living room progress

i've been meaning to post a few pictures of our living room progress and finally had a second during hero's nap this morning. hooray!

this space isn't complete but it's the most put-together area in our house now and we are LOVING how it's all looking. so here's the background on some of the pieces...

sectional: we purchased this from thrive and are obsessed with this thing. our biggest new house splurge, we bought it during their labor day sale and saved $750. if you've never heard of thrive, you should really take a minute and check out their furniture. my little sister bought two matching sofas last year and our family's been hooked ever since.

ottoman: snagged this at home goods right after chas and i got married. $150 i think? we love that the top lifts up like a chest so there's plenty of storage inside for quilts and blankets. ultimately, we may switch it out for a more sleek, modern wooden coffee table and use this guy as a fireplace bench or something but for now, it works great.

wool rug: this used to be in our bedroom and it's been so fun having it out in the living room for a change. i got it two years ago at nps market square in salt lake (a MUST-visit for local bargain hunting) for $150. total steal of a deal.

side table: $40 on ksl (utah's version of craig's list). it's actually an original record stand and even has slots inside for record sleeves. this is another piece that will eventually get replaced for something a little nicer.

side table accessories: hobby lobby and ikea. they work for now. pretty simple :)

floor lamp: target. $80.

black accent chair: thrifted by my little sister for $8 in idaho. it's a bit too small for the space but a good placeholder for now.

fireplace mantle artwork: just some prints and original art we've been collecting over the years. the clock is from ikea. we wanted to keep all the small, accent art in this space pretty basic and neutral- but fun.

small gallery wall artwork: we call this our "family wall" because everything in this arrangement represents the family in some way. we love the modern designed proclamation to the family. (you can download your own copy here.) we've already gotten lots of compliments on it- a fresh take! the two paintings are our most prized artworks- original brian kershisnik pieces that we got last year at an art show in provo. and then the crocheted piece is actually from bolivia. my sister brought it back for me years and years ago. it's symbolic of the family because families, as whole, come together to make each one of these and then sell them. so every member of the family is in charge of a certain aspect of the process of creating this. i love that visual image and metaphor of how families work together to build something unique and beautiful. lastly, the wire letter "k" is from urban outfitters.

bison skull: or, as we like to call him, skully. he's such a fun and unique statement piece and really makes the fireplace totally work together. i get asked a lot where skully's from- we got him from a local artist, owen mortensen.

fireplace wood: we have two fireplaces in this house- both are fully functional. for safety reasons, i want to wait until we can afford to install a gas log kit instead of having an open fire. but after seeing how fun the stacked wood looks, we may never change it :)

plans for wall above sectional: yesterday i bought a ginormous blank canvas for this wall space. it's going to be the focal point of the room. my dad is an amazing artist and we've commissioned him to create a painting for us. the painting to going to represent our family, our story, and our faith. i'll leave it at that for now. i can't wait to see how it turns out!