Before and After: Living Room Edition

During our months at the 'Oakhood' I waited impatiently for notification of our housing assignment. I had seen photos our friends were receiving of their future accommodations overseas. Some were good. Some were really good. And some made me shake my head and shout at my husband, "why, why are you torturing me?!"

Knowing we were going to get something in the city, I tried to keep my expectations low so I wouldn't be disappointed. Because if you really want to know the truth, it broke my heart a little to pack up our little ranch home and move. I missed the rooms that I painstakingly decorated. The nursery in white and brown with the little birds. Our bedroom with its enormous bed and mother-of-pearl decorations. I tried to be cool and tell our family and friends what a horrid decorator I was, but in honesty every little detail and photograph hung on those walls was carefully selected by me. Over almost seven years. And then it was all boxed up and stored away. So here's the truth.

Living in a furnished apartment wasn't that bad. But I missed adding my own touches to our space. Missed it so much.

So much that, when these photos of our next home arrived, I had a little Pinterest frenzy over what to do with all. that. space.

 

So fast forward three months of waiting, some temporary housing, and finally. At last I could make this place our own.

First came the fabric. I ordered some cheapo slipcovers because it turned out our furniture and carpeting was like, four tones of flesh. Eww. I selected bright prints to cheer up the room, and broke out my sewing machine as soon as it arrived.

But alas, the pedal to my machine was not here yet.

 

So I cursed waited some more.

Luckily, with our next shipment came the rest of my sewing supplies, all our wall decorations, family photos, and furniture.

And this is what we have so far:

 

 A few lamp changes, some pictures on the wall, and some cheerful slipcovers (after I finally got the pedal and all my thread!)

 

More changes to come, for sure, but I am wide open to suggestions! Those curtains, I can't even begin to tell you how much I dislike them. Again, a strange yellowy fleshtone with a few stains for added charm. Luckily, we are in Bangkok after all, where I can find pretty much anything on the cheap.

Well, anything except 96" curtain panels.