Little did I know that it would take us this long to get this far on our family room. Actually, we thought that a paint job and hiding all the wires would be all we would do this first year.
I reeaallly wanted a mantle, but even after scouring KSL for used ones, I knew there wouldn't be any way we could afford one right now. Enter our neighbors. We had them over for dinner one night and she learned about my love for holidays and thought it was so sad that we didn't have mantle to decorate. I completely agreed with her. She then told us about her house didn't have one either when they moved in and her family friend built them a cheap one. She asked him if we would build us one and he kindly offered for such a great price we couldn't refuse. (He was in the middle of a house remodel himself but whipped out a mantle in a week and half. Bless that man.)
It took a few weeks to get it painted because I had to wait for nice weather to spray it.
And then it took a few more weeks to actually get it hung.
And then we had to adjust some of the TV cords.
And then we had to cut the baseboards to fit the new space. And we still need to paint them and attach them, but you can't tell. Shh. It's our secret.
We keep most of the toys upstairs, but we want this room to be a place for the kids to play as well. It was driving us crazy to be stepping on them and not having a place for them. We found a cheap little shelf at Target to keep a few toys and books in the corner. Blake really has loved helping put things together.
Now, it finally has looks like a room. Since it's Easter time, you get to see the Spring version. And those extra dining chairs will someday be replaced with more comfy seating or a sectional.
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| ^i love how brandon made all the cords from TV to DVD cabinet hidden. gives it such a great, clean feel. |
Family Room To-Do List
Paint WallsRun cords through wall and under baseboardHang TVFigure out a shelf solution for DVD playerGet a mantlePaint a mantle- Paint and reattach baseboards
- Get new seating: sectional or 2 couches and some chairs?
- Get a large colored rug to break up the brown carpet
Small toy shelf?- Hang mirror
- Decorate walls/ collage wall?
Details:
Paint color: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter @ 75% plus 2 extra ounces of white
DVD cabinet: IKEA
Mantle color: Rustoleum matte white spray paint
Toy shelf: Target
Lamp: Thrifted for $6 and spray painted (this is the 2nd color now)
I've been waiting for these pictures for quite some time! It looks FANTASTIC! I love it! And I love your pajama legs in the reflection of the fireplace! ;)
ReplyDeleteI also loved the pajama leg reflection. :) It's coming along so nicely. I love the pops of color and the Spring decorations. I especially LOVE the mantle. What a great way to add some architectural interest to the room. (also, think you would love the blog housetweaking.com if you don't already read it. See what she did with their "builder basic" home!)
ReplyDeleteI want to see a floorplan of your house. Do you have one? I think adding a rug will be a nice way to pull it together and break up the brown. Check out RugsUSA.com -- I get nearly all my rugs there when they go on 60-80% sale (happens all the time).
I think two straight-lined armchairs would like nice with your existing couch. Alternatively, if you replace your couch with a straight armed sectional (like the IKEA Karlstad), I think two armchairs with more of a curved line would be nice (like wingback chairs in a modern fabric).
How does Blake do with plants? I want to put a tree in front of that window to the left of your fireplace or a something alive and green on a plant stand.
What are your thoughts on curtains? I'm a big fan (obviously, from the looks of our house!) and you can get curtain rods pretty cheaply from Amazon or Overstock and curtains are really affordable at IKEA (or sewn if you're handy...I am not).
Framed art or photos on the wall, along with a mirror on the wall opposite the fireplace (to bounce the light around) will really finish the space.
Finally -- have you considered pulling the couch off the wall? For example, if you got a sectional, pulling it off the wall and floating it on a rug centered in the room, then adding the chairs on the other side. you could then put a long & low shelving unit (IKEA Expedit? Maybe a refurbished dresser?) on the long wall with the couch for toy storage.
Hope you don't see any of this as criticism! I love what you've done so far (especially the kitchen!), just having fun thinking about all the wonderful possibilities of your space! :)