Great Room Reinvented

We still haven't made any decisions about furniture in the living room. Just couldn't commit to a couch. So, I brought in the patio furniture this weekend to see if we might like a living room. The old rug is from the Good Will--and has been sitting under my bed for a year.

Another angle. Notice the unfinished fountain through those French doors. It's on the to-do list. 

The sun was setting in this shot so there's a bit of a haze. Another angle on the living room. We are talking about hanging a wood swing between the couch and chair.

Open concept room and open concept kitchen. The advantage is that everything is within reach. Most people comment about the magnetic holder for the knives. That little alcove above the Ikea island holds the phone, but it's also a docking station for my iPhone.

Second set of French doors lead out to the flagstone patio. I was going to sweep the bougainvillea flower petals, but decided that I like how they look. They create such a pop of color that the interior palette needs to work with fuscia.

Surprisingly, the whole family LOVED the new living room space defined. Both kids have started to do everything in this area now. I guess that's a good sign. We'll stick with the patio furniture here for now, but I'm keeping an eye out for furniture styles we like. What do you think?