This is a sponsored post is brought to you by CREE LED light bulbs.
Remember our intense and exciting discussion about the great change-up of 2015?
I was talking big.
Really big.
I was changing this room to that room and that room to this room….and so on.
And I did.
Let’s review.
The family room became the homework room.
I wanted this space to be an of an extension of the kitchen. I filled the bookcases with milk glass and baskets and stored school work supplies in those cabinets.
Now there was a space to do homework and crafts and still have a place for the family to eat dinner.
And play scrabble. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but there’s a pass-through that is located between the kitchen and the family room.
Which leads to this room.
The kitchen (prior to the change-up decorated for fall).
And here it is after the great change-up.
The goal was to create more of a keeping room. I moved in two of my favorite chairs and an ottoman into the room to create a hang-out space while I’m working in the kitchen. There’s a desk to the left where I pay bills and write notes and sign permission slips and write blog posts.
Which leads us to the library in the front which became the television room.
Here’s the library now.
I moved the television in here (you can see it a hint of it tucked into the bookcase on the left). This where we spent 47 of the last 48 hours watching March Madness with coffee and hot chocolate snuggled up next to the fireplace.
And this is the point in the story where you are thinking that the two rooms look remarkably the same. And where did she put those couches from the family room? And what happened to that giant coffee table? And didn’t I see the chairs from the kitchen in the master bedroom last week?
You are brilliant.
*sigh*
And so right.
You see…the whole change-up thing was going amazingly well and then it hit a snag.
Truth?
When I moved those couches into the new television room with its fireplace and blue curtains and imperfect table it looked so glumpy. The couches didn’t fit and they were the wrong color with the curtains and chairs weren’t the right proportion for the room and the space looked….well…it just looked wrong. But I was determined it was going to work. So we lived with it for 23.25 days until I couldn’t take all the glumpiness any more. And I realized that I would have to get all new furniture to truly make it work and then I remembered that I was on a budget and I had perfectly great furniture that worked in the space I already had and what was I thinking.
And so I moved it all back.
So I wanted to thank Cree because I learned something from the great change-up experiment.
Truly.
Thank you for the brilliant clear light.
Thank you for the way the light bulbs help me wake up my spaces every morning.
Thank you for the fact that I haven’t changed a bulb since I installed them all months ago (which is a really good thing because I spent all my time changing my rooms around).
And thank you, thank you dear Cree for helping me discover….
…. that I loved what I already had. 🙂
PS You can purchase CREE bulbs at your local Home Depo.
This sponsored post is brought to you by CREE LED light bulbs.
All opinions on light bulbs and room change-ups are completely my own.
Please see my disclosure page for more information.
you need to work on the show with Joanne & Chip Gaines ! so pretty !!
Glumpy. Gross meets lumpy ? No more glumpiness. Now it is beautimus. ;)
I'm so sorry that it didn't work out-I thought it looked wonderful. I was thinking to myself the entire time I was reading this post, "She's so lucky to be able to switch entire rooms like that!" Anything you do turns out amazing, so it was fun to see anyway!
I loved what you already had, too. But, then again, I love the new way, too. Just do whatever makes you happy. Joy. That is what it should be all about. And, you definitely shouldn't take rearranging room advice from me. Once I get something the way I want it, I leave it. I am not one that needs much change. But, I am always open to tweaking in my life. Little tweaks here and there make me happy.
Love, love your style. Clean crisp and homey. Nothing says don't touch. I could live in every room you've shown and not make any changes and believe me, that's saying a lot because anyone who knows me knows how picky I am.
Glumpies be gone! You never know until you try! I truly love everything you do! : )
I love your style...but with 3 adopted kittens, I couldn't pull it off now:-D I'll just have to come to your blog and dream, XOXO
Oh boy, do you remind me of me hahaha. My passion is moving furniture around and creating a new look. My kids once drew up a contract for me to sign, stating Mom will not ask them to move any more furniture! My husband told a friend that he could never come home late and jump into bed without turning on the light because the bed might not be in the same place. I can't remember how many times I have spent all day moving a room around to create this wonderful vision in my head, only to hate the result and move it all back!
All the changes looked great in the photos, but then again, why mess with perfection? The rooms were beautiful as they were. So have those nice wing chairs found their way back to the master bedroom? Sometimes room changes do work out. I moved my dining room into my large living room, made the too-small dining room into an intimate sitting room and moved the living room furniture upstairs into the huge family room. Of course this meant that the old family room furniture had to find a new home at the Goodwill. After that, there was no going back!! Good thing our household is happy with the changes.
Do you know how lucky and blessed you are? No, really. I live in 750 sq. ft. so it's impossible to mix it up like this. I am thankful for what I have though. I will just have to live vicariously through you! Beautiful job.
Ooh, Linda. Don't give up on small spaces! They can be the most fun places! One of my first apartments was a just barely 300 sq. ft. studio. A tiny kitchenette with an even tinier (is that a word ?) bathroom and a 12 x 12 main room where the couch was a fold-out bed. I had so much fun decorating AND ... when I left, three other renters in the complex wanted to move into my place! So I must have done a couple things right :) I also lived for years in a 940 sq. ft. rambler and it was a blast ... did have a partial basement to use too, though.
Absolutely gorgeous!! I love it all!! Can you tell me where you bought those beautiful blue panels? I love that fabric! Thanks!
Oh I can see myself doing something like this! You always make me laugh while looking at your beautiful home!
Thank you so much for sharing!!!! I will have to tell my husband that I am NOT CRAZY!!!! There is at least one other person who does this too! My family makes fun of me as I move the furniture around all the time! They think I have a problem! :) You are awesome by the way - I love your blog!!
I know exactly what you mean, if it doesn't feel right it just drives you crazy. I do it all the time. I love shopping my own home and moving things around. Sometimes it turns out amazing and sometimes it doesn't. I think it's fun to think out of the box once and awhile. I think your home is beautiful with both arrangements. Also, I have to tell you I've seen many beautiful homes with the white or neutral color scheme and yours just has this warmth when it comes to all the colors. Your home sorta of has a beautiful glow to it my opinion. Kind of like candlelight. Have a great week.
You never know until you try!
No matter what you do, it always turns out so wonderful. I do mind-moving and paper moving (this means that I move furniture only in my mind and what I draw on paper), because as we age (my husband, not me..lol), we cannot move furniture so much. So, I have to really be sure before I make the man of the house move anything. But, I will admit that it does make the home feel revived and new when you move some things around. Keep up your good work, you continue to help us daily. Thanks!
But I loved all the changes....I think you should just buy new sofas for the tv room!!! Really!
I think all of us who LOVE to decorate and create get into a "change it up" mode. The rooms in our first home were very defined and all I could do was switch bedrooms. At some point my husband thought he would come home and find the bathroom moved. There were many days spent "putting it all back" as well. How boring it must be for those folks who have a decorator tell them how to live. Your rooms are beautiful , no matter what.
The moral here is that if you don't try it you'll never know. And genius that you are { I know this because I sense we are two peas in a pod -- me from a very older pod} knows when to say that you really liked it better the other way. Now you can relax and enjoy your surroundings without being distracted by the glumpies. Your creative mind shouldn't have a lot of static interfering with the artistic flow. ;-)
My mom always uses the word "glumpy". Usually to describe the weather. Too funny. :) And I think we've all been there, where something we try in decorating just doesn't quite work. Glad to know it happens to almost-perfect decorators like you.
I'm so sorry it didn't work out because it was a wonderful idea! Like having a brand new house! It was fun for us to watch anyway. And your home is still beautiful. love and blessings~ Lynda @ Gates of Crystal
So I sat down on the couch to get caught up on my reads after a day of ..... you guessed it .... moving furniture. I am not sure the change will stick .... we shall see. So here's the thing, you have such a way with a warm, welcoming, comfy home. Truly, just love, love, love your style. And your writing, well I really believe you should publish a book of short stories. Don't get me wrong, I love blogs. Just that I really love a good book too. Your stories are so real and heart warming. I would love to give your stories as gifts. Just a thought .... from Kriste's Mom .... your online friend you have yet to meet. giggle.
Looking bloody good just so you know
Your room changes were good and just kept getting better each time. I know that you live in and see this room all of the time and can probably see and feel the glumpies, but I enjoyed seeing your changes and thought they were good. However, I don't live in your home and you know what you and your family need to make life happen. You can really put a room together and I love it.
I love the look, especially the curtains. Can you tell us where you got the fabric? You might like the room better with a full curtain rod that will allow you to change where the curtains sit across the French doors? Perhaps a new ceiling light (chandelier) to go with the new bulbs? It would be an inexpensive change but would change the whole room.
I never heard of the word glumpy but I love it. I used the word smushy for the snow we had today! Far be it for me to criticize! So did you completely change everything back? Jane x
I wondered if you would leave it that way...because people are creatures of habit, and we like to take the path of least resistance. Moving the TV further away from the kitchen,, which is the hub of any household, seemed like an experiment that might not work. I've rearranged my rooms before too, only to move things back where they apparently belong. I really liked your kitchen area as a keeping room though. It looked very nice! Spring is here (at least it is in Texas,) so if you're like me, you'll probably be shifting things around again, and feathering your nest in some new way.
KariAnne, Does your husband say when he comes in from work, "Now where did she put that chair?" Does everyone look before they sit? I love to change my furniture around. I did two bedrooms last fall and had the best time. This spring I'm going with a Tuscany flair in my dinning area. Very excited.
Whew, I'm exhausted just thinking about moving everything back! We just got new furniture in the living room, so everyday I get a different bright idea about how to arrange it... no one even bats an eye anymore, they're used to the craziness...
I know exactly what you mean
Well you can't improve on perfection. I love everything in all your rooms!!
LOVE your bravery and the way you moved so many things around. It's the decorator in you! And from what I can see it is all so beautiful and brilliant! Hope to see you at Haven!!! xo
I knew it. lol. How did I know it was all going back to the way it was? Because it's just exactly like something I would do. (um...have done) But you have to try it to know, right? ;)
I once took all the books (extensive collection) from my bookshelves so I could rearrange the shelves - thinking a corner approach would look great - it didn't. But what a work out! I loved the idea of the keeping area in the kitchen but those chairs looked great in the bedroom too. I really love all the things you do.
Wait....all of it? You moved every room back where it started? Oh God, head to the doc, you've got blissitus, same thing I'm afflicted with.
I love Cree Light bulbs. There is so many different types of light bulb technology these days and after educating myself, these are my favorite. The light isn't too "blue", it is bright right away- it doesn't take a second to turn on or have to warm up, they last for years, don't have mercury gas inside of them, aren't that style-sucking twist, very efficient, and are affordable to replace a few bulbs at a time. And Home Depot has a "t" at the end of it (typo near the end of your post).