Recently, we have started the renovation of our Connecticut home, Foxhill House. Today, I wanted to give you a glimpse of our living room and share the new Serena and Lily coffee table that I just added to the space.

THE FIXER UPPER…

Before we get into the living room, I wanted to introduce our home to you. Foxhill House is a 1942 center hall colonial and when we purchased her, she was the home in the neighborhood that needed the most work. I don’t know if we are gluttons for punishment, or we just fall in love with those diamonds in the rough—but we bought her wounds and all. I fell in love with the original charm. Hardwoods in great condition, beautiful millwork, French doors, built-ins with dental molding—the list goes on. The list of things not so great also goes on, but that’s the part of the challenge. It’s going to be fun putting some shine on her again.

THE PROJECTS…

We have plenty of projects on the horizon, two additions, bathroom and kitchen remodels, porticos, patios and lots of interior design projects for every room. Here we go again…our last home we completely remodeled top to bottom on the inside. Our Midwest home was featured in Better Homes and Gardens, and my projects and a Christmas Home Tour in BHG sister publications and a few other mags.

For Foxhill House, we are starting with the immediate needs like a new furnace/central air, electrical panel and wiring—the boring stuff you don’t see. Also, we are starting to tackle the exterior. The outside is starting to get its overhaul to add more architectural interest and curb appeal. The painters just finished on the painting the siding, doors, and shutters. I’ll share progress on that soon.

THE APPROACH…

This is not going to be quick before and after, just a real time account. There’s a lot to do here, and I am enjoying taking my time, being intentional and thoughtful with every detail, and my fabric and wallpaper samples are starting to shape what I envision for the interiors here. Also, researching the right contractors that care about fitting the home accurately has been a project in itself. Basically we aren’t rushing a thing, because this is were we hope to stay for the long haul.

So, now that you know the background, let’s get a first glimpse on the living room progress. Here is how the living room looked when we purchased the home…

The Befores

L I V I N G R O O M

Like many New England colonial homes, this one has a long living room and lower ceilings. As you can see, it was very yellow and tired. The previous owners removed the wall from the kitchen to the living room and that helps with flow and more open space. Here’s where we are today…

The Progress

L I V I N G R O O M

FIRST THINGS FIRST…

The first thing I wanted to address was furniture layout. Since the room is narrow and longer than it is wide, I wanted to break it up and anchor the main seating area on the fireplace. To add symmetry, I designed box moldings around the fireplace. Grasscloth wallpaper and a nice coat of white on everything, (one of my favorite whites—Benjamin Moore Simply White), and it already looked brighter and made more sense. The molding boxes floor to ceiling actually trick the eye a bit and make the room look a little taller. Not much, but they do help!

FURNISHINGS

I actually like how homes evolve and needs change as your life changes. We have really tall kids. Our college bound son, is 6’6” so we went with a deep-seated and longer sofa that still worked with the space. White sofas with slip-covers are my favorite, so it’s nice to pop off the covers when needed and give them a wash.

The coffee table just arrived last Friday and I love it. I wanted a simple parsons design to break up the traditional walls and details. Living in New England, the coast and sea influence a lot of my choices these days, so I went with the light blue linen painted table from Serena & Lily. It’s a beautiful sea blue and the subtle texture is lovely. Also, it comes in a larger square size, but I needed something smaller scale for this space.

I’m still waiting on a pair of chairs, so I’ll share those when they get here.

Shop my Living Room

I’ll link to a lot of these items in the shopping links and at the end of the post for you, but I wanted to link this Chinoiserie candle from Southern Bungalow Co. here. Isn’t that cute?! I love that it’s a candle and decor I’ll want to keep in my home once the candle is used up.

The rug is a temporary purchase that was under $200 just because we just got our golden, Scout, at Christmas. I wasn’t sure how a really great quality rug would fare with a new puppy in the house. I don’t mind it for now and I”m not worried if it gets worn the next year as Scout is learning. It’s great for right now, but not what I really want to put in here eventually.

The good thing is Scout is not biting on our furniture and she is obeying pretty well now when we catch her on the furniture. So, full speed ahead to new chairs!

Besides painting the mantel and a new fireplace screen, the original fireplace is in great working condition and didn’t need much TLC. I love a real wood-burning fireplace, so this was a must for our Connecticut home. This fireplace mantel is actually one of my favorite traditional designs, so I’m not changing it. The malachite jars are definitely a color pop, but I can’t part with them. I do love a green moment, so I think they’ll stay a part of the room for a while.

I actually don’t care for TV’s above fireplaces, but there really isn’t a great place for one in here. Maybe I’ll spring for that Samsung that looks like art, but for now, the black box above the fireplace is staying right there or there would be a mutiny in our home. The natives wouldn’t have it!

I’ve been enjoying adding things to our living room off and on, and I’ll share the other side of the room soon. The bulit-ins are so great and add so much character. I’m still doing a bit more on that side of the room, so I’ll share that soon.

Living Room Check List

Wall paper, moldings, and paint

Curtains & shades

Sofa

Coffee table

Pair of chairs

Desk

Fireplace screen

Baskets for built-ins

Rug

Bar Cart

Table Lamps

Sconces

Sofa Pillows

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