Blog-Style Changes In The Living Room!

Before I show you the following pictures I have a confession to make.  There is NO WAY on God's green earth I would have EVER thought to paint my coffee table teal.  I just don't possess that kind of vision.  And that, in a nutshell, is what scares me the most about venturing into the world of design on a professional level.  I have decorated a few homes for people who have paid me, but I dare not call myself a designer.  No, that designation only belongs to the best of the best.  Like the lady who gave me the inspiration for this project.  I doubt there's a soul left in Blogland who doesn't know the beautiful and hospitable Rhoda from Southern Hospitality.  What a pleasure it is to know this true Southern lady who I'm sure is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside like so many of you.  While browsing Rhoda's blog for inspiration, I came across this post which set my creatively rusty wheels in motion.

My poor dark Living Room was in desperate need of some change.  Something was missing and as I looked around the room I noticed it was color.  Not wall color, as I quite like the creamy yellow against the furnishings and mirrors.  No, I'm talking more like "pops" of color.  It cracks me up that I'm even writing that word because Mr. Bliss and I are always poking fun at the designers on HGTV for over-using that word.  But for lack of a better word here, alas, I have no choice.  The logical color choice was lost on me until I saw Rhoda's gorgeous accent table.  And she was kind enough to include all the details about the paint.  Don't you just love it when blog friends are so kind as to include the whole 411 in their posts?  I'm gonna remember to do that from now on!

So without further to-do, here is the BEFORE picture of my Living Room:

And here it is AFTER:

Yeah, big difference.

From dark and dreary:

To fresh and cheery:

And I only made a few small changes.

I added an aqua urn to the secretary.

Which brought out the blue in my pretty birdie print.

Bought some new pillows from Burlington Coat Factory and painted the coffee table.

Those small changes added just the pop of color that was needed in this room.

The dark brown of the leather, combined with the dark wood floors and all of the dark furniture in the room was just too much heaviness for a room that doesn't get much sunlight during the day.

Per Rhoda's post, the color came from Lowe's Valspar color line and is called Green Water.  Now Rhoda used the Valspar swatch but her paint was Olympic in an eggshell finish.  Since I only wanted a very small amount of paint, I used the Valspar in Satin.

My coffee table was given to me by a dear friend, Missy, and it was originally dark walnut with a removeable glass tray top.

I painted right over the walnut without using a primer because I wanted some of the walnut to show through in the details.  I used two coats of the Green Water, waiting a full day in between coats.   I then sanded and added a layer of walnut stain, quickly removing any residue with a clean cloth.  I waited 2 more days then gave a quick spray of clear poly.  Let that dry for two days and then voila!

So Rhoda, I thank you, my Living Room thanks you, and my coffee table thanks you.  From the bottom of our combined teal hearts.  And for those of us who are fortunate enough to be in on the little secret I call Blogland Inspiration, I hope you continue to be inspired by eachother's wonderful and creative imaginations!
For more inspiration check out these parties I'm joining this week:
Chelsea at Room To Inspire's Be Inspired Linky Party
Kimba at A Soft Place To Land's DIY Day Party
Mustard Seed Creation's Furniture Feature Friday
The Shabby Cottage's Transformation Thursday
Mrs. Matlock's Alphabet Thursday (P is for Paint!)
My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday
DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm
Power of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking
Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch
Kimm at Reinvented