Living Room {Before & After}

So as promised here’s the work in progress on my living room. I was almost too ashamed to show the before shots! I can’t believe It’s taken me two months to get my act together and start making it feel more homely. The side board & sofa were both from Junktique and I did get as far as painting the Ikea stool, before work and Christmas got in the way!

Since leaving the house we own in the UK and renting the apartment here in Sydney I’ve had change my approach to decorating. It seems so obvious now but I’d never really thought about it before. You can’t just pop your stamp on a place by painting or papering a feature wall. Not only that but when you know it’s a temporary home, splashing out on the decor feels slightly more frivolous and far less justifiable All of the cushions {bar the Antler one which is from the wonderful PonyRider} started life as old silk headscarves that I’ve picked up from Charity Shops, and flea markets. I’m still on the hunt for more! I got around the no decorating rule by papering a large MDF panel, in a gorgeous wallpaper from here. The joy of a panel is that you can take it with you to your next place {obviously in my case, popping in on a plane back to the UK isn’t really an option!}

Now to be honest I’m not entirely sure where I stand on Wall stickers. I love them in Kids rooms and certain areas of the home but I’m not sure I would generally put them in a living room. I use then quite a lot in “update/makeover” shoots because they are so quick and easy and are of course removable without trace, which is what makes them so perfect for a rental property. I covered the old shoe boxes in wallpaper {a far trickier task than I had imagined!} so they now make slightly more attractive storage! I’ve also finally found a home for my little Bark Butterflies, remember them from here?

So there it is, my new, improved but still with much to do living room. If anyone has any tips and clever ideas on how to decorate a rented property I’d love to hear them?