Living Room updates

Hi Friends! I am focusing on updating my living room right now. You can look forward to weekly updates as I work my heart out on the weekends. I personally LOVE reading blogs with weekly progress on the same room so I am hoping that this is fun for you too. Let’s get right to it! Some living room updates:

note, affiliate links are used

I got new pillows! Well, I guess that I should say I got new pillow covers. I have decided that I will buy pillow covers and so when I get sick of pink (or want to change it up seasonally), I can switch it out without much storage. So the inserts are from Joann’s and the pillow covers are from Etsy from this seller. I got the 18″x 18″ single sided option for $15.99 each. Ok, so let’s be transparent, these pillows are a knock-off of the Caitlin Wilson City Maze pillow (although a lighter pink that works better for my house). I am always looking for the look for less (her version comes in a 20″x20″ pillow cover for $60 EACH) and I just couldn’t stomach paying SO much even though it is beautiful. Craziness! The pillow covers I got are actually great quality and nice and thick. They took 3 weeks to arrive.

A new lamp. I have mentioned that the corner by my sofa is super dark. One day I was at Target buying items for a work photo shoot and saw this lamp. It was perfect for my work project, but I got thinking- “this is perfect for my living room!” So $30 later, I bought it for myself :). It is really nice to have now that the days are shorter and it gets dark so early. When you get to the top of the stairs, the only light switch goes to this lamp. Before you would have to walk across the dark room to get to the main light switch.

The walls are now a beautiful white!!! I spent two weekends painting my living room the wrong white and then the right white (which I chronicle here). It is so much lighter and brighter in here, I love it!!! Painting is a pain (especially with a baby- I only work on the blog during naps. It’s tiring!), but it feels updated and one step closer to my vision. Hip hip hooray!!!

I have some more design direction! So one of the unexpected things with having this blog is that I have really be focusing on my house- how it works, how it doesn’t, how it can improve. I’ve learned a lot! I see photos on Instagram and Pinterest and I think- I should do that! So let’s get into specifics… Since I posted my Living Room Dreams and Plans, I have added some things to that list (and taken some off). First off, I think having a small home office in the corner of our living room would be adorable! And functional. Right now half of the baby’s closet is filled with a filing cabinet and printer. It’s super inconvenient, plus, the space where I would put a small desk and shelves in the living room is dead space (currently occupied with a baby jungle gym :)). I would also really like to add some molding. I am thinking chair molding and then picture molding above and below the chair molding. That is next weekend’s plan (!!!). I would also like to add some vertical decorations, specifically a faux deer head above my console. I am also considering re-upholstering my side chair cushions with some black and white stripe fabric I have. It is outdoor material and cleans SO easily and the linen that it currently has is starting to look scary. Some inspiration photos for your viewing pleasure:
All images can be found on my Pinterest Board:
Follow At Home with Ashley’s board Living Room Ideas on Pinterest.

Let’s finish this post with a before and progress shot (I have so much to add to call it an after shot! But we’re getting there!)

What did you work on last weekend? Any new design direction for your house?