One of my very favorite things to do is fiddle around my house. I just go around, moving some things from this room to that, looking at things in storage for inspiration…it doesn’t cost a dime, and yet I feel like everything is suddenly new and fresh when I’m done. It always brings me joy. If I’m in a funk, this is guaranteed to pull me out. Sometimes things can feel a bit stale in our homes, and it amazes me how something as simple as switching out what’s on my coffee table will add some pep in my step.
Recently I fiddled around my family room (well, the whole first floor really, but we’ll get to that stuff in another post;). It was time to bring out some Summer-y touches anyway, so I dug around in storage, pulled out my seashells, and got to work.
I ended up moving some things around…like little tables and lamps and greens and such…
I switched my two floor lamps and realized the black floor lamp looks 100% better against the beige loveseat than it did against the grey chair…
…and the wood floor lamp looks so good paired with the grey chair now!
Who knew?! (I also swapped out the dark lampshade on the floor lamp for a white version – it’s lighter and brighter and feels more in season to me this way).
I used to have a grey table/desk in the corner by the loveseat, but my aunt gave me an old bench she was getting rid of and I love it as a side table now!
Speaking of side tables…I moved our garden stool that was over by the grey chair to a new spot by the couch…
…and I love its new home. Who says you have to use real side tables?! A bench and a garden stool can sometimes work juuuust fine.
I added some greens here there and everywhere…
…and seashells in a bowl with candles on the coffee table.
You can see in this photo above, that I used a throw blanket as a runner. It just brightens up the table and gives it a little life. At first I thought I was a little cooky for attempting it, but in the end, I like the looks of it, and it adds some layers and textures, which makes me happy. In the cold weather months, I have about 50 blankets and textures going on (slight exaggeration), and I love that about my winter house:), but in the summer, I streamline it a bit. I feel like my velvet-y and heavy sweater-y fabrics sometimes aren’t necessary when its 100 degrees outside. But runners are a great way to add another element while staying seasonal.
Also, those candles on the coffee table are all the same height – so to give it a little variation, I have one sitting directly on the bottom of the bowl, one on a tiny ramekin, and one on a bigger/taller ramekin. Get creative if you need to when it comes to stuff like that – no one’s gonna know, I promise! 😉
So that’s the family room…for now anyway! I’m sure it’ll change again, next time I have some time to fiddle around the house or the seasons change. I highly recommend shopping your house, and going from room to room and seeing if you can use this over there, or that over here. It’s free, it’s fun, and it breathes new life into your home. That sounds like a win-win-win to me:)
Happy fiddling!
(If you’d like to see the family room in other seasons, you can check out the Fall edition here, and the Christmas edition here)
Hi there! I’m Liz, a former teacher-turned-stay-at-home mom to three kids, with a passion to create a warm and inviting home on a budget. This blog all started when I’d put the babies down for a nap, and squeeze in a project during those precious couple of hours! My hope is that you visit this page and feel inspired to do a little “naptime decorating” of your own. Thank you so much for stopping by! 
I love it! So fresh and clean with little change can make all the difference! Thanks for the inspiration… I think I’ll do a little of the same! ❤
Thank you so much, Kim!
What a beautiful home! I just love everything about this room. You have a special knack for making things look so lovely and homely.
How sweet! Thank you, Karen! XO
GORGEOUS!! As always!!💜
Thanks so much, Cin!!
I love this room, sometimes i stop by just to take a look
😁
i did the same thing today….switched around the furniture, rugs, end tables.
Getting ready to (*gasp!) put the TV away for the summer. We’ll see how it goes. 😃
How do you store all your decor when not in use? Like, pillows, throws, seasonal, etc??a
Thanks, Amy! I have a bunch of those big plastic bins – and a hot mess of a laundry room where we store them! 😉 My husband always jokes that we could finish off that side of the basement if we didn’t have 10 bins of decor for every season – lol!!
Liz…..I love your house and what you have done with it!!! It looks amazing and very peaceful actually. I don’t know how you manage that one (the peaceful part) with 3 kids..hehe. I’m so happy little birdies told me about your website!! Can’t wait to explore your house and projects more!!!
Haha! Not so peaceful during the months of June, July, and August…lol! 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by the blog and great talking to you today!
Question, how are your chairs holding up? Are you still pleased with them after having them a while? I love them and need chairs for my living room makeover and I think they will fit perfectly but am a little nervous buying furniture without seeing it in person first but I’ve been furniture shopping for a while (we just bought a new couch) and haven’t seen anything else I like even close!
They are holding up well! Just this past weekend, my husband made a comment about having to tighten up the one he uses regularly – nothing major but just felt like it could use a little allen wrench action;) But overall, they’ve been great! And visually, they look EXACTLY the same – no wear or tear, and the color is so forgiving.
Hello! I’m wondering what your wall paint color is? Thanks!
It’s Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore. You’re very welcome:)
Where did you get your curtains?