I’m so excited to share an update to our living room with all of you today!  When I first revealed our bright white living room after moving in last fall, I had rushed to find temporary lighting, a rug and some art for the walls.  It looked lovely but not exactly what I wanted or envisioned for that room.  Although I recently shared some fun touched to this room in my summer tour, we finally found the perfect chandelier and rug that I’d been wanting for this living room and also a fabulous new piece of art that has really brought it all together perfectly!

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NEW LIVING ROOM CHANDELIER

BEFORE…..

I had most of our lighting chosen for the new house last fall as we were finishing the build of our home but I was panicking, as I really didn’t know yet what I wanted for this living room. I mean, I knew what I was envisioning but not finding it exactly.

I found this flush-mount lighting and since it had brass and some clear beaded strands for a reasonable price, I bought it to hold me over.  Our superintendent was needing our living room lighting ASAP.

AFTER…..

Do you hear angels singing?  Because I sure do!

This Crystorama Calypso 136-VG 6-Light Chandelier has the most beautiful crystal drops with a vibrant gold finish and it’s the perfect size for this living room!

I have always said that your chandelier is like the jewelry to your room and I wasn’t happy with my lighting before, but NOW….it finishes this room perfectly!  I’m so thrilled!

I love how breathtaking it is, as you walk into the living room from the entry of our home.  It definitely makes a statement and a great first impression!  My friends at Crystorama were gracious enough to partner up with me on this update to my living room and I was so thrilled because they had also collaborated with me on my Master Bathroom lighting and y’all KNOW how obsessed I’ve been with that lighting!  So many of you have gone crazy over it too!

Crystorama has the prettiest lighting solutions!  I’m so in-love with this one I chose!

NEW LIVING ROOM RUG

BEFORE….

The rug I previously had in our living room was beautiful.  There was nothing wrong with it at all.  It was actually good to get us through the winter months and wet feet.  But I felt it was too dark for this room.  You might disagree but last year I was in a store and found the perfect rug.  I even shared it on my Instagram stories and you all went NUTS over it and hoped I’d bought it.  But sadly….after I shared it with you, a man moved me aside to grab the rug for a customer who had asked for it.  Sad!  But I was able to find the rug I’d been dreaming of since that day.

AFTER…

I partnered up with RugSavings.com and they had this rug I loved so much, the Dynamic Rugs Quartz 27030 Area Rug in Ivory/Beige.

It has the prettiest mix of cool ivory, beige and gray and goes so much better with this room.  It really brightens it up.  I also took the baskets out that were underneath the table.  It trapped the light from passing through and I felt like it made this entire coffee table look too dark and heavy.  But with a new rug and removing the baskets….the change was huge and now I love this space so much more!

Even Giorgio loves it!  It’s just so pretty and I’m thrilled with the difference it’s made in this room.
And guess what?
If you place an order with RugSavings.com on this same rug of mine or even a different rug, they’ll give you 5% off using the code: “SADAMS5OFF“.

NEW LIVING ROOM ART

BEFORE…

When I first styled the room last fall, I couldn’t find a piece of art I was really loving specifically for this space.  I just used what I had from our last home that hadn’t been hung yet.  It was fine.

But then I met Craig Wellbrock, an artist here in the Pacific Northwest, and he sent me this piece.

I wanted one of his minimal abstract art pieces and then he went a step further to make it even more “me” and added this blush pink stripe.

You can see more of Craig’s art HERE and contact him for interest in his pieces or to have him create a commissioned piece for your home.

Updated Living Room

I’m so pleased with how just a few small changes made such a HUGE impact on this room and gave it a whole new look!

The new chandelier and rug, along with removing those baskets under the coffee table and allowing light to pass through more freely, have all helped brighten this room and reflects more of my style and the feeling I wanted here in our living room.

In a place like here, in the Pacific Northwest that has lots of cloudy and rainy days, keeping my home bright and happy is so important.  I survived our first winter last year just fine!

Every time I’m home, no matter what the weather outside, it is bright inside and such a happy and beautiful place to be.  That’s really important to me.  I love being at home and having people over and entertaining.
Art above from HomeGoods.  Bar Cart found HERE.

You can see more of my Living Room details and sources for furniture and decor in the original reveal post AND in my Summer Tour post when I brought in some pink and blue.

You can click HERE to find more info on my paint and flooring.  They are popular pages.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I would love it if you subscribed at the top of the page in order to receive my weekly emails of all my latest blog posts and hear about digital printables & freebies, as well as sales or new items in My Online Shoppe.  You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook to see what I’m up to in creating a home and lifestyle of inspiration!

xoxo,

The post Living Room Update: New Chandelier, Rug & Art appeared first on Summer Adams.

It may be a rainy, cloudy day in Dallas but it is BRIGHT and cheery inside this home!  If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, I am SURE you know how much I love a pretty chandelier (aka chandy, as I often call it).  Upon moving into this rental, which is our home for the next 1-2 years, I moved chandeliers around, sold some, bought new ones and tried to decide what kind of chandeliers worked in each room in our home.  Yes, each room….or almost.    This fabulous chandelier makeover is exactly what this space needed and it didn’t cost much at all!  >>*And for those of you NOT interested in a DIY project, I’ve chosen a bunch of fabulous similar chandeliers that you can shop at the end of this post!<<

First off, I want to show you my inspiration for this project when I was shopping for chandies and just not finding what I wanted (or wanted to spend) on this kitchen nook since I may not even want the same thing in our next {permanent} home.  I loved Jenni’s from Dear Lillie that she bought a couple of years ago and decided that I loved that vintage, textured look of the chandelier body and arms but I loved the crystals as well.  I didn’t want anything shiny in this space.

But I also loved this one she used chalk paint on to give a makeover as well (more the shape of the chandelier I found) several years ago.  So I combined the two!

Now, let’s examine the “before” photo of the ad I saw on Craigslist (please forgive the photo quality)t:

This chandy is exactly what I was looking for. Popular in the 90’s and early 2000’s, it is now very outdated but NOT to be thrown away!  Find something like this on your local Facebook neighborhood “for sale” pages or on Craigslist (remember to be safe and meet them in a public place).  I talked this lady down to $15 and (I tried $10) and it’s in excellent working condition.  Here is another old 80’s brassy chandelier that everyone on Craigslist is trying to get rid of and easy to find.  You might even find it under the free section often:

If you’ve found something like these above, you’ve struck gold!  Ok now, on to the easy instructions to turn this old piece into something new and lovely……
Take out the light bulbs and take off the candle covers OR you can just tape around the bottom if you wish, as I did since there is no spray painting involved.  I use my favorite painter’s tape to cover that electrical area and also the very ends of the wires.  You may want to cover the entire chain/wires also, unless you intend to paint them or make a chandelier cover for it.

Grab a good paintbrush (yes, a better quality brush always makes a difference) and the chalk paint you choose to use as the main color.  I know there are a lot of ASCP (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint) fans out there and I do love it.  BUT, I’ve found a newer company called MudPaint and I’m looooving their chalk paint!  It’s less expensive and every bit just as good as ASCP.  They recommended I use “Stone” which is close to the ASCP “Paris Grey” and you can buy it HERE!

This next product is the key to this vintage french country look of the chandelier….It is called SaltWash and you mix a little into your chalk paint or “glob” it all over (pour just the amount you think you’ll use in a separate container or bowl so that you are not mixing the entire paint with the SaltWash) to give it that chunky texture and it is sooooo easy!  HERE is the quick and easy video tutorial and then you’ll just paint that all over your chandelier and let it dry as instructed. I am absolutely OBSESSED with this product! I can’t wait to paint other pieces with these 2 products!

About an hour later when it was mostly dry, I went back and added very little chalk paint to the brush and dry-brushed it on all over the chandelier very very lightly so that you only see brush strokes. (This picture shows chandelier swag but it was not on at this point.)
At this point, it is optional if you want to add a clear wax but isn’t necessary.  If you do, dab it on lightly with an old, soft rag or t-shirt.  Then, you can grab some crystal chandelier swag and measure and decide how long you want each swag to be.  I used 16 prisms for my length.  I already had a lot from other projects that I’d bought for almost nothing at yard sales and antique stores.  You can also order them from Etsy or Amazon at a low price.  Open one end and attach around the base of each bobeche.

Take a small piece of paddle wire and twist around the other end’s split-ring and then bend over your finger and “hook” onto top of chandelier.  This will stay!  AND it makes it easy to remove from the top if you want to spray it with water and dust/clean it with a cloth every now and then.  Oh, and I happened to have a round chandelier prism so I dropped that from the bottom as well. It was the perfect touch.

Your last step is to install your chandelier (soooo easy, I can do it myself) and enjoy!  This truly looks like an expensive piece from the popular home stores!  And with enough materials leftover, you could do several chandeliers.  Make them for other rooms of your home in different colors or make them as gifts or to sell!

Note: You do not have to add crystal swag.  If you are looking for a simpler or more rustic look, just skip that part!  It would still be lovely.  Y’all know I can’t resist a little sparkle though!  

*If you aren’t interested in the DIY but you DO want a chandelier like this in your home…

Whether it’s a DIY chandelier or one you bought above, I hope all of your chandelier wishes come true!

xoxo, Summer

The post Fabulous Chandelier Makeover appeared first on Summer Adams.

Just wanted to share a few photos of my home.  We just moved and I’m redecorating, shopping, organizing, building, creating….it’s been fun!  I’ll do a home tour when everything is finished!  I loooove looking at pictures of others’ homes.  It inspires me and helps me decide what styles I love.  It inspires me.  It gives me ideas to build upon and make my own.

My bedroom was one of the first things on my list.  It’s my sanctuary and where my husband and I love to retreat to together after a long day.  I wanted it to be neutral and relaxing.  It’s very feminine and shabby chic but also has masculine, strong lines and some stripes.  All this room needs is a ginormous chandelier hanging from the ceiling BUT we live in Vegas and it is HOT.  A fan is necessary for those hot summer nights!  Bed:  Target; Frames: Allposters.com for prints but frames from Hobby Lobby; Lamps and shades: Target but headband added was handmade by moi; Frames: LaurieAnna’s Vintage Home and HomeGoods; Pillows: HomeGoods, Marshalls, TJMaxx; Bench was found junkie’ and recovered in linen and painted in Woodrow Wilson Presidential White by Valspar (same story for the nightstands); Duvet Cover/Shams/Bedskirt: West Elm.

Close-up of my nightstand. It usually has a Diet Coke or Herbal Tea on it also

I’m so happy with the way my little linen closet turned out!  All baskets are from Marshalls and HomeGoods. Large letter “A” is from Hobby Lobby, as well as chalkboard clothespin clips.  And I’m happy to say that a week later, it looks exactly the same!  I’m in shock but props to my kids and hubby!!  Good job, guys!

I love mixing industrial, farmhouse, cottage, shabby chic and sometimes modern pieces together.  Chandelier was a vintage find in Waco, TX; Barstools are from Bed Bath & Beyond; Rugs are from Home Goods.

Close-up of the stove because I just love the new “EAT” letters made from ceiling tiles.  It’s from Rod Works; Jars from Home Goods, as well as bottled sparkling lemonade and cloche on left; Hand towels are from Williams-Sonoma.

When we moved in, this pantry door was a very bold turquoise.  Well-done but not my style.  I debated on a light aqua even, to match my KitchenAid Mixer, but decided on the grey (I love to mix beiges and greys) called Bluffpark Grey by Valspar.  Chandelier Cupcake Stand is from HomeGoods; Clock from Kirklands; Tea Stand from RodWorks.

I’m absolutely in LOVE with my chandelier (mentioned above) that I made over!  It hangs above my kitchen sink and sparkles perfectly!  I did a can light conversion to a pendant light (post on that coming later) and then installed this chandy.  It was gold but I took the crystals off and washed them while using spray paint in oil-rubbed bronze to give it that perfect update it needed!  The large black chandelier with clear crystals on the far side of the room is from TaiPan Trading.  Chandelier Print is from Joss&Main.

So there’s your sneak peek!  Hope it’s helped you make some interior design choices of your own!

xoxo, Summer

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