SUMMER 2019 LIVING ROOM TOUR

My first home tour! Summer is my favourite season, so I’m happy this is my first tour to share with you. Today I’ll be taking you for a browse around my living room. Let’s take a look, shall we?

I like to keep my house livable, so you generally won’t find artistically draped blankets, or elaborate table decor in high traffic areas day to day. I tried to keep these photos true to what my house looks like every day. Yes, it is this clean nearly every day (I’ll level with you guys, I vacuum and wipe down every surface on the daily). I don’t have kids, and Buddha (my sister’s cat) is a pretty tidy houseguest.

In the summer, I like to decorate with a loose beach theme. Living in the Okanagan, I lean more towards a lake theme vs. seaside decor, and the best places I’ve found lake decor are Homesense, Winners, and Marshalls. They’re all owned by TJX, so you can typically find a lot of the same things in each store – this is handy when you’re looking for multiples.

These beaded strands are big this year, they look nice draped around pretty much anywhere. I love that this one has tassels. I found it in a local dollar store!

The top of this dresser is one of my favourite spots to decorate.

I’ll go into more detail on flower arranging in future posts, but for now I’ll say this – artificial flowers have come a long way. And if you’re a plant killer like me, you should definitely give them a try. My favourite places for artificial flowers are Michaels, Homesense, Amazon and Afloral. Afloral is my favourite, however it is a U.S. company and the shipping cost is VERY high if you live in Canada, so watch for that before you place your order. It’s also in USD, so use google to convert your currency to CAD and see if it’s worth it for you.

I’ve collected many Bath & Bodyworks candles over the years, and I swap them out with the seasons. I really like the labelling, and after I’ve burned the candles down, I clean out the jars and use them for storage. You can also find pretty candle holders at Bath & Body – that’s where this seashell pedestal is from.

This dresser was passed down to us from Tristan’s side of the family, and I never get tired of it. We’ve had it for years and it always seems to work no matter where I put it. Also when you live in an apartment, storage is so important. Most of my furniture has space for storage!

I thought about painting it when we first got it, but I am so glad I didn’t. I love painted furniture, but this dresser does not need it.

I actually just purchased these couch cushions last week at Homesense, and I am so happy with them. I had been looking for good quality, ‘grown up’ feather filled cushions, and these were EXACTLY what I was after. They match my sectional so perfectly you’d think they came with it! They cost more than cushions stuffed with polyester filler, but the pros far outweight the price tag: they last longer, they’re more comfortable, and you can ‘chop’ them, if you like. They also come with removable covers so they’re easy to keep clean! The white cushions were $39.99 for a set of 2, and the blue cushions were $24.99 each.

Another great find from Winners. This framed sailboat canvas was a steal at just $39.99.

I get a lot of compliments on my dining table set, so in case you were wondering, it’s from Jysk, here in Kelowna. It was roughly $800 for the table, 5 chairs, and a bench. They don’t have this exact set anymore as it’s a few years old, but they have a comparable one that is very similar in style and price. I keep our table very minimally decorated, as we eat here about 5 out of 7 nights a week.

Earlier this year I created an office space in my living room so I would have a place to sit and blog, and I have to say, it’s been awesome!

It’s helped me (and my back!) to transition to work mode when I sit here to type instead of hunched over on my couch.

Our overhead lamp wasn’t here when we moved into this apartment. I actually purchased this from Homesense, and gave it a massive overhaul. It used to be black, with no shade, and was filled with dangling plastic crystals! Not exactly my style. Moral of the story: don’t be so quick to overlook something that might not be exactly what you want. A little paint and some ingenuity, and you can make something into, well, anything!

Another Bath & Body candle. This one is a 2019 edition so it’s probably still available! It smells heavenly.

As beautiful as artificial flowers can look, there’s no comparing to the real thing. Here’s another rule to live by – buy yourself flowers! I regularly pick up a bouquet at the grocery store when I’m shopping alone. Friends are always surprised by this, but honestly it’s so lovely to wake up to fresh flowers on your nightstand, or to walk into your kitchen and see them on the counter. You are a strong, independent woman – and you deserve fresh flowers!

Back to the tour – this candle holder is also from Bath & Body, and it’s so fun! I love bringing it out every summer.

I love a good side bar. Tristan had this cube shelf before we got together, and I’ve put it to use behind our dining table. One day I hope to have a true side bar, but for now this works! Open shelving looks so beautiful, but it has one downside – So. Much. Dust. When I eventually get my dream side bar, I’d love for it to have glass doors!

Instead of only hanging photos, try placing them on a table or shelf, leaning against the wall. It adds a bit of interest behind table decor, and using items with different heights makes your decor look more polished and put together.

I get a lot of comments on my dining room hutch, and you guys – I bought this for $75 at Share in downtown Kelowna. I still can’t believe what a steal it was. Time for a tip: Buy used furniture instead of new where you can. I wouldn’t buy a used mattress, but armoires and solid wood pieces like the dresser I pictured before, are usually better quality than new, and they have so much character! Plus it’s better for the planet, and saves perfectly good furniture from ending up at the landfill. I’ve painted and made over several pieces in our place including our coffee table, linen armoire, nightstands, my bedroom dresser, and my desk. Most of these pieces I got for free, some on the side of the road. There is free furniture all over this city – all you have to do is look!

These were table decor I made for our wedding! Most of it was from Weddingstar, and even if you’re not engaged yet (or don’t want to be), this website is chock full of gorgeous home decor! I can’t even admit how many orders I’ve placed with them (whatever you’re thinking, double it). Also – they’re a Canadian company, and their customer service is amazing. Every order came on time and in perfect order. Plus they almost ALWAYS have coupons.

And speaking of framed photos, and weddings – I have seen a big move away from framing your personal photos, and I am not here for it. I think using your own photos is a great way to make your house (or in my case, and maybe yours, apartment) feel like home.

I will write a post on this in the future, and share collage making tips, but I have 3 main rules for framing photos that I will share now.

1. Make collages using cohesive photos (think: all from one professional/semi-professional session).
2. Match the colours in your photos to the colours you use in your room.
3. NO framing selfies!

Photo print cushions are a fun way to add more colour to a room. This one was from Target when we had one here in Kelowna. I can’t be the only one that liked Target!? I miss the home decor!

I don’t know if you can tell, but the curtain on the left is actually hiding my A/C unit! Our A/C is… probably from the 80’s. It’s dark brown, and pretty unattractive. Thus, the curtain! When it’s not in use, anyway. You can hide anything with a well placed curtain, folks.

Can you tell I’m obsessed with sailboats yet?

No, this isn’t a real starfish. It sure looks real though!

A shelf I found at Homesense many years back. Still love it!

This clock actually started out mustard yellow. I painted it white, and added braided twine to give it a true nautical feel. If you find something that isn’t exactly what you want, think about what you can do to change it. Some of my favourite decor pieces are ones I’ve revamped!

I can’t forget my sectional! I get so much feedback on this thing, it’s insane. Sometimes when I post an item on Facebook Marketplace, I get people messaging me about my couch, not what I’m selling! This has happened not once, not twice, but four times guys. So, if you too have been wondering about it, it’s from Liquidation Furniture, right here in Kelowna. I can’t say enough good things about this company. All the furniture is made in Canada, the frames of the sofas and sectionals have a lifetime warranty, and you get to custom choose your cushion firmness, and fabric. I get a lot of flack for having a white couch, but 3 years later and it still looks like new, sooo – you be the judge! Of course, I don’t have kids or pets (besides temporarily Buddha), so choose your colour wisely. I chose model 2095. I can’t find the swatch online, but if you look in the book they have in store, it was the lightest creamy ivory they had. I’m pretty sure they had never had a request for it before, because they looked pretty shocked when I asked for it.

And that’s my living room! I hope you enjoyed this tour. If you’d like to see another room tour, drop me a comment with which room you’d like to see! And don’t forget to subscribe to my blog so you can receive email updates when I post. You can subscribe on the right!

xo,

Jamie