Change & Patience

Spring is on its way and I am so excited!!!  It makes us busier at home and ready for projects.  (sorry husband.)  I've been craving changes around our house for a while now & one of the changes I've been wanting to make was to ditch our mantle and stenciling & to basically "undecorate" a bit:

{photo by Helen Norman}

I'll be the first to say that I love our mantle & the stenciling.  My husband, David, spent 3 days doing the stencil by hand during my last pregnancy.  (Don't you love how the biggest projects take place when you're 7 or 8 months pregnant??)    But I also love rearranging my living room.  (like a lot...  )  The sofa can go anywhere but on that mantle wall, and with 2 crazy boys- 4 and 2 yrs old-  I've been craving a more open arrangment and a more modern vibe.
So, a weekend or two ago... down came the mantle, and my (super patient) husband primed & painted over the stencil:

(with a smile....  I know most husbands would be filing at this point so I'm really thankful ;)

I would say the new look is much less "pretty" (and my photos definitely don't look as good as Helen's!) and feels more casual & relaxed, which is what I'm in the mood for.  I'm waiting on a lamp shade for my lamp & need to do some accessorizing so it feels a very bare on the sides/ corners for right now but I'll fix that later...  Here's a photo of it that I took just now & hope you enjoy the toy "styling" Justin worked so hard on this morning:

{Yes, this is how our living room really looks on a daily basis...  if you ever see it "clean" it means we're not home.}

I move stuff around all the time so I'm borrowing the tall glass floor lamp for my bedroom right now & I'll add in a glass table lamp we've had lying around.  I'll play around with end tables when I get some time (ha!) and then I'll probably rearrange again.  If I were to keep the sofa here permanently, I'd probably get a longer one, but I know it's not going to stay in one place  for very long.  I've realized that my house really only undergoes most of its changes during my 3rd trimester of pregnancy.  This "nesting" thing is no joke. 

{Thanks for the help Justin}

My dream plan is to do floor-to-ceiling windows all along the back wall of the living room & dining room with a small iron balcony across the back of the house so we're completely open to the trees behind us but that will have to wait a while. (maybe forever ;)

On another note, I did start planning our "dream" master bathroom & our contractor measured it yesterday for a quote, so who knows? 

Like I said, this nesting thing is no joke.

xoxo, Lauren

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39 comments:

Anna (Minted Photography) said...

I'm diggin' the change! :)

XO
Anna

Red Door Home said...

I completely understand your need for change and redecorating - it is in your heart and spirit! Like you, I am blessed with a husband who just smiles!

Leslie said...

I love how you make all of your changes at the end of your pregnancies! Your home is absolutely lovely.

Michele @ Moonfield Lane said...

I love it! Your green velvet couch is to die for. And I love that you took the photo with kids, toys and all. I always imagine that you design bloggers have pristine houses (even though I know it can't be true!) This photo looks so stylish as well as lived in and joyful. Which is just how a room should look, in my opinion!

Bethany [at] Powell Brower Home said...

LOL at all of this! So funny, but boy these husbands are good for staying with us despite many a change to their furniture and rooms :)

Hey Lauren - when you painted over the stencil, did a primer do the trick? Or were there any bumpy spots?

Bethany
www.powellbrowerhome.com

Michelle said...

It looks great! Your husband is a saint for painting over the stencil... mine would KILL me!!

Lovin That! said...

Looks great! I love your room - stunning!

Plexus Slim said...

I love your sunburst mirror. Can I ask where you go it?

Laura Ann said...

Looking good! Strange thing is- last week we put UP a mantle in our house... Change is good no matter what it is!

Karena said...

A really great look Lauren. I adore your green Velvet sofa and the pillows are perfect!

Xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

Kathysue said...

It has been a long time since I had the nesting instinct with a pregnancy but I remember it well. I took ever single linen out of the closet, re-washed, folded and ironed all the pillow cases, ironed all the curtains on my windows. I hate ironing so that is why it is so ironic, sorry for the pun,lol!! Change is fun!! Enjoy it!! Kathysue

Laurie from Laurie Jones Home said...

I loved the before but I also love the after and you're right it gives it a new feel completely and I think that's the most fun thing about decorating is changing things up! I hope you're pregnancy is going smoothly!!!

Michelle said...

LOVE it. It looks so much better. What did you do with the mantle? I would have kept it in the room.

Naomi@DesignManifest said...

Goodness, Justin is so adorable! I love a little mix up and it's true you have much more flexibility now.

Thanks for showing us the toy styling. I really admire how you always keep it real, Lauren!

Nikki, Cody, and Tessa said...

I know nesting all to well! Thank goodness for cooperative husbands to help us pregnant ladies out! I think both before and after are beautiful, just different. I am nesting here in Texas, aka needing the exterior of my home repainted, and was wondering if you would be willing to share the grayish paint color you used on the siding of your home and the exterior trim color. I really love my go to Dragons Breath from Benjamin Moore, I thought yours might be something similiar to that.
nicoletreese@hotmail.com

Nikki, Cody, and Tessa said...

I know nesting all to well! Thank goodness for cooperative husbands to help us pregnant ladies out! I think both before and after are beautiful, just different. I am nesting here in Texas, aka needing the exterior of my home repainted, and was wondering if you would be willing to share the grayish paint color you used on the siding of your home and the exterior trim color. I really love my go to Dragons Breath from Benjamin Moore, I thought yours might be something similiar to that. -Nikki
nicoletreese@hotmail.com

Zoe said...

Hi, I am from Montreal, Canada and have been a fun of your blog for about 2.5years, this is my first comment.
I can relate to you cuz I have a 3.5yo and 18month old, and in June we are adding to our family. We are about to undergo a major construction as we are extending our house:) I know what you are talking about describing that nesting thing:) I love your new living room arrangement, though I think you would want to have a mantle in your living room in a while:)
Zoe

LindsB said...

your husband is amazing- what a sweet, sweet man for painting over all that hard work for you!

Blue Muse said...

I love that delicious sofa! Your boywonder's expression in the second photo is priceless. Love that photo.

The nesting thing is SO real, and so is your living room! I love that the toys are in the shot, that it is put together to work with your family. You are my hero :)

xo isa

JoAnna of re-U creating new spaces said...

What a very sweet husband you have! I love the change. You have such awesome taste & style. Love your blog!

Acquired Objects said...

I guess I have been following your blog a while since I remember when David stenciled that wall, he's a good man. Justin is quite the stylist and I love your mirror above your sofa...fabulous!

XX
Debra~

Anonymous said...

What a great man! :) Husbands are the best... also- I had a good laugh at Justin's "Styling". Our home looks the same way, thanks for sharing! Have a good one!

Jenna

Kristy @ I Design Love said...

Looks good! It is always nice to change things up :)

XO

Kristy
www.idesignlove.com

stacey said...

Hello! I am wanting to repaint my house and am looking towards a shade of white. Might I ask what color you used?
I love it!
Thank you!

vignette design said...

Change is good! And I like what you did, although I'll admit I loved your stenciled wall! I just realized you must be pregnant which would explain the need to change things and the nesting insticnt! Good luck!
And Congratulations.

Brenda said...

Do we ever stop decorating - this is the question?

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

You are married to a SAINT! Evenn I would have kicked your A$$ to the curb if you asked me to repaint that tedious and beautiful project!

But...I hear ya. I felt like I could breathe again once I painted everything white. simple. white.

Nesting...You think you have it bad, you should see the sea turtles at the ocean. Naw.....come to think of it, you have'em beat!

;)

Sarah said...

Hi Lauren: I love the fresh paint - did you consider painting the mantel white and leaving it in the scheme? I hope you don't mind me asking - I LOVE the look of the faux fireplace (I keep living in homes with no fireplace and I live in New England! go figure!) - ;-))

traci zeller designs said...

Sweet Dave!! When my twinks were four weeks old and I had spent way too much time on the living room sofa with them ... I sent it out to be reupholstered. I could not look at it for one more minute. Mike came home and said "where's the sofa?" I said "I sent it to be reupholstered." I must have had *that* tone because he didn't say another word! And who can worry about a messy floor when we are looking at adorable Justin? How did he get to be such a big boy??

mom23 said...

Anything you do looks amazing, Lauren! I'm missing the mantel, tho. It still looks great!

Tracy said...

Where can I get that gorgeous couch?

EDYTA & CO. INTERIOR DESIGN said...

I love change and loving your LR changes as well :) Have an amazing weekend! xo

debra @ 5th and state said...

L O L !!!!!
love the reality! and love the changes, looks so fresh.
lastly, OMG look how big justin is, and sooo cute!
xoxo
debra

Anonymous said...

Love that mirror!

Elena

http://www.ideainteriors.blogspot.com

Wes said...

I'm craving a lighter, brighter (lighter meaning less crap!) look too. But I think it's seasonal, not hormonal :) I do agree though, the nesting thing is for REAL! Pretty sure my crazy nesting cleaning spree is what sent me into labor with E.

Wes said...

OOOPS, I'm posting as my husband ... this is Jennifer Bonds!

Cailan said...

Love this post and all the fun your nesting instinct is kicking up. : ) Can't wait to see how you bring the room back together, and yes, you've got one prize of a spouse there (though I'm sure he feels the same way ;)

Pegster said...

I am looking for a tightback sofa similar to yours. Can you tell me where you found it please? Thank you!

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