WATERSIDE WEDNESDAY: LIVING ROOM MAKEOVER

For today’s Waterside Wednesday, I’d like to share a sensational makeover.
Decorator Joetta Moulden is the sorceress who turned this tired living room...

... into a seaside paradise on a budget of only $2,000.

Here's how she did it:

When Joetta first saw her clients 11' x 17' living room it was filled with hand-me-down-stuff that looked outdated. The room had dark industrial carpeting and a brown ceiling fan that dominated the ceiling making it feel lower than eight feet.

"With two opposing window walls and a large doorway that opened into the kitchen the room had virtually no walls," says Joetta. " The homeowners, Kathryn and Bradford, tried repeatedly to find a functional furniture arrangement but had given up."After a new floor plan and ocean, sky and sand color scheme was established, Joetta, her intern Toni and the homeowners set to work.

Joetta suggested removing the ceiling fan's schoolhouse light, and painting the fan and the ceiling the same color as the walls to create the illusion of more height.

Lightening the room came next. They couple painted the the walls, ceiling and fan in Behr's 'Riviera Sand' and the aluminum windows, tile window ledges, woodwork, and shelving in Behr's 'Moon Rise'. After painting the window frames, it looked s if they had installed new windows.

Casual blue denim slipcovers (www.surefit.net) made an overwhelming difference on the existing seating. It also transformed a beat up ottoman borrowed from another room and topped with a bed pillow.

Before

After

Joetta purchased several new items for the room, including a 9' x 12' seagrass rug (www.homedecorators.com). A Colonial style rocker ($200), a rattan trunk/coffee table ($150) and several $8 lined baskets came from Pier 1.

Toni and Joetta cut down discontinued lumbar striped pillow covers from Pottery Barn ($12.49) and used the fabric to cover 'Gosa Gott' down pillows from Ikea. Each $3.99 down pillow was stitched down the center to create a pair of squares!
Ikea was also the source for inexpensive reed blinds ($12.99) and 'Lenda' curtain panels ($29.99). Joetta trimmed the panels with blue ticking stripe for a coordinated effect.


Inspired by the room's new lighter palette, Kathryn painted the base and neck of a seashell lamp, as well as a driftwood lamp in bright white. "We took the lamps with us to Target to try on lampshades, and purchased three new cottage worthy toppers for $38," Joetta says proudly.

Before

After

New shelving (www.closits.com) is stacked on top of the existing barrister bookcases. It serves as practical storage for the couple's books and adds a decorative element to the wall. The beach scene above the tv was treated to a new simple white frame that the couple made crafted.

The original oil painting was lowered and balanced with another painting.Pretty impressive!

To see more of Joetta's makeovers or subscribe to her free newsletter, go to www.shelterstyle.com.

All photos by Janet Lenzen (www.janetlenzen.com)

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