The great room's getting a new look - in progress

We've been in our Virginia home for going on three years now. And in that time, I've done nothing to decorate my great room. All of the furniture in it came from our previous Pennsylvania home, during a time when my tastes were very dark.

We had a collection of black wood, brown leather and chocolate upholstery in this room. And since moving here, I've wanted to ditch it all and start fresh. Of course, two things stood in my way: cost to replace it all, and vision. I just didn't know what I wanted to do in that room. Maybe its the size. It's a very large two-story room, with huge walls that feel like ginormous blank canvases!

I still don't know what to do with the walls, but recently I've made some progress on changing the look - brightening it up and adding some color!

I purchased a new white sectional! I know what you are thinking - white??? With a little kid and dog? Believe me, I will be vigilant about everyone eating in the kitchen and keeping food, drinks and other stain-inducing activities out of the great room! Last night we watched a movie, and I made Saxon eat popcorn on the floor! At any rate, I love it for a couple of reasons. It creates a more intimate seating arrangement. Before, we had a couch against this wall, and a loveseat against the side wall. This room was too big for an against-the-wall arrangement - but my hubs has a thing for wanting the furniture against the walls. Now, we are forced to sit closer, and the two little chairs against the wall can be pulled in if necessary.

I also love the white sectional because it allows the orange colors in the rug and pillows to pop! I love bright colors and will be bringing more of it into this room with smaller decorative items. The yellow dog looks pretty too, doesn't she?

This big painting has to go, too. It was fine when it hung over the love seat, but now it dwarfs the new console table. So, I'll be taking it down and hanging these three mirrors above. Love them - they're made from reclaimed barn wood!

I hope to enlist the help of hubby this weekend. Currently I'm a bit incapacitated with this!

The sectional came with a super large ottoman! I moved it against the wall for extra seating. I plan to put some more colorful pillows on it. I'm even considering buying another to put on the other side of the entertainment unit. Which brings me to the eye-sore in the room...

I'm considering what to do with the entertainment unit. It's entirely too dark for this room. But, I do like the shelving that allows me to display my collection of pottery. At first I thought I might paint it. But, now I am thinking I will sell it, and get a taller media cabinet - and have the TV hung over it on the wall. And I'd like to have floating shelves hung over each ottoman. Here's my vision...

I quickly created this mock-up in Olio Board. If you haven't checked out Olio Board yet, you must! It's a cool site where you can upload your own photos, or search thousands of brands of furniture and home decor, to create your own rooms.

And for right now, the horse canvas I created in this past month's craft club (here's the tutorial on how to make your own canvas from a photo) is living on the fireplace mantel.

The room is headed in the right direction - but still feels like it needs a bunch of work to get it right. We'll keep plugging away at it, and when I make additions or changes, I'll be sure to update the blog!