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White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Are you ready for this?

I am so ready for this?

The living room in my home that I thought was good, just got a thousand times better!

If I do say so myself.

It all began with a “hey honey?  What would you think if we refinished our super drab orange hardwood floors, because they feel so heavy and I am super sick of looking at them and I’m sure it will be so easy and take no more than a couple of hours . . . ?”

Audible groan.

And so, the supposed-to-be-quick-and-easy living room update began.  Because he loves me 😉

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

And I’ve got a weekend away trip planned just for him and I, and no work to do for hundreds of miles.

Because I love him.  (And because I am afraid after this not-so-quick-and-easy job he might forget how much he loves me.  Eeek.)

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Before we jump in to all the details, I want you to know I like to share all my sources, DIY’s and thrift finds as I go through my room reveals.  It helps for those who have questions about those things.  But if you just prefer to let the pictures do the talking, feel free to scroll through this mass of images and pin away.

My camera and I are sorry if we overdid it.  We were having too much fun.

Let’s start things off by looking back to what this room has looked like in the 3 years we have lived here.  It most definitely has had some identity crisis going on, but was so patient with me while I found what made my heart skip a beat.

Here is what we moved in to.

White Cottage Living Room-1

Sorry the image is a bit cropped, but that was before I knew I wanted to be a blogger when I grew up.  The room was dark, to say the least.  I’ll admit though, it was very cozy and warm.  If I ever own a cabin, this is what I want it to look like.  But for every day living, I needed light and bright to avoid depression.  Seriously.

So you’ll notice the paint cans waiting on the floor in the image above.  What you don’t see is the husband cringing and crying as I prep to paint all that beautiful wood.  What is it with dudes and wood?

So after all the Super White paint by Benjamin Moore I could handle, our first room makeover in our new home looked like this.

White Cottage Living Room-2

The upper wall is Sterling, half tinted – also from Benjamin Moore.

I had so much fun decorating and exploring what I liked.  And I thought I would be happy with it just like this forever.  (See the complete first room reveal, HERE.)

But then I started to get this itch.  Some things were bugging me, so I swapped some items out and changed a few things around.  Mainly the rug and got rid of that yellow paint in the corner cupboard.  Which by the way – I have no idea what I was thinking.  I can’t stand yellow.

living-room-cottage-10

(See this room update post, HERE).

And I thought I would be happy with it just so, for many years.

Until . . .

I could bare the orange rock fireplace no longer!

Pom Pom Wreath-41

So we (by we, I mean him), chipped away until it was all off and replaced it with tongue and groove planks, just in time for Santa to fill our stockings.  (See this before and after mantel post, HERE).

And I thought for sure I would be content for good.

But my husband knew better and wanted desperately to quite the voice that kept complaining about the orange floors.

Wow.  I sound like a pill.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

So he happily said, “I’ll rent a floor sander and stay up all night sanding the floor, and you do what you do best”.  I think he said that.

P.S.  Hold that floor thought.  I want to talk about those in a bit.

So I went to work rounding up my sponsors for this space, figuring out my DIY’s, and searching the thrift and antique stores.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Now let’s all take a minute to ooo and ahh at all the Joss and Main goodies to be found here.  Their contributions to this room is really what makes it so special.

*Disclosure – All Joss and Main referenced items were given to me for review, or as part of my winnings in their Holiday photo contest.  All opinions are my own and I mean every word 😉

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

This slipcovered sofa is from the Felicity line at Joss and Main.  I’ve been eyeing it a really long time.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

My biggest mistake when I first did this room, was not buying slipcovered sofas.  After 3 years, our original linen-like sofa’s were hashed from dirty little feet.  I know, Mom.  You told me so.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

But this creamy colored sofa, in Bull Natural fabric, can completely have it’s covers easily removed and washed.  It gives me the ability to enjoy my light colored furniture and not have a panic attack when my 2 year old wipes his dirty hands all over it.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

It is an absolute dream to sit on.  It is somehow a perfect mix of “firm enough for him”, while “sitting on a cloud for her”.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

The back cushions are not filled with fiberfill like our other sofas that flattened so easily.  They feel more like a heavy down and if the kids sit on top of them, they easily fluff right up.  I really think this is the perfect sofa for kids if you “have to” have a light colored sofa.  Actually, you can select other available fabric varieties at Joss and Main if you prefer a different color.

(I might add here:  Joss and Main is a rotating deals site.  The items I reference may not be available at the time of your viewing).

If you have any other questions about this sofa, please feel free to ask and I’ll share all I know and have experienced.  But I can say for certain, I am very happy with the quality and comfort of the Felicity Sofa.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

What I love about Joss and Main is the variety of styles they carry.  They range anywhere from modern to country, and I knew when I wanted a French style bench to rest my weary feet – Joss and Main would have something good for me.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

The bench actually came with darker wood legs, but I had the urge to lighten it up with some Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, which gives such a lovely chippy look.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I also added some big impact texture to the rug by layering it with this Faux sheep skin rug from Rugs USA.  They have a great selection of shag rugs that would be perfect for layering in any room.

*Disclosure:  This rug was given to me for review from Rugs USA.  All opinions are my own.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

 

The fur is super cozy and padded, and I often find my kids curled up on the floor – soaking it in.

For your reference, I found my flower basket at a thrift store, blanket on bench from IKEA.  I made the blue ruffle pillow and the tassel blanket.  Make your own tassel blanket by following the instructions, HERE.

This end table was crafted by my sweet husband.  I thrifted this tray, and he made a simple X frame and screwed the tray to the top.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Oh, how I adore it.  I gave the wood legs a coat of white wash pickling stain to lighten them up a bit.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I love to have my favorite magazines close at hand when I can’t seem to get up from the couch.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

This slipcovered light blue sofa is from the IKEA Ektorp line.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I dressed it with a flannel throw I scored at Homegoods, and a linen and lace pillow I made.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Everyone that has come in seems to always comment on this floor lamp from Carmel Decor.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

It is a pleasure to work with Carmel Decor, and I suggest cruising their shop if you are on the hunt for that special item.  They have a great selection of lighting and other home decor, and I truly enjoy working with them.

*Dislosure:  All items from Carmel Decor were given to me for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

The quilt hanging on my banister was a huge splurge for me.  I found it for $100.00 at an antique store and was mesmerized by the colors and the hand stitching.  Before I knew it, I had swiped my card.  I like to imagine all the love that some woman somewhere put into each and every stitch.

This lovely little round end table is also from Joss and Main.  It is called the “Lauren End Table”.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

It is distressed to perfection, and has such lovely detail.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I wanted so badly, to plop some blue hydrangeas on top.  However, after spending all that money on the quilt I decided the back yard flowers would have to suffice.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I never knew I could love the quirkiness of my own unprofessional flower arrangement so much.  I’m so glad I chose to look around me for beauty, rather than spend money on it at the floral shop.  I encourage you to do the same.  Though I do confess, the pink carnations were from my recent Walmart trip and topped it all off nicely.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I filled up my mantel with thrifted windows and flower images, and some silk florals from Michaels.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.
It probably won’t sit like this for too long, but I am enjoying the cottage charm of each item put together.
White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

If you are still with me, I have some of my favorite pieces to talk about still!

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Beginning with this charming simple table.  It was born from random scraps in my husbands shop.  I’ve looked high and low for something so simply charming – I should have thought to ask him sooner to build me one.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

With each piece my sweet husband added, he apologized for the lack of professionalism.  But I was giddy with delight.  Each imperfection was perfect and exactly what I hoped for.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

We just sanded the top and I painted the bottom with Farmhouse White from Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint.  Love that stuff.

The framed botanical prints were a last minute DIY.  I’ll show you later how we made them, but I just pulled the glass out of my stash of thrift store frames, and my husband built the simple frames from wood sticks from Hobby Lobby.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.
Moving on, have you been curious about the French Vintage sofa yet?

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Oh boy, was the family ever curious when I showed them what I had bought.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

But you get it, right?  I mean, how could anyone pass up this beauty?  Especially when you’ve never seen one without ugly floral fabric and for less than $2000.00.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

My grandma had one in her home when I was a kid, and I thought it was so neat and meant for royalty.  Especially because she lined it with clear vinyl – like they did back in the 80’s.  So when I saw this sofa for $400.00, I knew it was just the piece to pull the room together like what was envisioned in my head.  Perfect for pulling in a bit of French cottage to the space.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I’ll have to show you the before another time, but it took a bit of work to get her back to being beautiful.  I painted it with Farmhouse white milk paint again and added new trim.  This blanket throw from Carmel Decor looks lovely with the blue/green tones in the fabric.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

We still need to rig the bottom so it doesn’t sag, but all the girls in the house feel pretty fancy sitting here.  The little boy finds it perfectly bouncy.  Nothing is too fancy for my kids to be kids around here.

This corner piece I found years ago still houses my magazines.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Finally, I’ll show you the back side of the room.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

But only if you promise not to peek through the kitchen to the real-mom life fridge which I somehow didn’t see when taking these pictures.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

I said don’t look.  😉

The big butcher block is my work horse.  My husband saved it from a dump pile and I painted it and chipped it up.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

Baskets store toys and books, and I try to keep the surface super simple so I have an easy-to-get-to surface for my pictures taking and project making.

I swapped out our horse prints for some more meaningful images to my family.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

A beautiful white picture of Christ (bought from Deseret Book) and a digital print of the LDS temple where my husband and I were married.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

That’s it for sources and details.  If you want to stick around for a minute – I’ll explain more about our floors so far.

White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.

They didn’t actually turn out as expected and have been a bit of a stress.  But I still find them a thousand times better in this space than the darker orange floors.  Here is what we did, and here is where we could use some help.

We rented a sander to sand them down to bare wood.  We found out that engineered flooring is a bugger to refinish.  My husband managed to do most of it, painstakingly, but we couldn’t get all the edges and it wasn’t very smooth.  So, we admitted DIY defeat and hired a pro to come finish sanding them.  When it was all bare wood, they were the most beautiful light wood and I was thrilled to death.  But we discovered when they got wet, they wanted to turn orange again.  We knew even a natural color stain would do the same.  So, we thought to use white pickling stain over the top to keep them a light color.  However, the red/orange color still wants to come out but with the white they now look pinkish.  I don’t mind them too much, but it is not what I wanted and hoped for after all that work.  We haven’t yet put on a top coat because we are not ready to commit to this color.  I plan to take a sample in to a paint store and play with layers of stain and see if we can’t tone things down a bit.  Until then, we’ve found a way to create pink floors.  😉  If you are looking for that sort of thing.

All my friends and neighbors assure me they are beautiful and that I should stop freaking out.  They are so sweet to humor me.  However, if you have experienced anything like this – your suggestions are certainly welcome.  I’d also like to hear your thoughts on the floors.  How bad are they, anyway????

That’s a wrap friends!  This may break the longest post on TIDBITS record, and I thank you for sticking around.  I’ll be back to share some DIY tutorials with you, and feel free to ask me any questions if I missed something you are wondering about.

Thanks for always being here with me, and I hope you’ll visit again!
White Cottage Living Room Update by TIDBITS.


*Linking up to these parties, HERE.

*This post contains affiliate links and sponsored product.  All opinions are my own.  Read more of my disclosure HERE.

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37 Comments

  1. Hi Cami,

    Would you recommend I use your favorite white creme wax (Americana Decor) on my cottage pine walls? Thanks for all your tips!

  2. What an simply charming home! From the diminish attraction to each room there after. I am a lover of plants as properly so it was so amusing to look how you add them on your decor. Love the little bouquets all through, mainly in the mason jars. I could have to mention that your dwelling room is a place I ought to see myself staying in all day. Such terrific mild and it simply exudes tons of allure. Thank you for inviting us all into your charming farmhouse. You are so innovative. Use very Unique designs.

    Thanks for percentage Your Post….!

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  4. Love your living room – it’s beautiful, welcoming and real!!! I have a question though, I’ve had the IKEA couch and my family says it’s too hard. Is the Joss & Main one softer? thanks so much!

  5. Oh Annie. Thank you for your encouraging words. You always seem to brighten my day with them 😉

  6. Cami, Pure gorgeousness! I always LOVE what you do. Since you aren’t in love with the floor,(and I have a feeling you won’t be able to forget about it) you could try a green tinted wash and see if that counter-acts the pink. Thanks for sharing all of your (and your husband’s) amazing talent!

    1. Callie! I was seriously wondering if the green tint in a stain would do that. That is what I want to ask the guy at the paint store. I’m glad someone verified my thought process 😉 I sure do appreciate your kind words about our living room. I imagine I won’t be able to forget about the floors.

  7. Oh my word but your are so talented and creative and you have just the best husband. 🙂
    I love everything you do and the way you write about it. Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us.
    Greetings from sunny South Africa
    Regards Kim

    1. Oh what a sweet and tender thought to think my words stretch all the way to South Africa 😉 I so appreciate you coming by and taking the time to leave such sweet and thoughtful comments. Wishing you the best!

  8. Love the quilt!! That pattern is time consuming. I would say you got quite a bargain at $100! Glad you made the splurge.

    1. That’s what I told my husband when he choked on the price I paid for the quilt. 😉 I thought it was a pretty good deal considering the time it would have taken me to make one myself (which would never have happened anyway). I appreciate you stopping by to see our living room!

  9. This is breathtaking! Gorgeous! Lovely!! Your room reveals never disappoint! That French style sofa has me swooning. And the new coloring of your floor is such an improvement over the orangey color!

    1. What sweet sweet and encouraging words you left for me on my living room post! And I agree, the new floor color is definitely an improvement. Take care!

  10. Oh my..enjoyed your whole room and post. Don’t know a thing about floors. Yours look fine in the pics, good luck with them.

    1. Thanks Wendy! So pleased you like our living room! Many are saying they like the floors. I think I just need to get it out of my head what I expected and embrace them. Thanks for stopping by!

  11. oh Cami, your room seriously takes my breath away! everything is SO beautiful and thoughtfully put together – I love it all! Your pics are amazing too! when I grow up, I want to take pics like you – LOL! Your hubby did an AMAZING job on all his projects too (don’t you just love handy hubbys?)

    And I LOVE your floors! I think they look great! But if you want to tone them down a bit, you can use a gray stain on top or even watered down paint (wipe it on, then wipe off). Good luck!

    1. Christy – your comments on my living room were so sweet! Handy hubs are truly the best. Though I try so hard not to be a slave driver 😉 I like your suggestions for the floor. I never thought about the paint option. Time to play around! I did try some gray stain and it seemed to only pull more orange out. Thanks for taking the time to suggest things to me. I hope the paint helps!

  12. It’s a really beautiful room with so many pretty details. I love the vintage sofa, it’s a perfect touch. Your fireplace is so pretty too.

    1. Thank you for your sweet comments on my living room! We do love the vintage sofa too 😉 Take care!

  13. Oh my, it’s so lovely! I read and read to near the end to find out about the french settee! Can’t wait to see more about that! I’ve been looking for one to makeover myself!!

    1. Thank you Doreen! Looks like I had you hooked! ha! I do love the French Settee and I love to watch my girls pretend to be princess’s on it. It’s great when style meets family standards 😉 Take care! And good luck in your search.

  14. I LOVE the floors! I think they look beautiful in your space and work nicely with your décor.

    1. Oh thank you so much! After taking the images, I started to see more beauty in them. It think I just have to get over what I was hoping for and embrace them for what they are. We’ll see if I can manage that 😉 Thanks for stopping by!

  15. Oh I love this! Truly, what IS it with dudes and wood? I have been wanting to lighten up cupboards in the kitchen and an entertainment center (yup–we are old, we have one of those things!), and after casually mentioning that to my husband the idea has been deflated.
    I may have to show him these pics!

    1. Don’t give up! It took me awhile to convince him and gladly he agrees to my painting wood now. I do find I love to keep some beautiful old wood in furniture and things, and that appeases us both. Thanks so much for your sweet comments and for visiting!

  16. Wow, how beautiful! I came to visit your blog yesterday from nesting with grace and immediately subscribed! You’ve done such a Great job on this room, it has the perfect mix of handmade, thrifted, vintage and new!

    1. So glad you came over from Brooke’s site. Love her! And so pleased you enjoyed me enough to subscribe. It is so appreciated! Yes, I try to always mix enough of handmade, thrifted, vintage and new. You figured me out right away!

  17. Many kudos to you and your husband on the evolution of your living room. It just gets better and better. It’s bright and airy, inviting and pretty. Your husband has quite a talent for making furniture pieces. They all look wonderful. As for the floors, they sure look great in your photos. But, you both need to go with your gut on what will ultimately work for you. Love how you’ve decorated the mantle, BTW. Cheers, Ardith

    1. Ardith – I sure loved your comment on my living room makeover! Thank you for all your kind words of encouragement. Bright and airy is always my goal and a place for us to feel at home. I’ll keep playing with the floors and see if I can’t find something better without spending too much more money! I appreciate your confidence in me 😉 And yes, my husband is incredibly talented and I’m so thankful he goes along with all my whims! Take care!

  18. Thank you for showing your living room in its entirety. Love the cottage style thru out and your lovely finds!!! You are so cozy in your approach and it comes thru and with children under foot you make it look so easy. Not to stop there your backbone is your hubby and you guys make a great team!!!!

    1. Thank you so much for your sweet comments about my living room! It is most definitely not an easy task to design with kids and make a cozy home we all love, but the work is well worth it. It is always my goal to not make my kids feel like they can’t be kids at home. And yes, my dear husband is my backbone, by greatest supporter and so much more! Thanks so much for coming over to see! It means the world to me that you would take the time to comment.

  19. Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous!!! I LOVE it. The floors, look beautiful in photos, so don’t stress about them, I’m sure they appear much worse in your head than they actually are. 🙂 And let me just say that huge butcher block work horse… so incredible. I would love to take off into the sunset with that! lol seriously its so great I wouldn’t have even noticed your mom fridge, if you hadn’t said anything it is that stunning! I love the long post thanks for being so through!!!

    1. Oh how I loved your sweet comment about my living room makeover! Thank you! I’m giving the floors some time to see if I can warm up to them, and then we will seal it – or something else! And I would like to see you try to ride off with the butcher block table. It is heavier than a horse! Haha! Take care and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me.