True or False Living Room Re-Arranging

True or False: The camera never lies. (False. We know it adds 10 lbs., right?) 

I'm having a VERY HARD time trying to get decent photos from my newish bargain camera - the one I found after losing the Nikon Coolpix I loved so much. But still, it shows me some things via the slightly blurry photos that my naked eye doesn't see at first. 

For Instance, this corner of my living room. I had a little vignette going that I thought looked good: It had elements of elegant, industrial, cottage and I'd tossed in some mid-century modern to go with the collection of vases on the mantel on the other side of the room.

In photos...yuck. It was too busy. 

I do that - I'm sort of like nature... I abhor an empty space and rush to fill it. I WANT to like airy, minimal environments, but I can't do them. I like stuff too much. Cheap stuff. Painted cheap stuff. Or free stuff. That's good, too.

So, I deleted a small rustic bench behind the mod chair, and stuck the painted topiary on the little crate. Now I think it needs something above it...that wall just looks so...vacuum-like. It doesn't matter that there are TWO gallery walls in the same room. And a mantel and shelves with lots of stuff on them. Try as I might to give the eye a place to rest, I just can't. But I wouldn't have known I needed more art until I took a photo. 

Instead of more art, I may hang something - maybe a rusty iron candle thingy I found earlier this year at Jack & Greg's. I've been looking for a place for it! Hmmm. 

And the painting above the mod chair really needs to be centered on the wall, moved a few inches to the right. I had placed it there because it fit over the little bench behind the chair. It's not working well where it is, so I will move it.

All the years before blogging, I could have had a MUCH nicer home if I had just photographed it. I wonder how many of you have discovered that? Am I the last to know?

It makes me wonder what else in my life I might need to photograph...

Word for the Day:
Proverbs 15:3

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Possibly Linking With
Sunday
http://www.twiggstudios.com	Sunday Show-off Link Party
http://www.bystephanielynn.com	Sunday Showcase Party
Monday
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/	Masterpiece Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com	Make it Pretty Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com	Mod Mix Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://cedarhill-ranch.com	The Scoop
http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com/	The Scoop
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/	Inspire Me Tuesday
http://cityfarmhouse.com/	Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://www.timewashed.com	Blissfully White Wednesday
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com/	Primp Your Stuff Wed
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://www.greenwillowpond.com/	What We Accomplished Wednesday
Thursday
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/	Thursday Open House Party
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/	Time Travel Thursday
http://frommyfrontporchtoyours.blogspot.com/	Treasure Hunt Thursday
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/	Fabulously Creative Friday
http://homespunhappenings-tammy.blogspot.com	Rustic Restorations Weekend
http://www.shakentogetherlife.com/	What’s Shakin’ Link Party
http://vintageinteriorblogs.blogspot.com/	Weekend
Saturday
http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/	Saturday Nite Special
http://too-much-time.com	Get Schooled Saturday

$1.50 Sofa Makeover

Maybe you remember this sofa...or maybe you chose to forget it. It used to look like this:

Well, maybe I should back up even farther...

This is what I spied at the thrift store one day. I removed the cushions right then and there, and noticed this pretty detail:

I paid the nice man $60 and called my uncle Robert to help move it to my house. From that point, KyAnne made it her dog bed. I covered it with a plastic drop cloth to deter her, but that didn't last long.

I had plans to cover it with drop cloth - upholstered back and removable cushion covers...after Ky and Mason moved away. Well...that happened a week and a half ago.

We'd been working on two garage sales and clearing out my garage since then, or I would have jumped on this project the very next day!

Meanwhile, I looked up a few blog tutorials about painting furniture. The general consensus was that latex paint, thinned down, worked better than the pricier fabric paint.

I had already tried that, and was not happy with the results. The color choices weren't great and it would have cost a fortune to buy enough little bottles to finish this sofa! It WAS a bit softer than the latex paint, but this sofa does not get a ton of use, and it is not a napping sofa!

Though I plan to do the eventual recover project, I have other projects that are more pressing at this point. (Today I plan to paint my future bedroom!)

But for now, I LOVE it! I no longer have to cringe when I see it, or avoid that side of the room in photographs. 

I did it while watching TV last night, using three little mismatch sample pots of latex paint from Lowe's - .50c each.
It's a nice greige, a little darker than my walls.

Next, I plan to get some cuter pillows to put across the back, or maybe sew some. But for $1.50 and an evening of Netflix, I'm pleased!

I'm officially an empty nester. Mason and Ky are gone, and Hannah left yesterday for job interviews in Houston. I KNOW she will not return to live here. I have a big mess, moving furniture around from all over the house, so Mason's room can be my room, my larger room can be an office/art room/Etsy room, and Hannah's room can be a guest room. (Today, it's full of garage furniture she wants for her apartment!)

I have a TON of work in front of me, but, that's a good thing!
Painting and decorating is fun for me. Organizing and simplifying will make me happy. Making my home totally cohesive and ME will be rewarding. I'll be able to entertain again! It's quiet...sometimes TOO quiet, but once I get things straightened, I'll work on that.

Word for the Day:
Isaiah 32:18

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

Possibly Linking With:
Sunday
http://www.twiggstudios.com	Sunday Show-off Link Party
http://www.niftythriftythings.com/	Nifty Thrifty Sunday
http://www.bystephanielynn.com	Sunday Showcase Party
Monday
http://betweennapsontheporch.net	Metamorphosis Monday
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com	Mod Mix Monday
http://westfurniturerevival.blogspot.com	Revival Monday
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/	Masterpiece Monday
http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com	Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday
http://www.knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/	Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/	Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
http://www.cedarhill-ranch.com/	The Scoop
http://farmhouseporch.blogspot.com/	The Scoop
http://www.astrollthrulife.net/	Inspire Me Tuesday
http://cityfarmhouse.com/	Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday
http://www.timewashed.com	Blissfully White Wednesday
http://restoreinteriors.blogspot.com/	Restored it Wednesday
http://savvysouthernstyle.net/	Wow Us Wednesday
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/	Show Me What Ya Got
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/	What’s it Wednesday
http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com	Cottage Style Party
http://www.greenwillowpond.com/	What We Accomplished Wednesday
http://www.thethriftyhome.com/	Penny Pinching Party
Thursday
http://bec4-beyondthepicketfence.blogspot.com/	Under $100 Link Party
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/	Transformation Thursday
http://staceyembracingchange.blogspot.com/	Inspired Creations
http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/	Thursday Open House Party
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/	Time Travel Thursday
http://www.jannolson.blogspot.com/	Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/	Feathered Nest Friday
http://www.missmustardseed.blogspot.com/	Furniture Feature Friday
http://redoux.blogspot.com/	Friday Redoux Link Party
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/	Frugal Friday
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com	Vintage Inspiration Friday
http://homespunhappenings-tammy.blogspot.com	Rustic Restorations Weekend
http://www.remodelaholic.com/	Fridays on Remodelaholic
http://www.jenniferrizzo.com/	Fabulously Creative Friday
http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/	Flaunt it Friday
http://www.shakentogetherlife.com/	What’s Shakin’ Link Party
http://vintageinteriorblogs.blogspot.com/	Weekend
Saturday
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/	Saturday Nite Special
http://too-much-time.com	Get Schooled Saturday
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/	Show and Tell Saturday