Welcome Home Wednesday #4

Welcome to our Classy Coop!

Today's featured room is our Living Room/Entry.

Before moving in, I always new I wanted an old horseshoe above our front door...being the daughter of a farrier, I just figured I would get our lucky shoe from Dad. Imagine my delight when during construction, we found an authentic, antique draft shoe!

Our house is over 100 years old, and we continually find treasures scattered about the property.

As you enter through the front door, this built in sits to the left. It is original to the house (used to be in the dining room), we just relocated it. It has glass doors that we have yet to put back on. The previous owners had busted out the amazing leaded glass doors, so they will have a more simple, craftsman look when we put them back on.

Off to the right is the living room. This room has undergone some MAJOR changes. The built-ins to the left of the fireplace are original...again, we need to put the doors back on. We couldn't strip the original chipping plaster from behind the piece, so it's now backed with bead board. I'm not sure what the original fireplace looked like. When we purchased the house, there was the ugliest pellet stove shoved into the opening, and the whole thing was a mess. Not able to afford rebuilding the masonry chimney, but wanting a wood-burning fire, we opted for a zero clearance insert, and a wood chase. We then pieced together a mantle using leftover crown molding and trim from my grandfather's woodworking business. I did all of the tile work in our house and am so pleased with the surround. I used some small, glass subway tile that I found at the Home Depot in a beautiful aqua color, then accented with some tiles scrounged up at the Pratt and Larson seconds room. The hearth is covered in slate.

The view from the dining room...

To the right of the fireplace is an original wood box disguised as a seat. We added some wall work to help with flow. I plan to someday add a cushion and some pillows. Another thing on the "to do" list is to cover those green swivel chairs. They are from my Great Grandmother, and I was lucky enough to inherit them!

The sofa caught my eye last summer as I drove past an auction house. It was sitting on the side of the road with a sign on it that read....well, you don't want to know how cheap I got that antique sofa for!

It is in amazing condition, has down cushions, and gorgeous tufting!

The lighting in our home is another thing we had to save on.

It's one of the last things to purchase, so we were running low on funds. This is when it helps to be creative. I purchased the living room light at the Habitat Re-use It Store for $7.

It was an awful avocado green, and covered in grease.

I cleaned it up, gave it a coat of paint, and used some Amy Butler gift wrap to spruce it up.

Over the Entry, is a reproduction schoolhouse light from...gasp, Lowes! Believe it or not, Lowes has some decent repo's for only $40 each!

That beats $140 any day!

My mantel is ever-changing...I envision a painting of a wooly brown cow. I am crossing my fingers that Teresa Sheeley will do a custom piece for me. I would even take a print of a past piece if she had one.

Ah, I see another project...that coffee table.

It has a great base and will soon get a fresh coat of paint.

Loving this new mirror I found on my latest trip to GW, and the horse head purchased from Sarah at Roost ReImagined.

Thanks for visiting!