Friday, November 15, 2013

House Tour: Living Room

Oh, hello!  I'm back.  And I'm ready.

Since we've finally shown ourselves off at Apartment Therapy, I'm ready to unload the goods.  The before...and how and why and do and don't and this and not that...all the things that got us to where we are.  And in love with where we live.

Finally.

But before I show, I need to share.  Two people who made this all possible.  If you are local, I recommend them without hesitation.  Contact them.  Tell them I sent you.

Kirsten Marshall of Palmerston Design and Nuno Teixeira of Caliber Group

Still with me?  Ready?  Me too.

Today, the living room.  Here's where we were before.

Before

Your typical box of a living room.  Front of the house, sharing width with the entryway.  The only thing missing was the faux fireplace/mantel we removed years ago.  Not original to the house = not a sin.



Demo
Framed
Drywalled
After

Is it the same?  You might think so, but look a little deeper.  It's all in the detail.

Like that couch...

Investment

A sectional.  I'm in love.  And I cannot sing it's praises any more than I already do.

We LOVED our old couch.  It was a hand-me-down, but a good one, and it pained me to get rid of it.  But that couch had it's day and Craigslist found it a new home.  It spoiled us for quality, so we knew we had to get a good replacement. 

Cut to us driving down the street from where we purchased our hardwood and noticing a sign in front of a warehouse that said "Barrymore" - we pulled in.  Hours later, we walked away knowing we found it.  Our forever couch.  It was a small fortune, more than we intended to invest, but worth spending most days and every night sitting on it.  Easily a top ten decision.  Hands down.

Now, the niches.

Before
Framed
Taped
Done

We are a TV family.  No apologies.  We had the fireplace debate and it lost.  My decorative mantel is a niche.  And it works.

You know what else works?

Wood

The coffee table.  With the niche.  I stumbled upon the table with matching wood after all the niche decisions were made.  It was meant to be. 

But not all our woods are the same.  The niche/table is different from the floor is different from the kitchen table.  You can have multiple woods in a space.  Just make sure they play together nicely. 

And use stuff you already have.

by Justice Darragh for AT

Find three things here from the two before pictures.  Stumped?  Leather chair, lamp and rug.  Big pieces.  Easily reused and still love.

Ok, there's a fourth.  The curtains.  I'll always love those curtains.

But my favorite part?  I thought you'd never ask.

Where's The Cable Box?

See that cabinet sneaking into the lower left corner?

Close Up

It's our media home base.  And I'm pulling the curtain aside.  That's an IR extender for an outdated cable box that whispers sweet nothings to our remote.  Also mistaken for a tiny spaceship.

If you take anything away from this room reveal, hide your cable box with this IR extender.  Do it now.  It will change your life for $40.


Lastly, as all good renovations do, putting holes in the walls now scares us. 

Holes Go Here

We think we need holes here.  We just don't know what artwork the nails in those holes will hang.  I'm on the huntdown for a "forever couch" worthy piece.  And it might take longer to find than the whole darn renovation did.


4 comments:

  1. You know I love your house :-) Such a great before and after (and it isn't even the most dramatic in your home!! I just checked out palmerston design's site and OMG they have some INSANE stuff. AHH. Makes me want to buy a fixer upper and hire them!

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  2. Keira @ The Bennett HouseFriday, November 15, 2013 8:14:00 pm

    Beautiful, Meg! I absolutely love your house. Great TV idea-- beats a regular wall hung one hands down.

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  3. Thank you, Janice! Yes, Kirsten is wildly talented. But you two together would make for an amazing combo!!

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  4. Thank you, Keira! I thought for sure I'd regret not having some sort of fireplace. But with the TV there, we enjoy that room EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I don't know if I'd say the same if we went the other way. And you're right - a niche can hide lots of stuff behind a flat screen that a wall hung won't let you :)

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