HI, friends! I’m back from my trip to Austin, TX last week and I will have a few things to share from there later on this week. It’s fun to travel, but nothing beats home and I was happy to get back to my sweetheart and our house.
I hope you enjoyed the home tour last week, it sure was fun to finally get the camera out to take some decent pictures. We get a lot of light in our home and it’s so nice to have this beautiful sunlight flooding in from both sides during all times of the day. In the morning, our living room and front of the house is bathed in light and in the afternoon, the back side of the house gets sunlight streaming in through our large windows.
I shared some of these photos with you in the home tour, but I took a lot of detailed photos of our living room and didn’t have room to share them all, so today, I’m sharing just the living room. It’s such a small space, but packs a lot of color and punch to our home. It’s the first room you see upon entering the front door and I love all the color and texture it provides.
I’ve mentioned this before, but the gray green wall cabinet was Mark’s and
We did end up flipping the sofa to this doorway instead of in front of the windows and it’s so much better after all. I got that garden stool at Homegoods and I really wanted to keep this room pretty spare and uncluttered, so that’s how it will stay.
Of course, fresh flowers help to make a home welcoming and inviting and it’s not spring without fresh flowers so I sprinkled them through the house.
My grandmother’s side table has been with me for many years and I love the vintage touch it adds. Not an expensive piece, but rather a family piece that I’ll hold dear. The gallery wall is a grouping of collected inexpensive thriftstore artwork and I love how it all works together on the navy wall.
The wall color in here is Ben Moore Spellbound.
Looking towards the dining room.
This coffee table is a Pier One piece from years ago and I like how the glass just diappears.
Perfect spot for a few pretty things.
It is so much better after moving the chairs in front of the windows. These chairs have a new life after I dyed them chocolate brown from the golden leather shade they were originally.
It’s a pretty and happy room, perfect for a first impression. I can see reading a book in here or sitting with friends and catching up on conversations.
I love how these tulips looked with the colorful pillows on the sofa.
The light fixture in here is from Lamps Plus, I partnered with them on many of our fixtures and we love them.
Here’s another fun little project Mark completed in the last couple of weeks. A company wrote to me about their LED undercabinet lights and so I asked if we could try them out. They sent me a 6 pack set of LED lights which were perfect for this project and Mark got them all installed and working great. He plugged them all into each other and then into an outlet behind the cabinet and he has a remote that turns them all on at the same time, which is really neat. I love the cabinet all lit up and now we can see what’s in there!
The lights came from Home Ever and you can find these LED undercabinet lights here (affiliate link). Mark liked the way they went together and he had enough length in the cords that they all plugged into each other and then into the power source in the back. He did have to drill small holes at the back of each cabinet top to install the wires.
We both have some dishware collections, so we both added some things in here for now. The very top cabinets have some blue and brown transferware that are mine. This colorful, but muted dish set is from Mark’s family and belonged to his Nanny whose son (Mark’s uncle) bought them in Korea years ago when he was in the Korean war. Someone just told me Moriage Dragonware is the name, but Mark said they were from occupied Japan. They have dragons on them so are very interesting pieces. Have you ever seen anything like these?
These black/deep mulberry transferware dishes made from 1834-1859 in England, Mark and I bought together in Nashville at an antiques store. We both loved the color of these and thought they were so pretty. They seem to be pretty rare and this was our first purchase together for our new home. They are Staffordshire Washington vase dishes and this collection was from a collection from an individual home. We only bought 3 of them.
Those pink glass dishes are Mark’s highly prized Val Saint Lambert from Belgium that he’s been collecting for years, they are from the Art Deco time period. He loves Art Deco and these dishes are so pretty. He has many pieces of them that he’s been collecting over the last few years. How many men do you know that like glass collections? He’s a rare one in that department and has his favorite things that he loves.
So, that’s a look at our living room as it is now. You may notice in the last picture of the lighted cabinet that the sofa is missing. Yes! It’s getting recovered now at a local upholstery place and I can wait to get it back. I’m using fabric from Crypton, a high performance fabric and it’s going to be a little bit lighter in color now. That sofa is about 14 years old and it was time for new fabric, so it’s going to look so fresh and new! Of course, I’ll share it all when it returns to our living room.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Jeanie says
It’s Moriage Dragonware from Japan.
Kay says
Your living room is lovely! Such a cheerful room to sit and relax in! Love the display cabinet lights too!
Vicki says
I have a couple of the teacups of the Moriage Dragonware from Japan.
Sandy says
love the dragonware never heard of it before – beautiful! looks sharp with the wall color and all – so pretty!
Hope says
Love the lights. They add drama to an already striking display.
Something I’ve done to raise some of my pieces in my china cabinet so they show off more fully above the wooden frame of the door…. I’ve raised them with small inverted shallow clear glass dishes. I have seen square lucite boxes in some glassware stores that would do the same thing. I’ve used Sticky Tack to adhere things together so they don’t vibrate off their perch.
Linda Chapman says
Clines
Barbara Moore says
Still can’t get over how well those leather chairs came out. Love it all.
Nita says
I’ve loved that cabinet since you put it in…Never heard of the Dragonware but I love it as well. Look on the bottom and it will say Occupied Japan if indeed it is since I have many pieces I’ve collected over the years. You and Mark have done a fabulous job making the house yours!
Faith says
Rhoda, I LOVE the wall with the artwork. I wish I had your talent of “placement”. And your sweet grandmothers table, the added touch of the tray under the potted fern. All of your special touches make it a stunning room.
Rhoda says
Thank you, Faith, that artwork feels special to me, just because I found it piece by piece and enjoy it all. I love having a few family pieces around the house too, vintage and antique things really do warm up a home.
Roxanne says
I love the lights in the cabinet! It really adds a whole new dimension. I have glass fronted cabinets in my kitchen that hold a lot of crystal, and my electrician talked me out of lighting 25 years ago. I think he didn’t want to be bothered, and I’ve regretted it ever since! Could you ask Mark if these lights would work inside the cabinets since there is no way to run wire behind them as they are wall mounted?
Rhoda says
Hi, Roxanne, thank you so much! We love it too. I know you can add lights under cabinets and I’m sure inside glass front ones as well. After the fact, I’d talk to an electrician and see the best way to do it. I hired one to come in my kitchen at this house and add under cabinet lighting. He used strip LED’s and it’s one of the best things I’ve done. Lights up the countertop and they are hard wired on the backsplash. I know you can drill holes from cabinet to cabinet and then get them hardwired, but it’s beyond my skill level on that. Definitely talk to an electrician.
Becky in 'Bama says
Like the way you left the sofa in front of the opening to the dining room (you moved it there at C’mas). I would have never said it – but when you had the high back chairs there – looking from the kitchen through the dining room into the living room – it was a sea of high back chairs. With the sofa in the current position – now the chair backs aren’t competing with each other! And the dishware in the cabinet is more than beautiful. I am a glassware junkie, too. I have an extensive collection of glass and pottery ‘shoes’ – more than 300 – as well a small art glass collection. (Not sure what I’m going to do with my collections since my daughter is not at all interested. Guess when I retire I’ll start selling or giving away. ) I am interested in seeing your sofa makeover – because my living room sofa is at the ‘sad’ stage of its existence and needs recovering, too. Happy Spring! 🙂
Rhoda says
Hi, Becky, I know sometimes you have to look at something for awhile to figure out the best placement and after switching the chairs and sofa, it was obvious that was a better configuration. Much better the way it is now! I’m not into too many glass collections, but my hubby sure likes his! I’m excited for this sofa refresh. I think it will really make the sofa look better since fabric does get dingy after a few years and this one is 14.
BamaCarol says
Lovely as usual Rhoda! Did you decide against recovering the sofa in the living room? At least I thought you had mentioned that. It is very pretty as is but I know how sometimes you just want to tweak something.
Rhoda says
Thank you, Carol, I am still getting the sofa recovered, if you look at the end of the post, it’s at the upholsterer now getting it done.
Alize says
Wonderful! It looks amazing and so welcoming!
Rhoda says
Thank you, Alize!
Jennifer says
Love your style! I have an amazing Korean tea set in a green crackle finish. My husband got it for me when he was stationed there. We use it when I make stir fry to drink tea in and listen to Asian soft music on Pandora. We listen to Mexican when eating that type of food. It makes dinner more interesting. I also collect the FireKing Jadeite green ware. I look forward to your blog each week.
Linda says
Your room is absolutely gorgeous ❤ I love all the colors. Looks cheerful and at the same time cozy. I have similar colors in my living room. Could you please tell me about the area rug? Thanks so much❤have a great day!
Carole says
Hi Rhodie, so exciting about your sofa recover. You obviously have a trusted reupholster,because they are hard to find. I have one that is a fine piece and want to have recovered but have been reluctant because of the price. I had a family piece done and it took about nine months to get back and when I did it was not well done. So I am finding me a new guy. I’ll be ready to both see your piece and see how pleased you are with it. I know it will look nice. The living is really nice.
Rhoda says
Hey, Carole, I do have a local guy who did things for my sister and did a great job, so I trust him. It’s not cheap though, since my sofa is button tufted, it’s $700 for labor. But I was fortunate that Crypton sent me the fabric and I didn’t have to buy that. It will be good as new!
Julia says
I was on vacation in Maui last week and thought of you Rhoda! I was at the Monkeypod Kitchen restaurant on the beach and they had chairs covered in the same Chiang Mai fabric as your sofa pillows. You need to head to Maui and check it out! Lol
Rhoda says
Hi, Julia, that sounds so wonderful!
Susan from GA says
That cabinet is such a beautiful focal point! Love it!
Pat Dowd says
Hi Rhoda, your living room is looking absolutely fab! I love the turquoise rug. I remember the dragonware in my parents’ house. But can’t help much with info: Never looked at the bottom of the pieces. I’m not sure where they came from. My uncle was in the Army during World War II, so it’s possible he sent them home. I believe my sister has them – we shared everything when my Mom passed away in 1995. But they sure bring back memories.
Brian Gordon says
Rhoda,
Oh , I can’t wait to see your sofa completed! It’ll be gorgeous!
Mom’s got a large Asian upholstered bench there right now getting re-done too. I think she’s using Krypton also that she got from Fabrics and Fringe.
I’ve been taking a break from IG for Lent, so I’ve been MIA on social media. Plus, I’ve gotten another part time job. So, I’ve been really busy with both part time positions.
Miss seeing all the action, but hope to be back soon .
Betsy