The Living Room

04 October 2011 This is the most lived-in room in our flat - that's why it is called the living room, duh - where happy, good, and creative things happen. After the recent redecorating we've done, this is the most space we have had so far. I guess that's what happens when you have a child. You tend to want to create more space because, as little as they are, they need more room to maneuver around, play with and pile in the growing amount of toys they have. We are still de-cluttering - getting rid of old things, buying less or more like buying smart, and using the things we already have that have been stashed at the back of the storage closet. I still can't believe we acquired a lot of crap things in the span of seven years we lived together. I'm ashamed to admit that a lot of buys have been impulsive and unnecessary.



But don't be deceived by how neat and tidy this room is, because the hallway and closets are jam-packed with boxes and all the excess we have. I wish I can just do a garage sale for a weekend or something but they don't really do that kind of thing here unless you live in the suburb or you brave the busy streets during Queen's day and do a vigil the night before to secure a spot to sell all your secondhand things. Although I could easily put the things online on marktplaats which is the Dutch online classifieds, it's not the same when people actually get to see what you have in person. I guess it won't hurt to try. I'm just really a tad impatient.



Since we only have three bedrooms - the master bedroom, Maya's and one we made into a walk-in closet - we don't have one for an office/study so we are maximizing the space we have. We never shared a desk before but, with Maya needing more play space, we decided to give it a try which is, I should say, one of the best ideas we've had yet regarding redecorating. I have been bugging Mike about it for years but he had been adamant on not sitting with his back to an open space because it's just weird and uncomfortable. But this is the only spot that can accommodate all our things without it looking awkward, so I told him he just has to get used to it and suck it up or my most used "it's for Maya"; you'd be surprised how often the latter works.

That said, we absolutely love the new space and the white. We only have to hang framed prints and photos on the walls which is going to be quite a challenge. But I love a challenge so it's going to be fun!

The Dining Room

01 October 2011 Last week, we finally got to working on the walls in our living room. We stripped the wallpaper for three evenings - it was the only time we could really do it after we put Maya down for her bedtime - prepped the walls, sanded and painted the plinths and hung the wallpaper in the days that followed. It was the first time we saw the walls bare since we bought this place; they were newly wallpapered then and we were too eager to move in and have our own place to meticulously investigate. I favor painting over wallpaper though but the walls need a whole lot of work and would cost us too much time, effort and money which we didn't really feel like spending so we opted to just use wallpaper. And since I have been wanting to do something about the room for ages, we took up to the task to do it ourselves.



Spraying water on the walls several times and lightly scoring them before removing the wallpaper definitely made the job easier and faster. It is mindless work but it is rather therapeutic. I enjoyed doing it. The cleanup after, however, is a different story.



It's been a long while since we worked on a project such as this but we managed to get things done with just the two of us. We have always asked my father-in-law's help before as this is in his line of work, but we decided to give it a go on our own this time. It is more fulfilling and rewarding when you're the one doing it all even though it's not as perfect as you wish it to be, but at the end of the day and everything is finished, you feel accomplished and proud for having done everything yourself. It makes it more yours - after all the sweat, blood, bruises, body aches and lack of sleep.

I am loving the white walls. It gives the room a brand new feel - lighter, spacious and clean. I don't know why it took us this long to do it.

Organized Mess

23 March 2010

With a baby in the house, everyday is laundry day.

Bedroom v. 1

27 February 2010

This is our new old bedroom. The walls are newly painted from sunshine yellow to light olive green and, as you can see, quite empty at the moment. We also got new floors which brings out the lightness in the room. I love white!

My bedside lamp needs a new cap and I have just the right fabric for it; a project I hope to tackle next week.

Can't be bothered to change the curtains yet as I'm fine with the light yellow for now, but I definitely want to have something different for later.



I'm so happy with this new look. I love the wall paint and the off-white floors. And I love my new sheets.

B's Room

13 December 2009 The walls are wallpapered, the few pieces of furniture are assembled.. so basically, the BIG things are done in this small and pretty room. Hurray!



There will still be a few knick-knacks to hang on the walls like those framed images on the commode, perhaps a shelf with hooks, but I couldn't be bothered with them now. I'm just basking in joy that the important things are already taken care of. It's such a relief! Now I can concentrate on the rest of the house that needs to be worked on (like our bedroom and the hallways) and preparing for and enjoying this Christmas holiday.



I'm so in love with her room. Can you tell? It's so pretty and pink and girly. It has now become my happy room. I hope she doesn't turn out to be a boy because he would have to deal with a pink room and clothes until we move in to a new house and we get to buy him baby boy things. That would be quite a story to tell. Haha!

I have a few projects to tackle as soon as Christmas is over. There will be lots of sewing for baby blankets and fabric essentials for her cradle which was originally Mike's. In the meantime, I'm trying to finish this crochet granny square blanket for her room. I only have to make a few more squares and connect them, and I can move on to making one for the living room. It's going to be a fun and busy winter for me.

~*~

Wallpaper - Belle Mini Roses (from Belle Rose series) and Plain Pink by Esta Homes
Furniture - Ikea Hensvik Series
B-Bump update

Shelves

09 September 2009

Oops, I did it again!

28 January 2008

I couldn't resist not to take this picture as I sat in my corner earlier tonight. I know I changed our living room again for the nth time but I just wasn't satisfied with the old settings. Remember this? I did about four changes after that before I settled for this one. When we finally took apart the love seat, I went gaga moving the furnitures around trying to find the perfect spot for everything. Then I had a thought of switching the dining and sitting areas to see if it works, and I think it's perfect. It's still a work in progress but we are loving the space we have right now. And, oh, am I currently obsessed with white and oil cloths.

Since I switched from desktop to laptop, I no longer have the problem of being stuck with a permanent desk. I love the mobility and I noticed that I get more things done. My productivity has increased and it got me back into writing. I'm just really inspired and happy with the house right now. Though there's still a lot that needs to be done, it is becoming more homely and more us.