How to give your living room and entryway some new life!
When September hits, it feels like a new season, so a home refresh to start it off right should be in the books!
We all know that life gets SUPER BUSY, especially in the summer months. We're basically living outside, basking in the sun, swimming at the beach, travelling, camping and all the sun-soaking activities you can think of. Then September hits. It's not the end of summer, but it's the beginning of a new season, getting ready for school, back to work and back into a less vacation-y rhythm.
This is when we start to turn our attention indoors and YIKES! It's chaos!
I recently helped some clients of mine hone in on their chaos, help refresh their living room and declutter their entryway. We shopped WITHIN their home and repurposed some items, I worked within their budget to purchase new items and helped give their dingy brick fireplace new life...and WOW, did it open up the space and make the room look and feel much bigger!
Here's what we did:
Whitewash the fireplace
Let's start with the BIG ONE.
Whitewashing isn't for the faint of heart, but I'm here to help instil some confidence! There was a LOT of brick in this small space, which means a lot of browns and oranges, along with the wood floor. So to brighten it up, I used acrylic white paint and water in a 3:1 ratio. Brush it on, rub/dab it off with a cloth and the result is a rustic, washed, brick which is much lighter and opens up the space in a major way. I advised them to leave the mantle that amazing original wood colour which really ties in with the rest of the room.
Check out this before/after pics:
A Round Coffee Table
To bring more space and energetic flow to the space, opt for a round coffee table instead of a rectangle one. It's easier to move around it, breaks up the space as we tend to have a lot of rectangles and corners in our homes and gives the room some visual interest.
Entryway Storage
I know my entryway gets crazy with shoes and jackets all year, no matter the season, so having systems in place that can help minimize the chaos is key!
For shoes, try these Ikea Trones storage bins that mount to the wall and also have a top ledge for your keys, phone or any other bits you bring home in your pocket!
Wall mounted coat hanger and a bench with under storage can help with all the other clutter such as hats, yoga mats, gloves...you name it! And don't forget to add a mirror. Reflecting the light in dark hallways allows the space to seem larger.
Declutter
This is another big one! Getting rid of things you don't use, don't need or that just don't bring you joy is a game changer in a home and in your wellbeing! Removing boxes, papers, and even furniture that's too much for the space can even relieve anxiety!
Don't forget to try some new throw cushions & blankets!
These are a great way to spruce up a room without spending a lot of $. However, my hubby always says I have too many. You can never have too many throw cushions. A good way to swap them out is to just buy cushion covers instead and simply store the old ones nicely folded away in the closet ;)
Let me know what you think in the comments below! And if you want some help...shoot me a DM.
Happy September!
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