Nesting

Ha! Gotcha with that one, didn't I? No, we are not having a baby.  (not even in the cards for us, so don't ask...babies definitely are NOT us)  However, five years after moving into our home, we are putting some finishing touches on the place.  Again.  This time it is the main living room and our brand spankin new basement family room.  Whoooooo-boy do I ever love to remodel too!

We seem to always be in some state of flux and planning.  This is fine by me.  I love to plot, plan, conceive, and carry out.  It is fun.  I love to decorate.  To redesign a space.  Of course, it is expensive, so I don't get to do this often.  But we (or should I say, my husband) have been working on the basement project since right after we moved into our home five years ago.  He built the walls, he designed the floor plan, he pulled the wires, placed insulation, installed duct work, put in boxes for outlets and switches, wired for sound and cable, hung lights, painted, laid flooring, trimmed, hung doors, even sprayed part of the ceiling black.  He has shopped and priced, and compared products to the ends of this earth. He found a floor model fireplace that is stunning (at half the cost of the actual unit) and installed it himself (with the help of his brothers).  He tiled around the fireplace to make it look straight from an arts and crafts home.  He brought home a butcher block from a school cafeteria that had closed that will be the top of our bar's counter/workspace soon.  We even found two amazing love seats that feel like butter and look like an old school catcher's mitt.  At 2/3 the cost (outlet shopping).  The basement living space is stunning.  And I don't want to leave it.  Ever.  We aren't completely finished.  The bar area needs cupboards and counter tops.  A sink and an actual bar.  It needs shelves too.  Oh and a  refrigerator and dishwasher.  Eventually, when we replenish the coffers we will finish the bathroom-it is a "men's" bathroom, if you catch my drift.  But that is down the road. 

What I'm most thrilled about is we now have a true family room downstairs.  One that we can flop on the couch, flip on a movie (in 3D!!), snuggle in front of the fire, and enjoy the evening.  Our son has a full-fledged playroom he loves and can stretch his legs in.  And upstairs we have a living room that won't feel so cramped anymore-acting as entertainment space, playroom, family room and more.  Our house has grown in such a lovely way.  I promise I'll post some photographs soon...once our new furniture has arrived, and the project is nearer completion.  Maybe with some holiday decor added too!  Oh, the next few months are going to be so much fun!  You know, nesting and all!

It came!

Based on that little tidbit, I'm sure you must think I'm talking about the second coming, but no...well...not quite.

Our beautiful and most perfect new area rug arrived on Friday to begin the transformation of our upstairs living room.  This photograph doesn't do it justice, but I was just too excited to wait! The love seat in the background will have a new home in our lovely finished basement soon (as will its matching ottoman).  I'm now on the hunt for the perfect sectional in an oatmeal color.  Then some beautiful throw pillows to bring out the blues/purples/teals/greens of the rug.  Oh and curtains.  And lamps.  And new artwork.

I love me a good project! 

New Digs

Okay, not really new in that sense of the word.  However, since we moved into our house four years ago August, my husband has been finishing our basement, and the project is nearing completion this year (hooray!).  It will have our son's playroom, a living space (complete with a beautiful fireplace), a swanky bar for parties, a men's restroom (just picture what that entails), some new storage for us, and a great pantry/seed starting room for my gardening adventures.  Right now we are at the point where the drywall is done, painting is complete, lighting is mostly hung, the tile work around the fireplace is now grouted, and my husband is installing the flooring.  It looks spectacular. 

So, I am beginning to think about the living room upstairs.  I know, right?  We are in the midst of a complete decorating project downstairs and here I am thinking about another room entirely!  But let me explain...the vast majority of the furniture, area rug, etc from our living room will be migrating to our basement within the year.  We did purchase two love seats for the basement specifically, and they're residing in our living room.  We adore them.  They're like settling down into a buttery-soft catcher's mitt.  But once we take everything down, we will be left with only an over sized sage-green chair and its ottoman.  And a floor lamp.  That does not a living space make.  Yesterday I found this on Crate & Barrel's website:

Cyrille Wool Rug

I have developed an obsession now.  It is rather different in pattern from what we have put in our home up to this point.  The colors are stunning...deep cream base with chocolate, blue, teal, and purple.  I adore it.  And it comes in a size large enough for the space, which strangely seems difficult to find.  So now I will obsess.  I know it costs an arm and a leg, but my rationalization is that wool rugs last forever (we have one now that will migrate to the basement), and I am all about pieces that stick around.  The colors give me room to play with decor as well.  What do you guys think?  Anyone?  Bueller? 

And to answer the inevitable questions...yes, I've already started planning out sectional ideas, room arrangements, throw pillows, even window treatments.  I need help.  My mind operates about six months ahead. 

But look at that rug.  Stunning.  Me toes want to be barefoot on it.