Tropical Cottage Living Room

When I bought my little house in Florida, I was very  excited!!!!!

I had never lived in a subtropical location before, and along with loving the weather, I was really psyched about decorating 

A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY.

This house is what I call a "Builder's Special"; 

Which means: It is just one of a series of cookie cutter homes in my neighborhood.

I had never lived in a development before, so this was an adjustment for me. I had to accept that my house was not unique. 

Having grown up in an area of mostly old homes, I never thought I would be happily, joyfully, blissfully residing in the same house as 1/8th of my neighbors.

Sooooooooooo.....

Of course, as soon as I closed on this house, I started to change everything I could!!!!!

I do one project a year, so it always feels like it's my birthday.

I love mulling over a room; thinking about how to transform it; researching products and just generally obsessing about it until I am sure I know what I want to do.

THEN I GO BALLS TO THE WALL AND BLOW MY BUDGET!!!!

Once I figure out what I want to do, I almost NEVER

change it. So, this way I can justify the money I throw around on my yearly projects.

This is what the living room looked like when I bought the house. 

(Which is much better than buying the farm!!!)

This is actually a view of the same corner of the room as the first picture.

I covered over the pass-through that is cut into the back wall.

I had that horrendous wall unit ripped out. 

I put wood floors down.

I put in low voltage recessed lighting.

I had the walls wallpapered with fabulous bamboo wallpaper. 

(I love it! I love it! I love it!)

I usually find one thing in a room that sets the feel I want to go for. 

I use it as a design jumping off point.

In this room I found a pair of GREAT chairs.

I had no idea how I would use them (having not drawn the floorplans yet). But I knew that I could always use a pair of chairs. 

This is what the room looked like, looking at the other wall......

Now.....

Most folks like a really open floor plan.....

But as you may be coming to realize.....

I ain't like most folks!!!.....

I like cozy contained spaces. 

Don't know why....

I JUST DO!!!

Sooooooooooooooooooo.....

Not only did I close up the pass-through into the kitchen.....

I extended the wall to the end of the kitchen peninsula.

I wanted a solid wall between the kitchen and the living room, so I had a place to set a pair of club chairs.

Isn't it weird that the previous owners had  a sunflower painting hung in the same place I do?????
'course, I bought mine on Ebay!!
(this is really weird....I don't know if it's doing it on your monitor, but even though I am typing ebay in black, Blogger insists on changing it to blue. Blogger can be sooooooo weird!!!)

The chair on the left, is my chair. 


Boy, I have so much more to share!!!!!
More pictures of the room, stories about the stuff, close ups of more stuff. etc.etc.etc.etc.


But it's that time again......
I'm hungry, and you know what that means.
It's time to turn off the computer, and cook me some grub.


Betsy 
linking up to:
.         It's So Very Cheri



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