Aside from the bedrooms, the living room is by far the most UNDERdecorated space in the Lodge. While the much larger kitchen/dining space on the other side of the fireplace is pretty well taken care of, this side is looking pretty sparse. Pretty dull. Pretty blah.
Translation: Help me? Please?
From the hallway looking out into the main part of the house, it’s looking pretty good. I’ll be moving that black/tiled piece of art to another location; it’s just parked there for the time being.
But take a few steps forward and turn to the left…and it’s a little bit (i.e. very) drab.
I knew this was an area we’d need to tackle soon, but I’ve been putting it off for a very good reason: I’m completely uninspired when I look at this space. Honestly, I’ve tried…but I couldn’t have fewer ideas for this space if my brain were missing from my skull.
Here it is from the opposite side of the room.
Let me fill you in on a couple of things.
The chair on the other side of the room is new, and up close, it’s really delicious: the leather is weathered and soft, and it’s as comfortable as it can be. I ordered a second one, so that’s coming. The piece of furniture closest to me is also new—Marlboro Man sat in it and instantly fell in love…but unfortunately, it smells like a cow’s bottom.
I’m just being honest. And Marlboro Man and I are pretty easygoing and non-picky when it comes to things like this. But when you sit in a chair and it smells like the inside of a cow’s intestinal tract…well, let’s just say the furniture store was very nice and said they’d be glad to exchange it for something else.
The lamp with the “X” is going away—it was just a spare from my house that I threw in there the night we watched the UFC fight.
The question mark on the walls signifies my utter cluelessness as to what to do there.
What would you do in this space?
I’ve read a handful of suggestions from people who say, “Get the furniture away from the wall!” I’ve never heard of this concept. Please explain.
And then…would all of you please decorate this space for me? What goes on the wall? Photographs? If so, how large? How many? What arrangement? Once the cow bottom chair is gone and the matching new chair arrives, what do we need to achieve a good looking/functional furniture arrangement? The leather furniture is more for durability (ranch=stains) than anything else, but how do you wake up leather furniture and add some color? Color is sorely missing from the equation.
This area is stumping me almost as much as the kitchen hood.
I need you.
I need you badly.
Love,
P-Widdy
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
