Ready. Set. Action!!

The living room.  Or maybe you call it the family room.  In my house, it's just one room.  There aren't options for hanging out together in my small home. 

No basement...no bonus room....no living room AND family room...no play room.

There is one room in my home that holds all the action.

When you walk in my front door....you are there.  No secrets to unfold as you move through my house, you can pretty much see everything from this one room.  But I don't mind. 

It's where Doodle and her friends play the Wii, where sleepovers happen and where movies are watched.  It's where I read a book, where the neighbor and I chat, and where crafts are done.  It's where the cats sleep...and sometimes where I sleep. ;)

We call it the living room....but it could be called the gathering room, the family room...the ACTION room.  And this is mine...

It's one of the reasons I love small homes.  Families don't have a choice but to spend time together.  They can't easily go off to rooms on the other side of the house and be alone.  The other side of my house is right through that sliver of doorway you see to the right. :)

It might go against what you would think, to see a sectional in a small living room.  But I knew from the minute I walked into this house, a sectional would fit perfectly in this room!  Oh, and by the way, this is what my living room looked like when I did walk through that door....

Yikes....the 80's called and they want their pinkish purple walls, dark fake wood moldings, brass and SPINDLES back!!

Yes...spindles people!!  Between the living room and kitchen...and for good measure...between the kitchen and the laundry room!

I didn't have a sectional to put in this room, so I had to use what I had.  I envisioned an updated Granny's cottage.  So, this is what I created using what I had at that time...

Just fyi, I did plan on painting that cute little wicker table so it didn't stick out like a sore thumb. :)

It was such an adorable room!!  But not functional.

The layout was strange.  It made tv watching difficult.  (Which was on the opposite wall from the couch by the way).

I've learned quickly that in a small home, every room must function WELL. 

So, I started rearranging and redecorating not long after moving in and setting the rooms up.

This worked for awhile, but I still couldn't stop dreaming of a sectional for this area.  Sunday movie night, one of us was always sitting up in the chair....and that someone was usually me. :\

Sectionals are EXPENSIVE people!!  The only way I was going to get a sectional was Craigslist! 

So, I started selling off stuff I didn't need anymore on, you guessed it...Craigslist!!  I'd put the money in an envelope marked "Sectional".  It didn't take me long to come up with about $700 and I just kept my eyes on Craigslist.  Quickly my sectional showed up for the right price!!!  With a pullout bed at that!!! 

I would have preferred to stick with my sage green...but when you have a tight budget and are relying on Craigslist....compromise is a must.  So neutral would have to do! :)

I have lots of tidbits about this room  that I'm so excited to share with you!  But so as not to write a novel in one single post, I'll just leave you with pictures of my current living room set up...which will change....often. LOL

Until next time....