Blogger: Rene of Cottage & Vine
Now:
Then:
What makes me cringe when I look back:
Our home had become a big sea of brown lacking contrast and color. Also, for too long I tried to "float" the sofa and chairs in our family room. For traffic flow purposes and overall comfort, our room works better with the sofa anchored against the wall.
What I love most about my home now:
I love the fresh and airy feeling in our home now. Even on the darkest day, the inside feels open and light. I like that there is a good mix of old and new so that each room feels collected over time.
The biggest influence in my evolving style has been:
The biggest influence on my evolving style has been magazines, blogs and e-zines. I have spent countless hours studying images and trying to pinpoint my style. Through this process, I have learned that a collected look is what I love the most.
See more of Rene's beautiful home here.
Beautiful! I'm in the midst of such a transformation from a sea of brown myself, so it's thrilling to see the difference. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat before and after! Looks so much better with the lighter color palette!
ReplyDeleteI love the "now" and the collected look of Rene's house! I too have been working on breaking up the sea of brown and love Rene's ideas and how she pulls together a room.
ReplyDeletei absolutely love the fresh and naturally influenced rooms rene has created! her home is stunning! and it feels so much lighter than the "then"!
ReplyDeletewow! what a transformation, it looks great. so bright and cheery! xoxo jillian:: cornflake dreams
ReplyDeleteSo bright and fresh!
ReplyDeleteThis shows that you don't need to break the bank to make it right!
ReplyDeleteIt feels so comfortable and cozy. I love it! Truly!
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Love her current living room. It looks so fresh, bright and airy now!
ReplyDeleteVery lovely space! I am off to check off her site now.
Jessie
www.mixandchic.com
I love Rene's style and her home transformations! Her kitchen is my favorite next to this room:-)
ReplyDeleteWow thats quite the difference, love the fresh, clean and elegant NOW. I am not a fan of a sea of brown bu it seems to be a common rut. The key is recognizing it and doing something about it!
ReplyDeleteStop by..doing a great giveaway for a Kilim bench.
I love the "now"! It is so open and airy!! Currently, I am trying to convince my husband that we need an update. I am hoping for something similar. (Fingers crossed it turns out.) We also have a good bit of brown and tan. : ) Great work!
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful!! I love how fresh and comfy it looks! Very inviting and warm too :) Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteKelle
xx
Oh, Rene . . it looks so great. I love the mix of patterns on the couch. So fun to see the transformation. I need to go back and see what color is on your wall.
ReplyDeleteRene,
ReplyDeleteYou have done a great job here! Talented lady!
Love this.
Teresa
xoxo
Love the transformation! The lighter/brighter color palette makes all of the difference. Rene's design is so fresh now. Great series Emily!
ReplyDeletei love your style! it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteEmily - what a fun series, reminds me of looking at my old hairstyles that were so 'in'. :)
ReplyDeleteRene - Your classic, yet modern style is always one of my favorites for inspiration! btw, your picture is darling, I couldn't help but notice the pearls paired with bright modern blouse!
I love how light the new look is!
ReplyDeleteWhat a transformation!! Love the crisp and fresh look of the 'now' room!! Love this series..and your blog too..I'm your newest follower..I would love you to visit my blog..and maybe follow it if you like! Have a wonderful day..xx meenal
ReplyDeleteAmazing how furniture layout changes the feel of the space. Loving this series Emily! Its interesting to see how everyone's tastes in colour palettes has changed too.
ReplyDeleteI love Rene and her room is so fresh and stylish! Love this series Emily.....
ReplyDeleteThis is SO fun to look at! This is one of my favorite "themed" posts! Her "now" looks awesome!!
ReplyDeleteThis is my FAVORITE series -- love it!
ReplyDeleteStacy
How beautiful. I especially love the pillows.
ReplyDeletehttp://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/
ReplyDeleteI just couldn't help but share this site with everyone. I'm always so jealous of all the decorators out there. However this site made me feel really good about my choices of decorating. I also enjoyed the vintage houses. Some I really liked and enjoyed stepping back into time.
Great transformation, Rene! Thanks for sharing Emily!
ReplyDeleteLove Rene's style! This is such a great series!
ReplyDeleteEmily, love this series!!! Rene, the transformation is amazing!! So beautiful!!
ReplyDeleteRene, your room is looking so chic--love your mix of patterns and the art/mirror arrangement. Thanks for showing us the latest version of this space!
ReplyDeleteThanks again Emily and thanks to everyone for the nice comments! Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteXO,
Rene
What a wonderful transformation. I love the lighter fresher take on design and your new look is wonderful,Kathysue
ReplyDeleteEmily- Rene is so wonderful! What a change she made in that room!
ReplyDeleteLoretta