Out of all of these pictures of the living room, there is a single constant. Because of how the room is laid out, there is only ONE way to set up the furniture! The mantle is too high for a TV (at least without having to crane our necks to watch the news, or, you know, South Park!), and due to a combination of funky window, closet, and doorway placement, there is only one good place to put a sofa. And so, the sofa goes against the far right wall, the TV sits in the niche beside the closet door, and chairs float in the middle of the room. That’s the way it has been since we moved in, and probably the way it will be for the rest of our lives. This would be great if I didn’t get bored easily! If anyone sees a different possible furniture arrangement, feel free to let me know. Le sigh.
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Living room at closing, circa September 2011
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Living room circa February 2012, during my “more is better” phase.
Living room circa June 2012, after getting a new (to us) couch and TV cabinet
Living room circa October 2012. Instead of playing “Where’s Waldo” we play- “Where’s the puppy”- currently I can see all four of them. Emma, Cruiser, Luke, and Leia! (Leia is on the red plaid blanket. She has chameleon-like skills:P)
Love my: Ikea Ektorp sofa ($120 Craigslist find, in perfect condition), butterfly poster, plaid blankets (Kohls, $20 each), gallery wall, slipcovered ottoman, and TV cabinet ($20 Craigslist find, hells yeah!). Unfortunately my humongous white IKEA rug is currently under our bed- those babies would pee all over it if I left it out right now. Hopefully by Christmas they’ll be potty trained enough to justify putting rugs back out! Fingers crossed.
What a GAWGEOUS slipcovered ottoman!
We’ve started using the fireplace again! Well, we’ve had one fire so far this fall. The house got up to 93 degrees and I realized that maybe it should be saved for even colder weather @_@
This chair was part of my latest Craigslist find- $25 for a wicker chair, bench (currently on our front porch), and table (currently in a dumpster. It was ugly). I scrapped the cushion, it was a hideous pearlescent pink, but it doesn’t miss it! The rattan on the legs was coming untwisted (that’s why it was so cheap) so I wrapped the legs in white electrical tape. It’s my faux “paint dipped” treatment that’s so trendy right now=P
I love having all of these different wood colors and textures next to each other. It really gives the space a rich, cozy feeling.
My fall decor- a $3.80 resin squirrel from Hobby Lobby, a $10 gold mercury glass jug from Joanne Fabrics, and some cinnamon-scented pinecones, also from Joanne’s.
Her name is Charlene.
My new gallery wall! We’re also using the puppy crate as a “side table”- I put a big metal tray on top and it works to hold drinks, remotes, etc. And no, I don’t remember what the babies were investigating- but they have a habit of losing toys in the cushion cracks, so my money’s on that!
LURRRVE my new gallery wall!
“Cozy” is my middle name. What, it isn’t? It should be. I want a nap, right there, with that pillow and that blanket.
My fall-themed mantle. I dressed my glass head for the weather- that’s a $2 knitted beret from Forever 21, lol. Also, another squirrel from Hobby Lobby, a $15 bird clock from Pier 1, and more cinnamon scented pinecones.
Tony still has a flower from the summer over one ear. She’s SUCH a trend-setter!
Resource list:
EKTORP sofa, found on Craigslist for $120 (and in this post)
TV cabinet, found on Craigslist for $20 (and in this post)
Oversize chair & ottoman, a $60 Craigslist find
Sure Fit cotton duck chair slipcover, $35 from Overstock (talked about in this post)
Ottoman slipcover, homemade, tutorial in this post=)
Picture frames for gallery wall- combination Hobby Lobby and IKEA (detailed in this post)
FISKEVIK picture hanging system, I forget how much, from IKEA (but currently unavailable). Installation is explained in this post.
Bird clock, $15 from Pier 1 (currently on sale for $12!)
Glass head, $20 from Pier 1 (currently on sale for $16!)
Plaid blankets, $20 apiece from Kohls (epic shopping trip in this post)
Cable-knit throw pillows, $18 apiece from Kohls (same epic shopping trip)
BILD butterfly poster, $12 at IKEA (although I got it as a birthday gift. Thanks, Annabeth!)
xo,
Cozy Crooked Cottage 
Mental note, next house we buy, must have a fireplace. Winters are not the same without it! I can just imagine how cozy that room is come the holiday season.
Alex- it really is cozy! As soon as I saw the fireplace (and my husband saw the acreage) we knew we had to have the house. We are still learning how to build fires that burn low & long, last year we would get the house up to 90 degrees and then it would be freezing again by morning. Still working on that!
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