It's Called Using Whatcha Got!

...with a few new purchases and you've got a new room!

So I think I mentioned I did a mini-living room makeover a while back and I finally got around to taking some pics so I could share it! My goal lately has been to lighten things up. I think I long for the "Nantucket" feel but unless I'm going to purchase all new things, that's not really going to happen. So it's called using whatcha got with adding a couple new things! So here ya go....

This is BEFORE.

I've got lots of greens, reds, and golds going on. Trying to get away from these colors but it's a slow process.

and AFTER!

I took down the valences and polka dot panels (believe it our not the green striped valences were bedskirts on twin beds we had before we changed them for Harper's room). But that's not the last you've seen of them, or the polka dot panels-you'll have to read on!

In place of the old curtains I put up new white panels that I found at Target. They are 95" which are hard to find so I snatched them up. The chairs are not new. They were actually in our unfinished basement. {Using whatcha got!} The house we moved from in NC was much bigger, so a lot of our furniture had to be moved down to the basement. I've always liked them but didn't think we had room. Until I had Mike move the other ones down and then had room for these! Feels like new furniture!

I'm really liking the white panels-clean, simple, airy. Definitely lightens things up.

I purchased some inexpensive white pillows from Target as well. I'm really loving white! However if you remember last week, this can happen to white;0

I got these fun numbered pillows from this etsy shop. Who can guess what the numbers stand for??;) I couldn't just pick #1 and #2. Can you guess??

Corny, I know!

Now, this red couch. To be honest I've wanted a neutral colored couch for years and it just hasn't happened. We got this couch about 9 years ago and it's a really good couch but it's red and when you're trying to go "Nantucket" it's just hard. I did try to put a white slip cover on it but I could not get over the "messy" look of the slip cover. Many people can pull it off and it looks fantastic-that shabby chic look- but I'm kind of a "neat and tidy" type person and to see little wrinkles on my couch-it just bugged me. So I sent it back. Maybe one day I'll get that Pottery Barn couch I've wanted for so long!

Another view. So this room isn't big and I'm not loving that large, dark coffee table but right now it has big baskets under it that holds movies and toys so it's actually functional. I would love a round ottoman but then I guess I'd have to get rid of the small brown one that goes with one of those chairs. I don't know.

I think I added that "D" as well, a couple of months back. Hey, I'm from the South, and in the South you either monogram everything or label everything with the first letter of your last name or both! Don't ask how many things are monogrammed in our house.

Alright, onto what I did with those curtains that have now been recycled three times! {Using whatcha got!}

Have I ever shared Bennett's room with you?? I don't think I really have.

So here ya go....

And there they are! They just happen to be from the same coordinating Waverly fabric that my mom made the crib bedding from years ago! Oh, did I mention my mom made those panels that were once bedskirts? Well, she did.

Now B's room is nothing fantastic. I mean I like it but I didn't know how long we would be in this house, so I went conservative. We've never had high end baby furniture either, in fact this crib has been used by 5 children! All of mine and my sister's boys! The crib bedding has been used by all the grandsons too! It's kind of neat when you think of it. All five grands have slept in this crib, however it definitely shows it. But I must add that the bumper my mom made was recently thrown up on and I washed it and basically ruined it;(. Soo upset but I did find this very inexpensive brown minky one at Babies-R-Us.

All the other furniture has been used over the years, I just don't find it necessary to spend a ton on a crib or a changing table-that's just me. I've definitely considered painting all of it white or cream but that seems like a major job and I would worry about chipping paint in a baby's room so I haven't done it.

Oh and just to make it clear-Bennett does have another "T" on the end of his name-it got cut out;)

This brown chair was originally Ainsley's and it was green and white check! My dad recovered it to go in Harper's nursery (pink and brown) and now it goes perfectly in Bennett's! {Using whatcha got!} And thank goodness for my mom and dad and all their sewing, reupholstery and curtain valance making talents! And my sis too-she helped me with these panels!

And this, well I just thought I'd share my two favorite pics of Bennett-can I just tell you that the canvas one was from a site that fellow blogger Angi suggested a while back. I paid $6 dollars for it!! Not kidding! They were running a special at the time. Thanks Angi!

So there you have it, my mini makeover of rooms! And lots of it was just using what I had! It's not Nantucket but it's getting lighter!