And…. I’m back! So I’ve had a whirlwind couple of weeks whilst I’ve been away from the blog – some of it dusty and messy, some of it rather lovely. The week before last, as you may recall, we had the electrics replaced in the living room, master bedroom and hallways (downstairs and up). Our electricians were amazing and everything went well and when they left on Friday afternoon, we spent the rest of the evening and Saturday deep cleaning and putting the living room back together.

plum living room with gold accents and olive green velvet sofa

One thing we did to prepare for the work wasΒ to remove the carpeting in the living room. It had always been our plan but we figured as the room had to be cleared out anyway, we’d take the opportunity to rip it all out prior to them coming. As soon as we started, I knew it was going to be the right decision. The floors had been finished at some point in the past similar to what we have in the bedroom already but they aren’t in great condition – so I can kind of understand why the previous owners wanted to make it easy on themselves and cover it up!

While they don’t look too bad in my pictures, look closely and you’ll see indications of woodworm damage throughout (from long ago) and some of the boards are damaged and cracked, the finish has worn away in some areas and there are places where a messy filler has been placed on top.Β There are also huge gaps between the boards which means you can see right through into the cellar – so it’s not terribly energy efficient!

plum living room with gold accents and olive green velvet sofa

All that said, the room just looks bigger and brighter without the grey carpeting sucking the life out of the space. I’ve also been able to dig out my white cowhide rug to give some comfort underfoot. In time, we’ll be replacing the flooring. I’m desperate for parquet herringbone throughout the downstairs and this room is no exception to the plans but for now, I’m happy with the marginal improvement even if the floorboards aren’t in great shape!

coffee table styling with flowers and candles

While I couldn’t put any of my old lighting up in any of the other rooms just yet (there’s a lot of filling and plastering to do!), the electrician did hang my beloved gold fixture that you may recall was in the master bedroom in our old house. This room was the least affected in terms of digging out for new cables (he went through the hallway and from the cellar up so there was minimal wall damage) so the rectifying work won’t be too terrible. I adore the light fixture in here and I’m so thrilled with how well it contrasts against the papered ceiling and the beautiful ceiling rose. Every time I pass the room now, I do a little double-take because it just looks so perfect.

plum living room with romantic cushions and marble coffee table

I also received a few new bits that had been gifted to me for Instagram collaborations but I wanted to mention them here too as they ended up in this room! The handmade velvet cushions are from Oia, a French brand that’s new to the UK. I absolutely adore them with the sofa – they marry the colours of the space so perfectly and the designs give the whole room a very romantic vintage feel. I adore them!Β I was also gifted a new candle you can see on the coffee table (I’m obsessed with candles!) from a company called Lavender & Lillie with the most beautifully detailed illustration ceramic container and a gold lily on top. It’s just stunning!

boho glam living room with olive green velvet sofa

Okay, so now on to the ‘reality’ behind the pretty pictures… as you might remember, I originally had my little yellow sofa in this room which looked great but I ended up moving it to the bedroom so this little grey chair has moved here instead. While in the pictures, it doesn’t look too bad, the truth is that the chair is far too small for the space. Behind it, there is quite a lot of wasted space including the large bay window. From the angle we’re looking above, it looks just fine but when you are in the room, it looks completely disproportional to the room…

living room in victorian home with bay window

See what I mean? Even though Quito is modelling like a pro, even he can’t make up for the big empty space behind him! Oh also, ignore those curtains, by the way – they were put up simply for privacy but they will soon be replaced with window shutters which are currently on order! More about those to come… Also, I want a pretty new radiator – so much to do in here!

So, the truth of the matter is that both the chair as well as our current sofa are too small for the space. Obviously, in our old living room, we chose furniture that fit the small proportions but here, with a larger space, it really doesn’t work all that well. In time, I’d like a longer 3 seater chaise sofa in its place and I’ll be replacing that little chair with a 2-seater sofa. This will look so much better in terms of utilising the space to the fullest rather than have large areas that are simply going to waste!

plum glam living room with gold sideboard bar cart and fireplace

So while this side looks nice, there’s still lots to do in here, not to mention changing the paint colour (sorry to those of you who love it!), adding wall panels, updating the tiles on the fireplace, changing the mantle, getting some new artwork… well, let’s just say the list is pretty long even for this room which may appear “done”!

plum living room with gold accents and olive green velvet sofa

Sadly, I can’t really move too much on this room just yet, as much as I’m itching to! I am waiting on some drawings from my architect which will allow us to get quotes and schedule the contractor for the building work due to take place on the other side of the house. Until we have the quotes in, we don’t know how much we actually have to spend on this room so it’s all a bit of a waiting game.Β While the small updates in here will suffice for now, there’s plenty more to come so stay tuned!


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