Living Room Corner Update

Whew… who knew this small little section of my living room could take up so much of my time and energy…. and sanity?!

So, this all started with a cash-money gift card from my manager at Christmas.  At the time, I only had the sofa in the living room, so I was really jonesin’ for some additional seating, and my preference was to add a couple more chairs.  I’ve been searching all over for chairs for a while, and nothing has really stood out to me (inexpensive + quality + my-style).  So I finally decided to go with the matching IKEA Ektorp chair…. I had wanted to avoid being match-y, but never did find anything else, so affordability + style won out.

But then, IKEA put a kink in my plans… the matching svanby beige slipcover for the chair wasn’t in stock… in-store OR online!  Urgh.  I waited patiently for a while, checking the stock status regularly (every.single.day.).  In the meantime, I happened to find someone selling the chair on craigslist, and so I scored the chair frame on a deal!  So at this point, I have a chair sans-cover sitting in my  living room…covered in blankets so we can sit on it without tearing the frame’s thin fabric.

I reaaaaallllyyyyyyy wanted to get the chair before J’s birthday party, when I would have many guests over to the house.  So I decided if the svanby beige cover wasn’t in stock by then, I’d get the inexpensive white cover, which is lighter than the “beige” but not still a bit off-white, and should blend good enough.  For $30 and a more complete look, it was worth the piece of mind, even if I change it up later.

Simultaneously, I decided FINALLY that the shelves that I’d never hung up in the new house would look good above the chair.  I hung these floating shelves myself in the old house, easily with no issues…but just like everything else regarding these POS walls, I should have known it would end with frustration, tears, and something that perhaps might be diagnosed as a panic attack.  In summary, I battled with the shelves cumulatively for multiple hours, over several days, utilizing various anchors and tools.  The final result?  A billionty variably sized holes (luckily all concealed by the shelves), wall scuff marks, and STILL I have slanted, improperly-hung shelves.  But I finally gave up, said a hundred “serenity now”s, and just pretend not to notice the major imperfection on that side of the room.

Mid-battle… likely mid panic attack.

scuffs, holes, and anchors, oh myyyyyyyyy.

So, with all that being said… here is a look at what this area of the living room looks like now.

You would never know this was the scene of multiple major tantrums.  And that would be me, not Jackson.

Close shot of the shelves… pay no mind that the bottom one looks like the little birdie is slowly sliding off in a first-ever décor suicide attempt….

Close shot showing the gap from the side… can you tell this makes me crazy?  Not like strap-a-tinfoil-antennae-to-my-head-so-I-can-communicate-with-aliens-crazy,but more like the reduced-to-the-point-of-tears-over-home-décor-failure crazy.  Just to clarify.

Ok…. at any rate.  Here are the details on all the design elements!

• Chair:  IKEA Ektorp with blekinge white slipcover
• Throw pillow:  IKEA Alvine Flora
• Side table:  Target, from many years ago, with updated hardware drawer pull, also from Target
• Lamp:  totally a yard sale find for $5 a year or two back!
• Framed art:  Frame from Wal-Mart; art was $free.99 from online!  More below…
• Clock:  Target, from many years ago.  Love this piece!
• Other shelf décor:  Frames from Target (need new pics!); vase from IKEA; suicidal birdie from Target (I already had all this stuff too!)

This art print came from a site I am OBSESSED with -- the Graphics Fairy.  I printed it on regular (cheap-o) printer paper at home.

And a close shot of the pillow – LOVE it!  I am smitten with button details on pillows these days.  And I can flip it over if I get to feeling less Pottery Barn and more whimsical (woah, hello outside-my-beige-comfort-zone!).  Mayyyyybeeeeeee……

Also impressive?  AFTER I had this pillow, it popped up on a home design & décor blog I adore -- Thrifty Decor Chick

So all in all, I do love the new little area of the living room, and it pulled together nicely.  And I don’t alwayyyyyysssss get hives thinking about the shelves. :)