Lighten Up Part Deux: Metamorphosis Monday

Inspired by Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Front Porch (here), I am continuing my mission to slipcover every inanimate object in my house. As much as I love dark, dramatic, and cozy rooms, I've been on a mission to lighten up my own home, or at least the front two rooms--a combination of living room and office/library. I've found that with each step toward a lighter look, my own outlook brightens. Though I've had several distractions in the past month, I've continued with my plans. Here is the office/library as seen through the cased opening from the living room. Notice the brown trim (what was I thinking?), the brown chairs, the heavy esspresso colored desk, the black book cases and the dark orange in the adjoining dining room. I think this was a nesting instinct after the trauma of Katrina and the difficult in renovating the house afterwards--I was searching for a safe and cozy haven. Eventually, though, cozy and warm became heavy and suffocating.

Notice the chair on the extreme right in the above photo (I swear it looked better in person). It was the catalyst for the latest round of change. My partner picked them out--they are recliners (for the sake of truth in reporting, I will say that they are among the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in)--and in a rare moment of weakness I let him have them--a decision I instantly and long regretted. However, the fabric was defective, and Lane replaced them---however, the original fabric and wood finish were no longer available, and there was no similiar pattern. I liked the new dark arms, hated the new fabric--at any rate it wouldn't go with the current scheme, so I slip covered the black sofa. I liked it so much, I decided to slipcover the new chairs as well:

At that point, I decided I didn't like the current furniture plan, and moved the larger recliners to the office and the brown chairs (awaiting their own slips) into the living room where they are a bettter fit. I moved the desk on to a new home (a young engaged couple who just bought their first house), and replaced it with an antique round tiger maple table--I had always loved that English country look with a round table piled with books and things. I still have a work space, but I also have a more adaptable floor plan for entertaining--the changes really opened up a lot of floor space in the office. Edited bookshelves, wide off-white horizontal stripes in the dining room, and creamy trim complete the transformation:

And, you might ask, why are slipcovers necessary in this house?

I give you Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B: