Cradles to Couches: Taking Back the Living Room

The day as finally come! The basement renovations are complete and the kids playroom has been restored. You know what that means. The living room is finally mine again!

When we were putting the basement (aka the playroom) back together for the kids, we set rules and boundaries. Toys have to stay in the basement! After having the living room cluttered with toys all summer, it just got too overwhelming and way too cluttered.

Now that the toys are gone, it was time to get the living back to being just that. A living room. Although I still have some grand plans for the space (new floors, new furniture layout), I thought it was best to start small and do some minor face lifts.

Being so busy this summer, I didn’t really have the time to shop for pieces at the store. Naturally, I ordered it online! I headed to the Sauder’s website and did some searching for living room pieces. We didn’t need anything big (we just bought a couch a few years ago) but we were missing something.

I wanted to go with a coffee table but I was vetoed on that one! Instead, we compromised on a large storage ottoman. I thought it would be perfect to stash away blankets, magazines, you know the things you need to quickly hide when company is coming!

Ordering from Sauder’s couldn’t have been any easier. With some simple clicks, I had an order confirmation and my furniture would soon be on it’s way!

When our order arrived, I couldn’t wait to “put” it together. And by put it together I mean just pop it open and put the top on! It was so simple and within seconds our new piece was ready for the living room.

Of course, I just couldn’t leave it alone. Now that we had our living room back for the adults, I wanted to style it a little bit. I had seen an awesome tray at the store awhile back and I crossed my fingers that they still had it when I went back. By putting a tray on it, it turns the ottoman into a coffee table and we have the best of both worlds.

Thankfully, the store still had a few and on clearance to boot!

Now that I had my tray, I had to figure out what to put on it. I consulted with a friend who’s good with this home decor thing and came up with some magazines and flower. She gave me a great tip too! Keep your vignettes to an odd number. Not too overwhelming but still makes a statement.

I think it turned out pretty fabulous if I don’t say so myself! There are so many things you can do with a tray (and not just in your living room). You could easily style your tray throughout the seasons.