6.17.2009

a touch of blue

When we moved into our little house 2 years ago, I was so thankful that the previous owner had exposed and refinished the hardwood floors and chose great colors to paint the walls. I fell in love with the green walls in the kitchen...perfect for bright red accents! The living room walls are a pale yellow, which I don't mind, but with our stuff in the room, it just wasn't doing anything for me. I had this idea of removing most of my neutral tones and adding little touches of blue around the room. I had a few things around the house that I brought together--a blue throw, bird eggs, old blue books, and a great poster of the Puget Sound. I really like how it turned out!

I got this 5' x 8' rug on clearance at Pottery Barn a few years ago. It contains so many colors and serves as a great palette. I'm glad I was able to use what I already had to do this little make-over.

This was my friend, Emily's idea. We found this map of the Puget Sound awhile back in a little town called La Conner. She has one just like it that her dad cut into pieces and backed with foam board. I thought this was a great idea! However, when I got it home, it was much too long to fit above my mantel and I didn't have any spare walls besides. I tucked it away for future use.

The other night, I wondered if the map would fit above the fireplace if I trimmed off the top and bottom edges...it did! I backed it with foam board and, instead of fastening it to the wall, I just leaned it up against the wall.

Here are a few things I gathered from around the house.


I love walking into my living room now. It feels so bright, so fresh!

11 comments:

Monica said...

Nice work!!! I feel like I'm reading something from Real Simple!

emyann said...

I love it! Very chic!

Cottage Mommy said...

Looks lovely Jenny! I love the soft shades of blue you used! I would love to see a picture of your living room in it's entirety though...hint, hint!

~nanashouse~ said...

How fast can you get here? I'm in a super rut :-( Of course, I have a super smart girl living right under my roof that could transform my room in a minute (hint)

Love, love, love it Jen! You have always loved blue. Kudos.

Pamela said...

I love taking objects from around the house or in storage and making a new fresh design. Your stuff looks great.I love the map, what a great idea!

Jenny said...

Courtney,

...or you could just come on over! :)

Jessica said...

What a beautiful way to add color to your room. I'm in the process of adding some bright green to my neutral brown living room. You've given me some great ideas.

Thanks!!

American Homemaker said...

Looks great :)

Sandy said...

Jenny, love it! Hey, can you email me when you have time, I have a quick question for you ? :))

sandy

Diane said...

So lovely! I, too, have some blue books grouped together in my living room and a robin's egg wreath on my door. And I juuust posted about our new blue bedroom. Love the look you've created!

Susan Holt Simpson said...

Hey! I love the blue eggs and especially the map - I'm crazy for old maps!