front room makeover part I

I have the next two days without any kids.  It's a school holiday and our kids are visiting their other parent so I got this grand idea to make over the whole house.  Ya, that's not happening, so I thought I'd make over the room with the most problems.  So I'm making over the front room...

"help me"

I follow blogs like this, and this, and this etc., and have subscribed to or am subscribing to  magazines like this, and this, and this, and this, and this (to name a few)...(yes, I need an intervention) to get ideas and inspiration.  I call my sister-in-law designer extraordinaire to get advice, but she's hundreds of miles away.  I'd like my house to look like the cover of this...it could look like any page actually.  That said,  I can't put a room together to save my life.  I have no organizational skills.  That or I can't commit.  Maybe it's that I'm a frustrated perfectionist idealist.  Which one I'm not sure.  Maybe all three...

So,  I called a friend, who gave me a name of a neighbor who has a beautiful house. She MUST be able to make my room look good.  Right?

Here's the before pictures.

before

before

In my defense, we just moved here a few months ago.  We don't own this home and in all reality it is a stopping off point.  It's a means to an end.  Our landlord is fantastic, but I still have anxiety about putting holes in the walls to hang things.  He said I could even paint, but I'm not going to bother with that...right now.

This room serves as a formal living room and my music room.  It has somehow evolved into the catch all/front/den/music/sometimes-craft/hide-out-for-my-little one/room.  It is having an identity crisis in a major way. 

I have a craft/sewing space downstairs, but somehow things find their way up here.  The pile of fabric on the hearth is an ottoman slip cover in the making.  It needs to find it's way back downstairs.

There are many books in boxes out in the garage that need to be put away in those book shelves.  There are pretty dishes on those shelves that need a home in the kitchen (that's a whole other story).

My room has multiple personalities that needs therapy and I don't feel qualified.  You know, I bet even my husband would be better at this than me...

I have some great pieces and more in the garage and can't wait to show you part II of this make over. 

Stay tuned to see the AFTER.   I'm giddy.