Updating the Living Room on a Budget

Being a stay at home mom, I find myself at home a lot (it is in the title right?!) meaning that I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can redo/reorganize the house.  So instead of making us go into debt and changing up my entire house–I have decided to share my computer window shopping to this blog (as it may make me have less an urge to purchase everything!!).

1. New Couch: The IKEA Extorp sectional is a bargain and steal of a deal from what I have researched.  Additionally, many people rave about how it is a solid piece of furniture and can stand the test of time.  Drew complains that I will take a good bargain over quality any day (which is partially true), but apparently this couch is a really good bang for your buck.  Also, you can purchase additional slip covers to switch up the style and replace if the covers get too dirty!  Being a mom and dog mom (Scout totally dominates our couches), I LOVE the idea of being able to throw the covers in the wash and clean them.
2. Tufted Ottoman: One of our first purchases was a coffee table off of Craigslist with matching side table and sofa table.  I love my coffee table, as it is one of the pieces in our home that is not a hand-me-down from our family (it was a hand-me-down from a stranger, but we got to pick it out!).  However, having my little man around means that nothing can go on top of the table (as he will throw everything off) and I constantly worry about him hitting his head on the table (we already had a bloody eye incident).  So, our coffee table is now just a large table in the middle of our living room that serves no purpose!  A tufted ottoman is the perfect solution–it is functional as it can be a foot rest or seat and it is soft with no harsh corners for Reid to bust his face.  And I can easily place a decorated tray on the ottoman when he is sleeping–I call it a win, win (see below).  The one I love is from CB2 (Crate and Barrel’s new line), but a bargain is from Hayneedle for only $99!!
3. New Rug: We have always had great success with rugs from Rugsusa.com.  I purchased a couple of rugs last year and they have held up pretty well.  I have been eyeing a shag cream rug for months now and am just waiting for a big sale to hit (they sometimes go up to 80% off) to purchase the rug.  The one I love is 100% wool (Tuscan Moroccan Shag Rug), but is a tad more expensive then the option that I will probably go with (Moroccan Diamond Shag Rug).  Both have amazing reviews, and would brighten up our living room.  My only concern is staining, but I figure that some scotch guard can go a long way!
4. Coffee Table Tray: If I was to get a tufted ottoman then the necessity of having a flat surface that is portable (able to take away when Reid is in the room) just makes sense :). I am in love with these two trays that have wood with cooper/gold plate accents from Mark and Graham (Striped Wood Acadia Tray) and Crate and Barrel (Beck Tray).  But my choice would probably be the Lynn Brass and Mirror Tray from Pottery Barn!
5. New Barstools: This is totally not in my living room, but Target is having a great sale and I am itching to cash in on it (Drew may have a point about my bargain hunting!).  There are awesome cushioned chairs on sale for under $100 and with a promo code for $40 off a purchase of $150 or more…these chairs are only $70 a piece!! Talk about a great purchase–my only concern is the durability and comfort of the chairs as I have not seen them in person.

I just love online window shopping and hope that this will curb my urge to buy everything I see online!! Off to enjoy my little man and this beautiful spring weather 🙂