So much has happened since March!

Two months was plenty of time to take charge and get done with what was left to cross off of the Decorating To Do List.

I have so much to catch you guys up on. Here’s where we left off last on the living room makeover which spilled over into the entryway because why not?.

And we cannot proceed without taking a trip down memory lane to the before look of the space.

I was taking a look at the space when prepping for this post and just could not recognize the room because not only is the look completely different so is the vibe of the space.

I mean I’m a totally different person from two years ago, which is why this makeover was a MUST. I not only craved a space that matched my vibe, I needed it, my soul needed it and refused to spend another second in a space that wasn’t in alignment with it. So when my soul speaks, I listen and here we are.

I talk more in depth about that here and here.

The most recent updates that just happened (literally last weekend), was one of the walls in the entryway was finally wallpapered and the living room rug arrived!

Now the rug came damaged and I so returned it (new one is on it’s way and should arrive in a couple of days), but I did happen to take a pic of the look for you guys.

So let’s run down all of the updates that have taken place since March.

Let’s start with the entryway and work our way over to the living room ( I was rushing when taking these pics so they’re not the best - it’s been nuts here at the Jamison house, but we’re striving for progress here and not perfection okay?)

(links to shop the items are at the end)

Entryway Was Painted

When I tell you that I’m in love with the way this entryway turned out because this paint color is EVERYTHING and to be honest, the pictures just don’t do it any justice. It has a bit of feminine bougieness, with a bit of masculine earthiness…basically me!

Wallpaper Installed

The difference wallpaper makes in a space is all that I have to say because I loved how the entryway was unfolding even with the new paint color, but I knew that continuing the paint job on the wall that houses the mirror and shoe cabinet was just not going to look cute since it has so many white colored obstructions (alarm panel, vent and two boxes that are connected to the doorbell and alarm system).

Just picture all of that against the new paint color…it was not a vibe at all.

The idea came to me in the midst of the day, I heard a voice that said, wallpaper the wall! (you have tons of wallpaper leftover from the living room project). I’m so happy that I didn’t end up wallpapering the 2nd wall in the living room because it left me with a ton of left over wallpaper and here we are are!

The entryway is now that warm hello and hug that welcomes you into the home. Just STUNNING!

New Bench

I was looking everywhere for the perfect bench since the one we had from IKEA just wasn’t fitting with the mood and vibe I was going for in the space (it’s new home is with the kids now in their room). I almost took the plunge on a different bench…two actually and I’m so glad that I didn’t hit that Buy Now button.

So quick story…On our drive home everyday, we pass through SOHO and towards the end of the week, there’s a street market with vendors that sell all kinds of gems like crystals, blankets, earrings, etc and one of the vendors sells some of the most beautiful African pieces like wall masks, mud cloths, statues and you guessed it…benches.

So your girl did the only U-turn and pulled up to the vendor! I had my eye on a smaller bench, but as soon as I saw this one, I brought it home with me. I’m planning on returning to get a longer bench for the hallway upstairs (I even grabbed the vendor’s number lol).

New Runners

I’ve had runners before, but it didn’t end well because, well Taz.

I knew that I wanted runners again and was going back and forth on whether I wanted to try out Flor carpet tiles to create a runner or go with a washable rug from Ruggables for the entryway and hallway. Well, I ended up going with Ruggables and they did not dissapoint.

I specifically wanted a rug with brown tones in it so that it could help to bring out the brown undertones in the paint color as well as balance out the crystal light fixtures with a masculine touch so when I saw this Art Deco/rattan print, I knew it was perfect for the space.

By the way, I love the vibe of South Beach (both me and Robert) so this really brings back memories of our trip to South Beach years ago.

The rugs are a win!

New Flower Arrangement

I was going back and forth on what sort of faux flower arrangement I wanted for the entryway since I didn’t want anything too feminine looking.

I knew for sure that I didn’t want more faux plants so after searching and searching and searching I went with a lavender bush. It was suppose to arrive this week, but today, I got an email letting me know that it’s on backorder and won’t arrive until the end of June (ya’ll get the real time scoop).

I can’t wait to add it to the entryway!

New Living Room Rug

If ya’ll remember how indecisive I’ve been about whether or not I was going to add a rug into this space…all because of Taz - he brings in so much dirt from the backyard and he’s shedding like crazy so I wasn’t crazy about the upkeep of a rug.

Well this was one instance where the look trumps the function. So far I’m loving it, but I’m still testing out what real life is like living with a rug and a Pitbull - I’m giving it two weeks (either it’s a keeper or it will be returned). It really completes the space.

A little backstory on the rug debacle. I originally wanted the rug you see here because in my mind, I was like, it’s easier to clean than a 10x14 rug, which is the rug size I’d need for the living room. I can just remove it and take it to the backyard to dust it off.

Then I was on Ruggables site and saw some rugs that peaked my interest, but when I read the maintenance in regards to washing a rug of that size…it was going to be too much work and so it was a no. I’d have to take it to the laundromat to wash it in one of their big machines since the washing machine we have at home is big, but not big enough to wash a 10x14 rug. So that plan quickly dissappeared because I know myself well enough to know that I wasn’t doing that and I can’t live life with a dusty and dirty rug.

So I went back to plan A and so far so good. I’ll keep you updated on IG with how it’s going.

New Artwork

You know how creating a space that embodies who we are is a must and I wanted to carry that through to the artwork, but that wasn’t easy at all. You guys have no idea how much I searched and searched for artwork that represents my Dominican side…a unique piece because I didn’t want the typical Dominican artwork that I was seeing so much of like a creca, platanos, or something predictable, etc.

I was looking for a subtle piece…a piece that says, I’m Dominican and you’ll know because you’ll know. So when I saw this piece, I literally threw my hands in the air because I was like finally.

She’s a woman of color with full lips - just like me and flowers on her head, but just not any flowers…one of them is the Dominican flower, the Bayahibe Rose so when I saw it, I knew it had to come into my home.

The second art piece honors my love of Jazz music. It’s what I listen to every morning while I make Taz’s breakfast and my cafecito. Perfection!

New Throw Pillows & Inserts

I have no shame in saying that these pillows cost more than the coffee table…makes sense since my tester coffee table isn’t real marble! lol

I need to feel all the good feels in my space and nothing does that more than selecting fabrics and textures that embody that feeling. I was intentional about creating a space that was not only beautiful, but comfortable. In other words, I didn’t just want a stunning space, I needed to feel embraced and at ease in my space and these pillows do the job.

I chose linen fabric since it’s soft, yet airy, with a touch of elegance…perfection. I added that element in with the green and cream colored pillows (btw, green is me and Robert’s fave color). I could not forget about velvet so when I saw these rich velvet lumbar pillows, I knew they were perfect for the space. The same with this round tufted velvet pillow.

I also wanted to include a masculine touch to the room so I went with this leather lined linen throw pillow.

I was also intentional about selecting subtle patterns for the pillows since I didn’t want them to clash with the patterns going on in the room like the wallpaper, marble on the coffee table and grafitti art piece on the wall because everything must flow and work together, not compete against each other.

Now a bit about the inserts. I like my pillows to look filled out and not lose shape over time, which is why I always buy inserts one - two sizes larger than their cover.

For example, the square pillows are 20x20 and the inserts are 22x22. So I’m happy to report that they are still nice and full.

Another thing about the inserts is that I originally bought feather filled inserts - why I don’t know and I just could not with them so I returned them and splurged on down filled inserts and let me say that it was worth every dollar because wow…the softness and comfort is on another level.

New Throw Blanket

I was originally looking for something brown or copper toned, but I couldn’t find anything that I loved so I expanded my search (in other words I stopped using the filter feature and just looked at all throw blankets).

I’m so happy I did because I stumbled upon this beauty. She’s soft and large enough to cover and keep me warm when I’m Netflixin’ and chillin’.

Shop the look below:

So what’s left to do in this space?

Let’d do a quick run down:

new side table (this has been ordered, but won’t arrive until late August since it’s back ordered - it’s so worth the wait because it is a true representation of me and Robert - it gives a combination of guirra meets african drum vibes)
deep clean the sectional (I plan on eventually replacing the sectional…someday. For now, our placeholder sectional works)
moving the large wall mirror to the bedroom
remove the weird ass wall that sits between the entryway/foyer and living room (why do contractors place walls in the weirdest of places…whyyyy?)

So there is the update. If you want to see how this space began (is it really the same room because the difference?…just wow!) check it out over here and catch up.

The next area of the house to get a transformation is our bedroom, the full bath, half bath, kitchen….basically all the damn rooms in the house including the closets. So stay tuned because there a lot of changes happening in the Jamison home (btw Pluto is now in my 4th house IYKYK😉)

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How I'm Transforming My Living Room To Match My Vibe - The Reveal