G'day my lovely blog friends, how is it out there?  I am sitting here nursing that old window back to life, boy oh boy I'm still on a junk high from that.  With my coffee this morning I reviewed lots of places for it and because of it's bulk and because it lends itself to hooks I've decided it will go in the hall, here, above the old dresser. 

Back to today and here I am again wowing you with the wonderful pictures of the open house of this old cottage (you can click on all photos to see them much larger)- to be honest since I found those photos on that old phone, I can't get enough of these reveal posts, talk about spurring me on for more projects..watch out Bunnings, here I come.

So with the Family Room Before please note the stunning doors, decor and floor. 

Look past that and see the light flooding in, the plain walls plus molding and floorboards, the DIY-er's dream

So as with the other rooms (dining room before/after here, sitting room before/after here) that needed serious help in this tatty old cottage we had a whole lot of work to do in this room.  I don't need to tell you how much I wailed and whinged.  Do I?  

So we cleaned, disinfected and prepped the walls and then painted everything in a simple standard white.  Next sanded, filled, varnished and sealed the floors.  So this was a blank canvas to work with. 

One of the things we liked about the cottage on that fateful Open House day was the little sitting room to the front separate from this Family Room at the back but I wanted to make this area nice also,not just a place for the kids to trash.  Though they often try.  And succeed.

I wanted it sectioned off somehow and to create a multi-functional living room with lots of places for us all to do the things we like to do.  First I used the big IKEA unit as a room divider but it didn't work at all, cut the room up, blocked the light and encumbered the flow.  But once I'd done that I knew the division needed to be lower down with furniture and rugs to maintain the light…

So I went for sofas to create a separate area.  I think these are the biggest splurge here at the Beach Cottage and lots of people have asked me if I am totally off my head buying white leather sofas with 3 children and more are my kids or guests alowed to move?  Well now, I'm not sure if I'd buy these again, not because of the colour but more because of the leather - I have been very used with our other sofas to pulling the covers off every few months or so and shoving them in the washing machine.  Can't quite get away with that with leather.  

I wanted a blend in this area of mix and match textures – wood, wicker, linen and leather all work wonderfully together…so next I added the rug to the floor to create a distinct section and I found a coffee table on the side of the road to contrast the clean feel of the leather with the old weathered coastal chic look of the table.  And added a couple of side tables either side of the sofas and the old whitewashed oars to the wall to integrate more natural textures and that laid-back nautical vibe. 

The computer area is a new addition, so that the kids homework and the like is kept in the family zone and means the study is now all mine.  There are wicker baskets underneath and in the unit for the kids to fill with their stuff and to add warmth and tradition to all the white

I recently added the old vintage table tucked behind one of the sofas – I found it like this, a soft grey/blue with that old faded patina from vintage furniture softened over the years and peppered with peely paint and general shabbiness.  I've done nothing to except clean and disinfect.  I popped an old vintage suitcase on the bottom for some character and use the top of the table for various vignettes when I'm playing Beach Cottages  

I cried again at the patio door, not only did I and do I still hate it, it was doubly worse because I don't think it had ever been cleaned.  I spent days, not hours cleaning it, the layers of grime in the runner where it opened had to be chipped out with a screwdriver and the architrave was scrubbed with a toothbrush to wash away the sun-caked dirt.  Nice.  
Here's how lovely the door looked before complete with ever so stylish non-smoking sign :-0

To conceal the patio doors ladies, which I am hoping will be in a skip in the next few months, yeeeeeeehaaaaawww, I added the usual Beach Cottage window treatement, double layer curtains from IKEA.   

I like white flowers and at the moment touches of green on the coffee table and in old tin cans on the side tables…oh and of course, heaps of candles and tealights

you can find more Family Room goings-on here, and here plus see the before plus a step-by-step of the blue side table here 

sofas: Freedom   rug: IKEA   table: side of road painted in Dulux Antique White   unit:  IKEA Expedit   vintage chairs:  all thrifted      lantern: Target   white metal pail:  Target   poles:  IKEA   drapes:  (white) IKEA Lenda  (unbleached) IKEA Aina   computer table:  old side table painted with Dulux Whisper White    lamps:  Vinnies + Target shades   throw: IKEA    votive holders:  glasses covered with burlap from coffee sacks  light fitting:  IKEA   oars:  garage sale   pillows: garage sale + beach shop   candle holder:  IKEA   burlap bucket bag: made by me, tutorial here

check ya later girls, guess where I'm going?  

back to my new Beach Cottage baby of course, the old vintage window

blogged for Kimba's DIY marathon