For the past couple of months, I’ve been doing a few small and inexpensive upgrades around the house. I still haven’t built up enough nerve to drain our savings to have our old 1950’s pink and black bathroom redone (photos here), but for the most part, I’m happy with the outcome of each project. Last year I gave our living room facelift by changing out the curtains and upgrading the pillows which gave the room a whole new vibe, but this year I’ve found that I’ve grown tired of the curtains as they were a bit thin and I wanted something that encompassed the whole Jungalow vibe that I’ve fallen in love with. If you’re familiar with the Jungalow/Urban Jungle decor you know that meant a lot more color and plenty of greenery.
Before
2017 Refresh
I didn’t want to spend too much money in the room so incorporating plants was a great way to add pops of color. I love stopping in plants stores whenever I’m in a new town. You never know what new type you’re going to find. So that I wouldn’t go too plant crazy, I made a list of some of the most covetable ones that I wanted to have in my collection. You know this meant I had to own a fiddle leaf fig, a Monstera Deliciosa, a Bird of Paradise, and a Manrata also known as the praying plant which is one of my favorites! There are several different types of plants spread out throughout my home and for a while, I thought the Hubs wouldn’t be to keen to the idea of having a mini jungle inside our home, but surprisingly he loves it and even has a few faves.
If having a house full of plants has taught me anything it’s to trust the process. Sometimes I scroll through Instagram to get ideas on the best way to stage my plants, and I see other folks plant out here just flourishing while some of mine hadn’t even dared to pretend like they wanted to make me a plant Grandma by bestowing a new leaf. I understood that when I go them, they weren’t the healthiest, so I just chalked it up to them being too stunned to grow due to trauma. Plants, however, want to do their own thing. As long as you’re giving them the proper amount of water, food, and light they’ll grow when they’re good and ready. I’d all but gave up on my Home Depot Bird of Paradise and Fiddle finds until they both started shooting out new growth like crazy.
Amazing Book on how to stage your plants
Even though I loved my blue curtains, I still wanted more color. My goal was to make this room feel like a home away from home and so I when I spied these yellow geometric curtains in the color “Summer Wheat” at Target I knew immediatly that they had to come home with me, that is once they went on sale. It took a few months but the price finally dropped enough to where I felt justified in bringing them home.
At first, I was a bit nervous that they were too bright, but after a few days, they’d grown on me and really brought life into the space. I added a few Monstera pillows as well as this gorgeous green ottoman that almost walked away from but came to my senses and picked up at HomeGoods.
With these minor changes, this space is almost perfect for me. I say almost because I would like to get a new area rug. In the mornings I love to just come and sit in in the room and enjoy the peace and quiet with my cup of coffee. It’s like having my own private oasis and I love how it feels very Jungalow without being too bohemian. The next space I can’t wait to share with you all is my kitchen nook so be sure to check back next week!
