The Front Room

Growing up, my Grandma always referred to the living room (usually at the front of the house) as the front room.  Only she said it quickly so it sounded more like "fronchroom."  Well in our house now we actually have a fronchroom, and that's what I've taken to calling it, smiling and thinking of Grandma every time.

It really does best describe it, because we have a sunken living room at the back of the house where we do our t.v. watching, lounging, etc., but then at the front of the house when you first walk in, we have this huge semi-problematic room , which we had been calling the dining room. It's actually the loveliest room in the house with towering vaulted ceilings and archways, but we've discovered it's really too big to be just a dining room.  Plus we aren't the kind of people to have a huge formal dining room that never gets used.

This front room has been troubling me since we moved in.  I've been quite stuck about what exactly to do with it.  There's a light in a strange spot, big windows, and wood laminate floors that add to the echo of the high ceilings.  Up until recently it just contained a big 8-seater dining room table and an oversized armchair in an opposite corner.  There has been no rugs, no curtains, and no good use of space, so it was really just a huge hallway to the rest of the house that we never used and only liked at Christmastime when the giant tree filled up the space.

It really seemed like it should contain two seperate areas, one for dining, and one for conversation, so that's what we finally did. The inspiration for the room really came 2 summers ago when my brother and now sister-in-law came to visit.  She is an interior designer and helped me pick out some art work and accessories to lend a color scheme and some general direction.  The blank walls were making me crazy, and it felt better to get started, but it's been a slow work in progress until now.

So, since it's been a while since I've done a house update, here are some before and after pics of the now lovely and usable front room, including fall decorations of course.

Our front room when we bought the house.  Note the very high ceilings and light very close to the wall.  I think they must've had a small, round table there at some point

That same spot now!

The light is still in an awkward spot, so it's on our short list of things we still need to do to get a better light fixture, something more dramatic, and have it moved so it's centered above the table.  It's a much better use of that space though, and I think we'll get a floor lamp for the corner by the window so that end of the table is not too dark in the meantime.

Entryway into rest of the house before

Same spot now!

Front window area before

The same area now, complete with a Buddy photo bomb!

We really liked the ottoman, but then it made a coffee table difficult in the space so we centered it under the window, and we actually really like it.  It is a great place to set snacks or put down a drink if you're sitting in the chair or the chaise.  I still want to add straw baskets underneath the table for storage and to bring in a natural element.  This is such a cozy spot now, and we actually just sat and talked and played a game on the floor the other night.  It's so nice to be using the room finally.

Now these guys are probably my favorite part.  The upholstered chairs help bridge the gap between the dining and the sitting areas, but also help to define the two separate spots along with 2 rugs.  The best part is they can be added to the ends of the table to seat eight.  They were on sale at World Market, and I just adore them and the little $24.99 table I got at Home Goods for a drink perch between them.

They even have nailhead trim on the back to match the nailhead trim on the ottoman.

Buddy was clearly not going to be left out of this reveal.

So here's the whole room from the stairs to give you an idea of the two separate areas.  A few other things left on the to do list are a bookcase or buffet on that empty wall between the two areas with photographs and accessories, a floor lamp for the corner by the chaise. an aqua pillow for the chaise for a pop of coordinating color, and photographs for added personality (confession: the frame on the coffee table still has the generic Pier1 photo that came with it - ridiculous).

As you know I am Christmas crazy, and one of the first things I loved about this house was the fact that I could put up a gigantic Christmas tree in this room.  So don't you worry, I've thought it all out.  The 12 foot tree, or as my husband refers to it, overkill, usually goes in the corner where the chaise is. When that time comes, the upholstered chairs will be at the table, and the chaise will be moved where they are now, angled to face the tree.  You better believe I plan many a design decision in my house around the holidays. I got it from my mama.

Since I have also inherited my mother's need to tell you what major deals I scored, here's a rundown:

• Wool chevron rug, jute rug, and chaise from Overstock.com at seriously 70% off original prices and delivery is $2.95 no matter what you order. What?!?
• Upholstered dining chairs at World Market that just happened to be 30% off the day I walked in.  Meant to be.
• All for good prices at various times along the way at Home Goods:  Ottoman, both side tables, art work, vases, acorns, and table runner on dining table - If I could marry Home Goods, I would.
• Aqua chevron lamp - $30 at Steinmart
• Aqua curtains - $15 a panel at World Market
• Blue/Gray curtains - $12 a panel at Target!
• Curtain rods - $50 total at Garden Ridge - a recent addition to our town, in which I could wander for hours.  
• The dining table and 6 chairs are from Potato Barn a while back, a local place full of eclectic furniture. I don't remember how much exactly, but I know it was reasonable.
• The big chair in the corner I've had since we lived in WI.  As you can see, it is one of the dogs' favorite places, so it was looking a little sad.  I restuffed the back cushion and cleaned it really well using this pinterest tip.  Voila!  We were going to get rid of it, but I'm so glad I tried this first cause it's like a whole new chair.
• The coffee table used to be in the living room, but I spilled nail polish remover all over the top.  So for now a cute stack of books covers that spot, but soon I would like to paint just the top a bright aqua.

Any projects going on at your house or great finds you'd like to share?