New Family Room is Completed!

Phillip has finally completed the dining room to family room remodel project. He took down all of the box wood panels on the wall, painted the dark wood beams on the ceiling and baseboards. He insulated the wall with all of the windows, cleaned the wood (it was a real mess), repaired the windows, painted the radiator, sanded the walls and touched up damaged areas. We hung up the wall paper and put a decorative molding around it. I think that about covers it. It went from this:


To this:

It definitely is a lot brighter. We no longer feel that the space is some great big dark hole that is waiting to swallow us up. I still have some decorating to be done. I still have not found a chandelier that I like and can afford. I need some end tables and accessories (though I don't know where I will put the accessories since Parker can reach EVERYTHING). I am also working on making some drapes for the window behind the couch.


Some die-hards might want to pee their pants when the find out that I wanted the wood plate rails (above) taken down. Yes people, I do understand that respecting the house's age is important. But I also think it is important to decorate a house that reflects your family's personality. Create a room that you will actually enjoy and live in. If not, you might as well flush money down the toilet.


Phillip really wanted his big TV downstairs. Unfortunately, we only had one option as to where to place it. All of the walls had big windows or built-ins that would not accommodate his giant TV. This wall was the only full wall I had. I hated having to give it to the TV (I envisioned a huge painting on it), but fair is FAIR is guess (I say as I have my bottom lip pouting). I certainly did not want a big, black square screaming "Look at me, look at me!" on my only wall. This wall paper certainly helps take away some of the attention to the TV. Plus the print on the paper (Designer's Guild) is so french glam and modern at the same time. I love it! I am trying to decide if I want to put up some artwork on the wall as well - some vintage portraits or something. I also am trying to decide if I want to place a big animal head on the upper corner (of course not a real head. Don't you know me at all? I have a big bull head that is black plastic that was once a head to a bull you can ride on for practice. It is the coolest thing and by far my best garage sale find EVER!! Phillip thought it was silly to buy it, but I tell you that bull has started more conversations than anything else.)


Just a few little tid-bits. I love my Philippe Starck lamp (the man is brilliant, I swear!). I found this mantel clock at a great junk store here in town. You can not tell in the picture, but it looks like a jello mold with rocks in it. So quirky I had to have it.


The built-in bar before:


And after:
Believe me, I wanted to paint this whole wall white. But I let Phillip win this battle (for now). This built-in, though beautiful and rich looking, is so heavy and dark. It takes up just about the whole wall. Your eye is immediately drawn to it because it is so dominating. I think of it as visual pollution. As a result, we did not do much to it. I might place a paper in the upper cabinets that have glass doors to add a bit more lightness to it. I have not decided yet. Regardless, for as much as we like to entertain, it is nice to have the cabinet in the family room.

Notice the lion's paws on the side table? I love this little table.
The cutest dog, EVER! I love you Pete.

My Birthday, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Anniversary present all rolled into one! I love this chair!! Missoni make the best fabric. It has every color I could ever want.


My cabinet and pottery pieces. Don't you just love the big, ugly baby lock on the cabinet? I hate that I have to do that. More visual pollution (Heavy sigh.)

So that is the room in a nut shell. I still have little decorating things I need to do. When I get around to it (and the money for it), I will share it with you.

More photos will come soon of the kitchen cabinets that we just finished as well as the front yard project we are working on.

I swear it is never ending.