Hey, Friends! It’s hard to believe it, but it has already been almost 5 years since we started our living room makeover! It took about a year to fully evolve into a finished state, but it was worth the effort and has been my favorite room in our house ever since! After 5 years, though, certain aspects were starting to look a little tired and needed a refresh.
Past Living Room Posts:
Before & After, Built In Reveal, Fireplace Planking, Sectional Sage and Review, Fireplace Decor, DIY Wood Sign, DIY Ledge Shelf
The biggest trouble spot was the rug. Before we purchased the original rug, I had researched out the wazoo and read a zillion reviews on durable rugs and landed on a Pottery Barn jute/chenille rug. I loved the way it looked, but man, it really did not prove to be durable. Whomp whomp. I could scrub crayon off of it, but water, yes, WATER, stained it. So aggravating!
We put up with the water stains for a while, but then one of the kids got sick on it and I just had to get it out of the house. Gross! I wasn’t about to spend another $400 for a “durable” replacement rug, though! After much searching, I stumbled on a plain cream colored rug for $80 at Lowes! It is soft, cozy, and bright-score! We love it! And, if it gets trashed, I won’t be kicking myself for spending an arm and a leg on a rug!
Ahhh, so fresh and so clean! I know, I know, you probably think we are crazy for buying such a light colored rug. But, we never ever ever wear shoes in the house and have no pets, so we have had good luck with light colored rugs and carpet in the past. Just not jute. Jute stains from WATER, have I mentioned that?! Haha!
I just love how bright and airy the light colored rug makes the living room look! It’s so calming!
Did you notice the other big change in here? I loved the gray mirror above the mantel, but it always seemed a little on the small side for our oversided mantel. I stumbled on this big distressed wood mirror at Kirkland’s last week with my bestie and snatched it up!
The wood tone perfectly matches our lamps and driftwood mirror and the larger size fits so.much.better above the mantel!
Since adding the big vases on either side of the mantel a couple years ago, I have changed around the mantel decor a lot less. I love having basics that I can just tweak for the season without having to completely redo the entire mantel!
Now I just need to learn how to take a centered shot of our mantel without being in the picture! The other mirror was so small, I could crouch on the stairs and stay out of the shot. Obviously, that trick isn’t working anymore. Haha!
The other side of the living room is pretty much the same. Some of the pillows are looking worn out–ahem, I’m talking about you corner pillow that is so deflated it is completely hiding behind the front corner pillow–but I just haven’t found replacement pillows that I love as much as these. One day! 
Hope you enjoyed seeing our living room evolve! Have a great week, Friends!
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