The living room was once a formal sitting room with beautiful antique chairs, settee, lamps and artwork (no tv). Cream vertical stripped wall paper with matching trim and brown carpet. Lace curtains and thick drapes cover the 3′ by 5′ window with an old school roller shade (you know the kind you pull down quick and release in hopes that it goes up again).
A bit too formal for myself I decided to go for a more ‘rustic throw your feet up while you watch some tv’ look. Wall paper was the second thing to go (carpet was the first to go Sept 2016). About 12 – 16 hours of stripping, plastering, sanding, priming and painting later and the walls were done. As of right now I am still not 100% sure about the QC 12 Sherwin Willams SW 7004 Snowbound white on the walls. But for now it will do. All of the natural wood and colour really seems to pop on the white but it is pretty stark. I also removed the drapes and roller shade which helped to brighten up the darkest room in the house.
The built in cabinet was the first thing I painted in the living room. I was the smallest project between stripping and plastering and priming and painting.
I spray painted the knobs and brackets black and replaced the old shelves with some reclaimed wood shelves and voila! The cabinet was complete. On to the priming and painting.
The walls were the best shape I’d seen so far in the house. So the painting went smoothly. I had picked a massive tv stand online for free. Now that I was moving in another direction it really had to go. So I sold it for $50 (why not make a profit if you can – every dollar helps). The money was used to build a new stand. I decided to use lumber and steel pipes for a rustic look. The shelves are 12″ x 68″ and the legs are 12″ steel pipes plus the height of the flanges. Total cost about $80. And it’s exactly what I wanted but couldn’t find. If you’re handy you can do this project pretty easily. On amazon I bought some floating shelf brackets. You mount them to the wall, drill the holes in the back of the lumber, mount the lumber onto the brackets and that’s it. You could also use L brackets for support but I didn’t want to see the hardware. Also have your lumber cut to size at the home hardware store – time saver.
Another fun project was adding legs to the old trunk and turning it into the coffee table. The trunk was purchased at the Pickering Roadshow Antiques for $40. The set of 4 legs in 6″ cost about $20. Just line them up and screw them on. The project took less than 30 minutes. 
I did use the couch that came with the house for the first 6 months. It was older… floral.. didn’t match anything. I also purchased two antique matching chairs from the Collection Co. in Campbellford for $100. Also floral and not matching. One morning I decided to drive out to belleville to look around. I stopped in at The Brick. I’ve been a big fan of their Canadian Made line. My first couch at my apartment is from that line. One of the most comfortable couches I’ve sat on. While I was walking around i happened to notice a floor model couch. Dark brown, soft, great style and on for $648. After speaking to the sales associate she mentioned that the couch was a special order and the people who ordered it felt the fabric was to dark and shipped it right back to the store. Regular around $999 on the floor for $648 she knocked off another $50. Beautiful, comfy and almost 50% off = sold.
The next items I would buy are from Wayfair.ca. If youre willing to read the specifications and measurements and sort through thousands of pages you might find some great deals. For under the window, a Joanne chaise Lounge $298 (because why not!), an Arquer 66″ copper floor lamp $125, and a grey arm chair $350. I would suggest a budget when you start to plan out each room. The living room had $1500 budget for the furniture and decor. The side tables are old and not the correct style, as are the lamps. Until I find the ones I like I’ll keep them and then sell them and get new ones. The art next to the tv was from a little local antique place outside Belleville. The pair cost $15. The brown leather footstool was from Value Village for $5. Faux plants were $25. Small marble side table was $20 (don’t rember where I bought it). Art behind the armchair was from Homesense and the pair ran just under $40. The 3 black and white ink drawings were found at a garage sale for $10.
You can find hundreds of really cool ideas online. My next favorite project was the steel pipe ladder. A bit more costly at $100 it really looks cool. You would have to measure the space your putting it in to figure out the correct pipe sizes both vertical and horizontal. It was also difficult the assemble some pieces – I really had to work for it.
For now the living room is comfortable and cozy. I’ll keep searching for art to go behind the couch, side tables and lamps. I’ve purchased and returned about 12 pieces so far… this is a tricky one. When I do get the living room done I will be posting the final pictures. Until then, off to the next room.
My Country Farmhouse 