[ seat with a view ]

PERHAPS it's because I'm a Pisces, but I'm always drawn to water. There's just something so relaxing about gazing out over sparkling water. My dream is to have a home with a water view someday but for now, I'm lucky to live a block away from Lake Ontario where I can enjoy this...

I love going out for a walk and making a stop at this little park. We're having some amazing late summer weather this week and all the more reason to linger a while on my favourite bench...

I love the dedication plaque on the bench. I think someday I'd like to donate a bench to the park so more people can pause a while and soak in that pretty view. Do you have a favourite spot you like to go to enjoy a view?

lisa

[ from free to fab ]

FIRST, thanks everyone for weighing in on my fireplace! It's good to know that we're all on the same page ~ that baby needs a paint job! I think it will make a huge difference in the room and actually make it feel a bit more spacious since it does seem to dominate the room right now.

In the meantime, I've been working on another little project this week. Since we're using our tufted ottoman in the family room, I've been on the hunt for a coffee table for the living room ~ on a budget. I decided to take a peek on Kijiji {Canada's alternative to Craigslist}. And you can't get a better deal than this...

Seriously, a FREE coffee table just waiting to be loved! I know, it wasn't looking too great in the ad but I could see it's potential. I liked the legs, the wicker bottom shelf and the bevelled glass top. 

I decided to give it a new life with Annie Sloan chalk paint. This was the first time using actual chalk paint ~ the last time I made my own {read about it here}. To be honest, it performed very much the same way as the homemade version. I was able to paint the entire table using only one sample pot...

I chose Pure White and got started. I didn't bother to sand ~ I just wiped it down first with a cleaning wipe. Here it is after one coat...

After a second coat, some sanding on the edges and a light coat of wax, it's done!

I love that it's the perfect size for the sofa and the glass top gives it a bit of lightness. The pure white will also look great when I dress the sofa with the white slipcover I made {read about it here}...

Not bad, huh? I'm super thrilled with the results and it was definitely worth the 20 minute drive to pick it up. 

Have you ever scored a freebie and given it new life?

lisa

[ family room before and after ]

TODAY I thought I'd give you a little peek at my family room. This is the BEFORE when we viewed the house with the seller's furniture...

As you can see, their taste was quite traditional. But it's a great family room addition that they added on and the windows on three sides flood the room with such beautiful light. {It's amazing how big this room looks in these realtor photos ~ those wide angle lenses they use are deceiving!}

I started out by painting over the yellow walls with Benjamin Moore Cloud White CC-40 ~ a warm white that provides just a bit of contrast from the white trim. In some photos, it almost looks the same as the original walls but trust me, that yellow is GONE! My thought was to paint the room more of a pure white, but then we bought this new slipcovered sofa that was a bit more of a warm white so that dictated the colour {it's also the same colour I painted the kitchen}...

I absolutely love this Rowe sofa ~ what a difference from the Laura Ashley fiasco we purchased in Dubai and I didn't have to sew my own slipcover for it! Bonus!

Here is how the room looks now {without a wide angle lens!}...

It's been fun unwrapping our things from storage and combining them with items from Dubai and a few new pieces. Those of you who have been around for a while will recognize bits and pieces. We spend most of our time in this room and so far are loving how cozy it feels, while still feeling fresh.

We picked up two of these gorgeous chairs from Muskoka Living in Port Carling...

I love how they fit in so well without being bulky, still have the slipcovered look and add warmth with the wooden frame. They're down-filled so they're super comfy. Because the sofa is big in this space, I'm glad I didn't choose the matching slipcovered armchairs ~ it would have felt too heavy and crowded.

Now we just need to address the fireplace situation. We decided to put the tv above the fireplace since there really wasn't any other logical spot for it. I think I may want to frame it out somehow so that it doesn't look like a big black rectangle on the wall.

But first, the biggest question is... should I paint out the fireplace in the white trim colour?

I'm leaning a certain way but it's always fun to hear what you think!

lisa