Toy Box Living Room Before & After

This weekend I did some sprucing up in my neglected living room. It's been coming together since I last wrote about it not feeling "right" two months ago.

Before: I didn't go with either of the test swatches on the wall as you can see. I got rid of the torn couch and replaced it with my Scandinavian Mid Century Modern Couch, a happy Craigslist find.

I mix up the art above my fireplace mantel and I'm pleased with the results this time. The Audrey II is by my friend James Hance, the smaller paintings are by another friend and local artist Nicole Middleton.

Two large prints were purchased at an anime con. The carnival mask is from Ponce, Puerto Rico, where all my extended family lives. Toys are collected from flea markets, thrift stores, or my childhood toy box.

My Morpheous Chair A.K.A Man Chair is a party favorite. I use the chair more as a latter than casual reading these days, but I still love it. I found it three years ago when I lived in my first apartment.

(How did you think that Mexican star got up there? I used the chair and a stack of books. If blog posts suddenly halt it's probably because I broke my neck doing crap like this. .)

The colorful vintage cuttlefish anatomy poster is from a local antique store.

Before: The space felt a bit cramped and imbalanced. It's been a slow processing in editing to make the living room feel "right".

I spent a while on Saturday night arranging the photos into a modern rectangular shape. It took a lot of editing but I'm pleased with the results for now.

All of my favorite pop culture icons are represented. Transformers (twice), Micheal Jackson (twice), Sonic, Anime, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and even the growing love for the city I live in. (Tin fuel sign from my brother's gas station.)

My "cealacanth lamp" remains a favorite. He's the guardian of my cheap bookshelf filled with childhood VHS tapes. I'd toss 'em all if it wasn't for the commercials on 'em, they're more entertaining than the movies. (I've called the 1-800 numbers, they all still work. But they no longer sell the products!)

Antique mirror full of toys! I love pop culture and strong juxtapositions.

I love how people from my generation across the globe are united by pop culture. I grew up on the other side of the Atlantic, I couldn't speak Italian but my "friends" and I communicated with Nintendo, Sega, Michael Jackson cassets, and cartoons.

No matter how our cultures and nationalities differed, we were united by our love of Batman, Mario Brothers, and Sonic the Hedgehog. I've saved a lot of my relics from that era of my life. It's certainly reflected in my living room!

This post linked at:  Today's Creative Blog / Review Retreat / Craft Edition / Tuesday Tagalong / I Just Whipped Something Up Monday / Metamorphosis Monday / Making The World Cuter / Thrift Share Monday / Twice Owned Party / We Did it Wednesdays / Furniture Fix it Up