Adding a little color to life ~ my living room makeover. . . . . . . .

Confession time again!  

I was not happy with the white slip covers I had dyed earlier
 this year. In fact I was downright depressed.

I expected medium grey and they were more like dark, dull, dreary navy, 

appearing almost black in the evening light. This room is dark to begin
 with as it faces due north with no direct sun, despite a wall of windows.

The longer I looked at them the more I knew they had to go!
Needed to replace that old, too heavy to move, sleeper-sofa anyway. It was
 donated to a family who could use it . . . . . . . and we shopped for a warm
 mid-grey velvet traditional English roll arm sofa and found this one from
 Drexel Heritage.

So, over the summer months I was busy making some changes to my
 living room at the cottage. . . . . . . . . . . .and new upholstery started here!

The previous 'shabby white' slip covered chairs have been reupholstered.

I shopped for a good quality fabric for my big, comfy easy chair and footstool,

as this chair (Henredon) gets a lot of use.

I knew I wanted to put blues with the grey velvet and am still amazed

 at myself for choosing an animal print which I had not considered.

 When I found this print it was not the classic colorway for a leopard print. 

 In grey-blue/black on a natural creamy background, it just leapt out at me!

 I fell for it, especially as it's an excellent quality fabric.

I bought a yard and took it to the furniture store where the sofa was displayed,

and my decision was made - it was to be my fun print in the room.

When it comes to decor and changing things one lives with day after day, it takes

 a leap of faith. . . . . . . . .especially these days, the ones I call the 'trendy days' in
decorating, fashion, food, whatever. So many choices in everything, but little really 
built to last.

~ Daylight ~

I know indigo blue is 'trending' and I do love it, however I didn't want anything 
that dark. I knew the blues I was searching for were the ocean colors,
 aquamarine, turquoise, teal, Aegean, cerulean.
 Gold goes well with these shades whether in mirrors, picture frames, pillows,
 lamps and other accessories, all of which I already have.

~ Evening light ~

I know my style is eclectic. I enjoy a mix of traditional, a touch of industrial,
older inherited bits and bobs from grandmother and mother, small
 antiques especially from France, with thrift shop finds, and Anthropologie dishes
 and candles thrown in.

Where does one start making changes when living in a small, older home?

We may not be in this house forever, it's that aging thing which hangs over 

people in our group, so we hesitate to do much more requiring major remodeling 

and huge expense. Now it's more basic upkeep with some refreshing of space
 and elements.

So, these changes initially revolved around the sofa. I wanted a new one which

 didn't require slip covers, was open to the floor for easy cleaning (Swiffer I love you),
 was elegant but comfy, velvet, and grey. It also had to fit our small space.

My new pillows are an eclectic mix and probably will change now and then

 with the season.

The two large grey ones on the sofa I had made from a length of beautiful

 cut velvet fabric purchased from a dealer at ScreenDoor in Asheville, NC 

several years ago. The blue velvet edged in linen was a great find at
 HomeGoods, the gold toile with ribbon trim I made a long time ago.
 The plain grey velvet on my leopard chair is from IKEA some years back. 
The fabulous bright gold velvet Jacobean print I found recently at World Market
  - personally I think it makes the room, and all who've seen it have
 commented on it.
To top things off I found the cozy fringed throw in the perfect color
 at HomeGoods.

Another view - I was trying different pillow combos!

My other chair, Chippendale style, (Bob, has his leather recliner)

then needed to be clothed in one of those lovely blues.

  The fabric I chose is a heavy chenille velvet and I'm really pleased with how that

 chair turned out. It too is quite old, but made by Hickory here in North Carolina,

and will probably hold up longer than me! 

I've now had a couple more pillows made with leftover chenille fabric
including this neat little roll pillow for my back.

The space is a lot different from the previous look which I'd grown
 a bit tired of, and those white slip covers were so much work!
I do love color and enjoyed pulling the room together
with this new look.

What do you think? 
Should I paint the walls, add a rug? 
We do actually add a hearth rug in winter.
Should I hang more art above the sofa?
Feedback is always appreciated.

I'm not aiming for 'house beautiful' - just cottage comfortable
where I feel content watching a movie, reading a book, knitting
 on a winter evening.
So far it's all working for me. Just bring on the chilly evenings. . . . .I can't 
wait to light a roaring fire in the hearth.

Collard Pottery - blue stands the test of time. . . . . .

Soon I'll share some changes in decor at the cottage.

Meanwhile, digging through stored items - no room to display all the
 'treasures' at one time - I decided to give these two beautiful English
 pottery jugs a prominent place on the mantel so I can enjoy 
their lovely blue hues.

They have been in hiding far too long. They were my dear mother's and
 two special things I brought back across the pond from the house when she died. 

They are Collard earthenware from Honiton, Devon, a lovely small town 
 (also known for handmade lace) about a 45 minute drive from my childhood home. 

 Handmade and painted, all pieces - such as my two jugs in Collard's highly
 regarded Jacobean motif - were created by just 30 artists employed from 1920
 until the pottery was forced to close at the start of the Second World War in 1939.
 The workers were either called up to join the armed forces, or involved in some
 other wartime occupation. Owner Charles Collard and his daughter Joan
 maintained the pottery property throughout the war years and reopened in
 October 1945. Once back in production, Collard sold the pottery and retired
 in 1947 at age 73. He continued to make pottery in his garden kiln until losing
 his sight in later years, but stayed active until his death at age 95 in 1969. He was 
actually born and died in my hometown of Torquay.
From a news report I discovered that Joan celebrated her 100th birthday in 2015,
 but haven't been able to find out if she is still living.

Because there are some lovely shades of blue in these jugs I am finding them 

perfect to display with my new look for the living room. . . . . . . and of course 

they do bring happy memories of my mother, including her often heard words such

as, "Mary, dust the jugs carefully, don't drop them".

Both pieces are back stamped, the small one being Shape 27, and the large

Shape 34.

I have always been interested in the Jacobean motif, especially in needlework.

 Later I'll share my one and only crewel work embroidery piece. . . . . . done

 in the long ago days of good eyesight and I suspect more patience!