Mastering the Master

A bedroom should make you happy.  It should be an escape from the hustle and bustle of work and stress, a retreat where you can go and find tranquility and peace.

This was our master bedroom before we moved in...

And this was our master right after we moved in - sleeping on a mattress and living out of a suitcase.

Needless to say, something needed to happen! First, Darren ripped up the carpet.

Time to paint!  We went with Behr's Elephant Skin on the walls and Ivory Mist on the the trim - and we

love it.

Next, wood floors...

TADA!!

New furniture...

In love with the mirror we found...

We changed up the bedding just a bit...

We purchased a bench to go in front of our bed - it really brought everything together.  We thought we were going to recover the bench but we now think the print brings an excellent contrast to our room. 

So, back-to-back...

Before:

After:

Even Bronco is happy with our new room. :)

We are not finished with what we want to accomplish in our room and we plan to continue looking for inspiration.

Mama's House

How cute is my mama's house?  Her house totally reminds me of a quaint bed and breakfast. 

 I have always admired her creative touch and these few pictures really capture her keen sense of home design. She is constantly adding new finds to her vignettes - anywhere from Pottery Barn to Home Good to thrift stores.

Choosing an Accent Color

Our living room has been 'in-progress' ever since we moved in last October.  We are anxious to get it wrapped up so we can come home and enjoy this living space comfortably together - finally!

Here is a picture of the living room before we bought the house:

Here are some pictures of the living room after my husband ripped up the carpet and we starting painting the walls - from ugh yellow to classic white.

 (art nook in living room)

We wanted the entrance to our bedroom to pop so we painted the walls the same color as our bedroom and replaced the pre-existing wall sconce with this rugged wall sconce from home depot - it was a steal! 

The frame on the floor was an open back frame we purchased from Hobby Lobby half-off, then repainted with a bad white paint job.  We will find the perfect print to eventually place inside.  

My husband finished placing the wood and floors just in time for the arrival of our new couches.  our couches that arrived from Ashley Furniture and they are just what we were looking for - affordable, comfortable and classy. Now, it's time to get busy on the living room furniture and decor. 

The sofa and loveseat were just what we were looking for - affordable, comfortable and classy.

Now, it's time to get busy on the living room furniture and decor.

At first, we wanted to do all white accents to mellow out the khaki couches. But, after my sister and brother-in-law gave us this fabulous house warming gift, we can't resist using red as our main accent color. 

Isn't it gorgeous! They found it at Estancia Home in Lakeway, TX. 

 The next step on our list for the living room will be the window treatments.  We decided to forego plantation-type blinds as we did in our other rooms and go straight for curtains.  We would love to find something like the Simone Drape from Pottery Barn...

And finally, here are some living room design ideas I am loving right now...