Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Living Room Refresh (a DIY Kilim / Aztec Rug and an abstract Cow Painting)



In case anyone happened to be wondering....I'm still alive over here!

Wrapped up in the crazy, hectic, out-of-control whirlwind that is life with 3 small boys. 

I can hardly believe that my baby boy is 6 months old this week! How on earth did that happen, and where did the past half year go?? 


I've been dealing with some postpartum anxiety (not fun), and so have been trying to force myself to take it as easy as possible. It's so easy to over-schedule and over fill our days, and I just can't do that....so we've been having a pretty low-key summer filled with short bike rides, local parks, and lots of backyard play time :). Suits this mama just fine! 

The only problem with spending a lot of time at home is that I tend to see so many projects that could be done, and things that I'd like to change.  So...without overdoing it, I decided to do a little "refresh" of our living and dining room. 

Nothing crazy. One little painted rug and a few new cushions. Oh...and 4 new chairs. And a new rustic light pine table top (but that doesn't count, because my awesome husband whipped that one up for me one evening) ;)


I just felt like our home needed a little extra punch. Something out of my usual comfort zone. So...I went a little crazy and painted an IKEA Erslev rug in a crazy black/white/pink aztec/kilim-inspired pattern.  






I got this cute cow painting at Home Sense, and fell in love with her :) My sister in law had spotted her and knew that she was right up my alley!

I couldn't resist a couple of new, very reasonably priced, IKEA cushions as well. I like the contrast they add to the room.





Also loving these new chairs :)




Look at those eyelashes! How can you not love her ? :)




I purposefully made the rug a little bit imperfect.....ok...maybe I just really didn't want to take the time to measure it all out, so I "winged" it ;) 
















I love how the table top turned out! We were going to invest in a Restoration Hardware Flatiron table...but then decided that, with 3 little boys colouring/glitter-glueing, etc. all over it, we didn't want to have to worry about it. This table top cost a total of $25. Perfect.  We had planned to distress it/age it, but I fell in love with the light pine Scandinavian look, and we've decided to just put a clear wax sealer on it and leave it as is (the actual colour is not as honey-toned as it appears in the pictures...it's much lighter in real life). The bottom of the table is the base of our old IKEA glass-top table.





To make the rug, I used regular latex paint, but added a fabric medium to it (bought at Michael's crafts). I just taped off a random pattern, and then painted it quite roughly with a regular big brush. No mystery to it. The taping took the longest...approx an hour (after the boys were in bed one evening).


 It's amazing what a few small changes/updates around the house can do for your well-being :) I'm enjoying spending time in our living room again, and it's all thanks to a new rug and a big cow.

37 comments:

  1. The spaces look fantastic! And how wonderful is your new Daisy cow?!! LOVE!!
    Victoria

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  2. Looks fabulous! You managed more than I did and I have no babies in the house! Love it all!

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  3. Amazing!!! What a great transformation Tracey! :)

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  4. wow!...you are the most amazing mom, seriously I'm with Barb on this. Good getting 'er done!

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  5. I love what you did with your rug!! It is seriously awesome. And, THAT COW!!! I need one in my life ASAP! I grew up with cows and horses and love them.

    Love your home and the decor!

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  6. Aztec designs look better with a cozy interior, or should we say, a room that is usually dominated by dark colors. But I must say that yours is definitely a beauty! I'm so amazed on how you made this tribal design look very chic! Congrats for that!

    Manie @RugsBySaga.com

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  7. Absolutely wonderful! Wishing you wellness through your baby-ventures! I have had many of the same difficulties since having my last child, with anxities, fighting depression, and more. It Does get better. Looks like youre doing an amazing job! This project is absoluty lovely! What incredible art on the rug pattern, round of applause for that project alone! Id be lucky if i got the dishes done in a day when baby was 6 months ;D Great job!

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  8. your blog's great! you're the anti-me. i just can't get my craft together...

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  9. Hi there,

    I found the same cow painting here in HomeSense and regret with all my heart that I didn't buy it. When I went back it was no longer there. Can you tell me if there's any artist signature on it? I've been doing Google searches forever and now I see you have it!! I have to find it!

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    1. Steph...I did the exact same thing after my sister-in-law took a picture of the painting on her phone. I searched all over for it, and couldn't believe it when it was there in Home Sense, hiding behind some other paintings!! I am so sorry, but there's no signature on it :( If I ever come across one, I will let you know, tho! Good luck!

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    2. It looks FABULOUS in your gorgeous home. I wonder if maybe I should ask HomeSense...probably a shot in the dark, but you never know! I have pics of it on my phone, too: I took them standing right in front of it. The only reason I didn't pick it up was $ at the time. ARGGGG! Thanks for your prompt response!

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    3. I did the exact same thing! Saw it at Home Sense and wanted it but had to wait for pay day. I went back and it was gone. I wish I knew the name of the artist.

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    4. Me too. I've even tried googling the painting.

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    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    6. Bessie the cow can be found at Grandinroad.com

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    7. Thank you!! I just looked it up and it's a little over $400 for me to get it shipped. I think art is totally worth it, but I just don't have the money. As a freelancer, it can be hard to come by! My birthday is coming up, though; maybe my family will pool together. :)

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  10. Love your little house. My hubby wont let me get away with redecorating and switching things up like this :(

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  11. this is seriously the most amazing rug DIY ever. i am dying for an aztec rug but don't wanna pay $400. this is my next project. thank you!!!

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  12. So they don't have the Erslev rug at Ikea anymore :( Do you know what material it's made out of so I can find something similar? And would you mind telling me the dimensions? Thank you so much! I'm at becca.ktana@gmail.com

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  13. I found the cow painting. Her name is Betsy. http://t.kirklands.com/product/Mirrors-Wall-Decor/Art/Canvas-Art/Betsy-Cow-Canvas-Art-Print/pc/2283/c/2293/sc/2673/175259.uts

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  15. How did you do your IKEA table? I have the exact same one, and two little boys, I would love to take your inspiration and recreate!

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  16. Hey! Very nice blog. Amazingly maintained. Thank you for sharing. kilim area rugs

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  17. This is crazy!! I've found my house twin! I have the same cow painting, pink and black and white throw pillows, dining chairs and sheepskin rug. Needless to say I like your style lol

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  18. This is really stunning one. You can choose to have different room accessories also. You can choose to have drawing tables, footrest, cushions etc to make it more cozy one. These will also give a unique and astonishing look.

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