For the last 11 years, we’ve had the same exact couch….that may not mean anything to you, but for us it meant the same couch our landlords gave us while we were in college….the couch they’d actually acquired off the street, someone else’s trash which was, quite honestly, our treasure. While this couch was awesome and served its purpose well (it was a Thomasville, by the way), it was pretty tired, worn out, and kinda yuck. In fact, it was really bringing our whole living room down. When we decided to get a new couch, I felt like I was betraying our old one. It was like a member of the family. It was time, though. Take a look at our living room before….
Now take a look at after.
The new couch actually motivated me to declutter and change up our decor a bit. I’ve decorated quite a bit with family pictures, even making a family tree wall before with black & white photos in colorful, painted frames. I broke the wall up just a bit, and the nice thing is that it can always be added to.
I plan to paint this stand a light, almost white, blue. I painted the wooden lamp an antique green color. It was a really quick, 10 minute job, so easy.
This picture was in a box of photos that my grandmother had from my great uncles who served in World War II. I’ve always admired the picture, so I blew it up and made it a centerpiece on the wall above our couch. It’s a pair of army boots and women’s dress shoes (I think they’re women’s dress shoes.) It’s a picture with a story behind it, I just know….I only wish I knew the story.
These white curtains were made out of $5 flat twin sheets from Walmart. We hung them up higher to give the appearance of a larger window.
We bought a couple of baskets, on clearance, to hold things like magazines and library books.
Lastly, the fireplace was decluttered and redecorated just a bit….I used books, old family pics, and then simple things like a vase. We also blew up the picture of my mom when she was a little girl, to hang above the fireplace.
For me, decorating with old and new family pics was a no-brainer. For one thing they surround you with loved ones in a space that is meant to be a haven, your home. Secondly, they add a classic touch, especially when black & white photos are placed in colorful frames that match the theme or decor of the room. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference when it comes to home decor.
How do you like to decorate? Do you decorate with family photos?
