skip to main | skip to sidebar

Mini Manor Blog

    Thursday, April 18, 2013

    All you need is Lipstick

    I love a good before and after as much as the next person, but when you live in the house day in and day out, making small changes as you go. The Big reveal isn't so BIG. It's subtle and slow, a new pillow here, a new side table there. You barely notice the difference.

    Last week I came across a photo of our living room (taken from the kitchen) before we moved in. I couldn't believe the difference. I barely noticed . . . I always felt that we didn't "do much" in the living room. We didn't change the wall color, or alter the fireplace mantel. We kept the wood floors and the molding around the windows. We only changed the sconces on either side of the fireplace, and added our furniture and accents.
    The living room had good bones when we moved in so it's definitely an example of what a little "lipstick" can do.
    Today's post was for all the emails I get saying "That project was great, but I don't have a handy husband so I can't do that" or "That's fine, but I'm renting and I can't make permanent changes". Sometimes big renovations aren't necessary, the right scale furniture and some accents is all a room needs. Don't be discouraged because major reno's aren't possible.

    btw . . . who hates the two pendant lights in the first photo as much as I did!!! That was the FIRST thing we changed when we got the keys!
    Posted by Maillardville Manor at 3:55 AM
    Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
    Labels: Living Room

    15 comments:

    1. Lianka PradaApril 18, 2013 at 7:05 AM

      Hi, I think your blog is very very inspiring!

      I nominated your blog for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Visit Cuddlesandbubbles.blogspot.com for more information about it.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    2. Simply LKJApril 18, 2013 at 7:08 AM

      Pictures really do speak volumes. I look back on pictures of when we first moved in (20 years ago) and really have to LAUGH!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    3. Laura@Elegant NestApril 18, 2013 at 7:39 AM

      Great pictures...especially love the overhead shot! So fun to compare old photos to recent ones. I need a tube of that lipstick!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    4. JenApril 18, 2013 at 7:58 AM

      your home is just lovely. i adore your modern wingbacks and have been searching high and low for something comparable. anyone have any suggestions??

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    5. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 8:26 AM

      your right a lipstick is sometimes all one needs, beautiful room love the layering and pops of color good job Ashli.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    6. UnknownApril 18, 2013 at 8:36 AM

      Ashli, you have such a lovely home! I have been a reader of yours for a while now but have just started commenting. Quick and *random* question for you, what do you use to clean your floors? They look spotless and I can never get mine to look like that. Thanks!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    7. AnonymousApril 18, 2013 at 8:39 AM

      Love it! How did you guys close up the nook above the fireplace?

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    8. Lori April 18, 2013 at 9:50 AM

      It's always a great idea to take before and after pictures because you can easily forget how things looked previously. I had to chuckle when I saw little Max lying on the couch from the aerial picture. He looks like a little tiny toy. . .which he is, but he just looked so adorable lying there.

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    9. CaitlynApril 18, 2013 at 11:22 AM

      The pendent lights were the first thing I noticed - the old ones were awful, but I love your replacements!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    10. Tania @ Run To RadianceApril 18, 2013 at 12:08 PM

      Hah! I super boo the pendant lights also. :) Looks great- Love the difference!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    11. sarah m. dorseyApril 18, 2013 at 4:23 PM

      Agreed! It's great to look back at all the little changes at once! A great example of how you can completely change the feel of a room without power tools! and yes, those pendants were pretty bad, much much better now!!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    12. Jennifer ShawApril 19, 2013 at 12:12 PM

      Your home is beautiful! So much fun to see the changes you have made. I agree that it is the small final details that make a house into a home. LOL about the lights that you replaced. I may be weird but I love them! Keep in mind that I have a thing for quirky light fixtures. We just moved into our present home last fall and our kitchen lights are hilarious. The house is only 9 years old. The lights over the island are on long wires and look like little flying saucers. The large light over the kitchen table has a weird metal design with three little faces. I can't decide if it is Sasquatch or a vintage St. Nick. I guess most would have changed them out but somehow I feel attached and point them out to any new visitor. LOL I do love your new lights too! :)

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    13. LilPeach (aka Laura)April 20, 2013 at 9:25 AM

      I remember when you first posted pictures of the new house and I recall thinking that those pendants looked like giraffe necks suspended on ugly hardware. I was relieved when you took them out.

      Belated congrats on the adoption news! We were moving for the past month so no time to keep up on the blogs. I'm all caught up now! Ü

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    14. coshh risk assessmentApril 21, 2013 at 11:02 PM

      Side lights, I noticed that the first thing - the old one was terrible, but I love your alternatives!

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    15. AnonymousApril 23, 2013 at 5:07 PM

      Hi Ashley, Can you please tell me where you got your large white wall clock from? I'm looking for something exactly like that - large and white! Did you have to paint it? Thanks so much!!
      Karen (kdbvan@hotmail.com)

      ReplyDelete
      Replies
        Reply
    Add comment
    Load more...

    Home
    Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

    LinkWithin

    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
    Advertise with IZEA Media

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner



    stacey ann
    ~ ~ ~ ~ Open Floor Plan ~ ~ ~ ~
    For more Orthopaedic Mattresses
    ~~~~~Visit this website~~~~

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     


    Cutlery Tray for Jewelry!
    I LOVE Jewelry, real jewelry, costume jewelry, all of it . . . almost as much as I love shoes! I have a small jewelry box for my "re...
    Homemade Cleaners: Green Cleaning Recipes
    Since we started making our own Laundry Soap it only seemed natural to start making our own cleaners too. Not only for the natural aspect o...
    Bookcase Tutorial
    I LOVE built ins. I Can't afford Built-ins. But, I do have a husband and he's willing to work for food :) Here's how we turned ...
    Billy Bookcase all trimmed out!
    I love to read and as soon as you enter our home you can tell. The first thing you see on our main floor is all of my books. We use Ikea Bi...
    Slow Cooker Asian Garlic Chicken
           Since the arrival of Hudson in our lives . . . I have been cooking with either the phone (i.e. takeout) or the slow cooker. :) I thin...
    Also Featured Here!

    Promotional Codes

    • Shop Top Brands
      • Murad Coupons
      • Aliexpress
      • Pottery Barn Coupon Code
      • etnies Online Coupons
      • Famous Footwear

    • ►  2014 (7)
      • March (7)
    • ▼  2013 (99)
      • December (1)
      • November (2)
      • October (6)
      • August (4)
      • July (5)
      • June (9)
      • May (14)
      • April (19)
      • March (13)
      • February (13)
      • January (13)
    • ►  2012 (215)
      • December (14)
      • November (13)
      • October (18)
      • September (16)
      • August (17)
      • July (20)
      • June (20)
      • May (20)
      • April (18)
      • March (21)
      • February (19)
      • January (19)
    • ►  2011 (229)
      • December (11)
      • November (16)
      • October (18)
      • September (18)
      • August (22)
      • July (23)
      • June (16)
      • May (20)
      • April (20)
      • March (29)
      • February (19)
      • January (17)
    • ►  2010 (155)
      • December (17)
      • November (8)
      • October (13)
      • September (27)
      • August (24)
      • July (26)
      • June (40)

     

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Fish
    • Vegetarian
    • Dessert
    • Kitchen
    • Living
    • Office
    • Bedroom
    • Bathroom
    • Laundry
    • Garage
    • Flowers
    • Lawn
    • Vegetables
    • Valentine's
    • St. Patrick's
    • Easter
    • Thanksgiving
    • Halloween
    • Christmas
    • New Year's