I was trying to clean up some of the folders on my computer over the weekend and came across some pictures of our last house. Blogging was a foreign concept to me then, and it was funny to see how much my taste/style has changed.
I really did love our last house, but looking back, the decor seems too old for us. I was inspired mainly by model homes (which I kind of loathe now. . . ). This was our family room:
I was definitely into oversized furniture and bought this whole set (sofa, loveseat and chair/ottoman) all at one time, in one place--my first mistake. I actually liked the rug, but just bought the artwork over the sofa because it "matched." (I also had a slight infatuation with sticking large fake trees in every empty corner. . . )
(Recognize the lamps? I sprayed them, replaced the shades and use them in our dining room now.)
And, just for comparison, here's our living room now:
I also found a picture of our old breakfast area:
I may have overdosed on red in this house, which could explain why you'll find little of it in our house now. We ended up selling the iron table and chairs on Craigslist. Apparently, wrought iron isn't kind to little heads who happen to run into it. . . .
In our breakfast area now, we have a much sturdier (kid-friendly) table:
It's amazing how design blogs have changed my concept of what I can and can't use, and how there's really no rules for any of it. From house #1 to house #2, these are some of the things I've learned:
To buy what I like, instead of what I think I should buy for a certain spot.
It's okay to mix styles.
Personal touches make a house a home.
To decorate for our family and how we function instead of just for looks.
Spray paint can make you fall in love with your old stuff all over again.
Fake trees are bad (in almost every scenario).
I'm off to search for some more pictures of our old house. I think I have some of our last bedroom. That should make for a good post. . .
