final look so you can see how all the colors and patterns blend (the couch is actually a very neutral herringbone). The walls are an almost white gray and I kept the curtains and trim a bright white. The rug is cotton and a graphic, modern, black and white print.  The coffee table is the one I painted a couple of weeks ago and has bright red peaking out of the black finish.  That was another craigslist purchase for just $10! (Although I did a ton of work to it!)



 
 
 
I just wrote this entire post and realized that I did something I completely despise...mentioning the price of everything! But, in this case, I think it's incredibly important. You really can have quality, well made furniture and a decorated home for next to nothing. It just takes a bit of extra time and a little work.  Our couch was the big spurge for us since it was purchased new, and it was a sacrifice, but I can truly say that I love every single piece in this room.  Plus, nearly everything else is repurposed.  It's such an awesome feeling to bring an old piece of furniture back to life, not only because older pieces have so much history and are so well made, but because of the positive environmental benefits when you do not need to buy new.

Enjoy your Sunday!

I'm off to pick up a china cabinet to refurbish. Love this job!


 



 

Linking to: 
DIY Show Off Mod Vintage Lifehttp://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2013/02/nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no151.htmlthurCozyLittleHousebadge150xhttp://www.cozylittlehouse.com/ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia52 MantelsBeyond The Picket FencePhotobucket A Delightsome Life vif187http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/ Boogieboard Cottage”Fall  http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/


 

36 comments:

  1. love your new couch and the room's not too shabby either!
    keya

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  2. What a beautiful mix of vintage and modern Angela - totally eclectic - my favorite kind of room! I totally want to steal that gold chair! And that pillow from Target really ties all the colors together! Awesome room!

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  3. You mixed your vintage and modern pieces perfectly!

    Amazing!

    Laura
    White Spray Paint

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  4. i love it!!! so cozy and eclectic and cool! love the turquoise dresser- it brings out all the other turquoise touches.

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  5. The room looks fabulous! I think the thrift store chair is my fav.

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  6. Love your new couch! I also love the fact that you DO tell the price of everything.I love it when someone gets a great deal!!!!

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  7. Love the gold chair! Great deal on that! Holla! And <3 the little gallery wall pics :) Great finds! I LOVE IT ALL :) It all looks fabulous!

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  8. I love knowing what people paid for their vintage finds. So glad you shared. The room is beautiful!
    Liz

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  9. love it! your new couch fits perfectly!

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  10. we totally need a new sofa! lucky to find a cheaper version of your top pick!

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  11. Beautiful job and you're absolutely right. That dresser was made for your room. I love this kind of eclectic look its so cozy/cool. And I'm so glad you found a couch you love. I'm still looking.
    Leslie (Gwen Moss)

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  12. Your living room looks so warm and inviting. I love your gold chair and really like how the nailhead trim ties in with the nailhead on your new sofa. Your cat is adorable (even if he's untrainable).

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  13. I totally love your room and how you mix the vintage and the new with a touch of modern thrown in. I think it is such a beautiful and interesting space. Thanks tons for joining Inspire Me. This really does. Hugs, Marty

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  14. I love your eclectic mix. The turquoise and gold look so good together, with the rug and sofa. Beautiful makeover.

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  15. I love your taste! That yellow chair is amazing. It totally reminds me of a chair I sat in when I was little in someone's house with one of those round pillows that looked like a pie chart with a huge button in the middle.
    (The couch is very nice too ;)
    Kate

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  16. Your living room is so pretty, Angela. I love the mix of old with the new. Your pretty new sofa looks perfect with all of your great bargain pieces. Lots of interest and charm in the room!
    Mary Alice

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  17. Hi,
    Love the aqua blue dresser. Pretty living room.

    Ellya

    http://www.curiositaellya.blogspot.com/

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  18. I totally agree, you can do so much without spending a lot... And save your spending for a few key splurge pieces. Your room looks lovely!!
    Krista @thehappyhousie

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  19. It looks so beautiful, Angela. :) I love how everything looks so great together.

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  20. Oh Yes! I love to mix old and new too. You have chosen your pieces very well and added just the right touch of colors too. I see a space that looks personalized and sophisticated instead of showroom floor. These types of rooms are always so much more inspiring to me. Great job!

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  21. You didn't say how much the sofa was. I love it by the way. Is it as comfy as it looks. I like how all the colors work together and the vintage with the old and the modern. We are looking for a new sofa. We have the same problem. All the new ones look too modern. I already have the worm vintage look but I need something newer and less worn looking but still kid and animal proof. I will keep looking. Your room looksreally good.

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  22. You did such an amazing job mixing and matching. Love the way everything came together so beautifully!

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  23. beautiful living room, i love the mix of old and new!!! thanks for sharing!

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  24. I am always happy when I know someone was able to get great decorating Items and furniture at great prices. This room turned out to be a beautiful space for family. All the vintage pieces make it seem like home. By the way, if that is Figgy primping under the table - he looks innocent to me!

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  25. Hi Angela,

    Visiting via Kathy's party. Your living room is charming! Love the textures, colours and mixture of vintage and new. The blue hit is right on target!

    Poppy :)

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  26. What a beautiful, eclectic mix. You have a great eye for style. Love all of your vintage finds and the pallet is gorgeous! Where is the rug from?

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  27. As we speak I'm working on a post for tomorrow about some vintage items that I recently introduced into our home. I loved reading through your post and seeing how you were able to mix such beautiful pieces together. Great job!

    ~Sarah

    Stopping in from the Inspiration Gallery

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  28. I love everything about these rooms. It looks amazing. Angela @ HickoryTrail

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  29. The living room looks beautiful! So glad you kept that blue chest! Gorgeous! The couch is beautiful and that leather chair was a steal as well! Would love it if you would link this up to Give Me The Goods Monday: 1 Party, 5 Blogs! http://www.rainonatinroof.com/2013/04/give-me-goods-link-party-6.html
    Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof

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  30. A great mix, and why would you "despise" mentioning prices like these?

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  31. Love your living room. I featured it today at Mod Mix Monday.

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  32. So pretty! I love your style!

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  33. Wow, this is gorgeous! What an amazing find! Looks terrific with all your wonderful furniture and accessories! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  34. Your room is gorgeous, you have a wonderful mix of pieces and your color scheme ties everything together beautifully! I love the detail on your new sofa, the nail head trim, especially. And the blue dresser is such a nice statement piece that every room should have! I just love everything. And no, I think you did good giving some of the prices because it makes everyone feel they, too, can do a nice room within their budget.

    XO,
    JAne

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  35. This is such a wonderful, comfortable space. LOVE that great nailhead sofa!!

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  36. Very pretty room, love the sofa - I have always loved nail head furniture. I like that you mention prices - always wonder if I over paid or better yet got a true deal!

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Thank you so much for stopping by Number Fifty-Three! I look forward to your comments.