Thursday, July 10, 2014

$0 and a blank slate...again.


hey there.

that's kind of a sheepish "hey there"...the way a girl says it when she has gone and done something rather rash.

remember when i was freaking out because my family room had no color? and then remember when i put a lot of color in there? well, as predicted by my husband, i was able to live with it for approximately three weeks before i freaked out again. this time, i decided it wasn't so much the color i couldn't live with, but the wall color. charcoal greyish brownish. ugh. it felt so dark and depressing when all around me (read: all around me on the internet, which is a sort of a dangerous place to be) were these light, bright, airy, clean-looking white rooms.

so when our painter came to do the office, i had him slather the same coat of sherwin williams alabaster all over the family room. [monkey with hands over mouth emoji!]

i LOVE it, but in an i'm-freaking-out-again-because-i-haven't-had-white-walls-since-'04-and-i've-never-known-how-to-decorate-around-them kind of way. and ryan says it looks like a hospital. a hospital. that's a direct quote.

and the fireplace, which i've never loved but which blended in to the dark walls so as not to perpetually annoy me, now perpetually annoys me.

this is the point in my young blog's life (everyone has it) where i'm going to melt down on you. help me!!!!!!!!! i am literally begging for your suggestions.

alright, i know you want pictures.

before:


now:



i know. what have i done, right? ahh!!! but you know deep down, when you look past all the chaos, it's going to look better. 


here's what it looks like now that i have the furniture back where it goes. or at least where i think it goes:


how would you decorate this room? in addition to the furniture above, here is what i have to work with:


it's basically all the stuff left over from last time with the addition of a lovely little pouf from target. that beige fabric with the red stripe is a curtain. the band on it is just fabric paint. i thought about going over the band and making it navy instead.

my chairs can stay, but they don't have to. i have a dark wood coffee table in the basement that i could switch with the ottoman. (actually, anything you can think of is probably in my basement). 

now for a really important question, what would you do with the fireplace?


options i have thought of would be painting the brick white (to which ryan says "hard pass") and adding a barn board mantle. or leaving the brick grey and making the mantle more traditional, like with white wood and trim and stuff. or leaving it as is until it all comes back in style (you know, the trick i'm using in my master bathroom)! i'd love to tear the mantle off altogether and then paint the brick white but i know something that stark is out of the question.

i'd love to pretend i'm paloma contreras: super designer. someone who never has any qualms, never second guesses herself and never needs help in any way. but that is not me. i'm pretty good most of the time, but i have days i get stuck. on those days i need you to come here and hold my hand (and stop for a frappucino and some donuts on your way, ok?) and tell me it's all going to work out.


it does look like a hospital, doesn't it? (you're supposed to say no).

oh and one more thing. i've spent all my house money elsewhere this year, so the budget for this room is zero dollars. haha. so, suggestions...go!

22 comments :

  1. I like the before picture! Kisses. -Ryan

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  2. you're such a stinker! [monkey with hands over mouth emoji] and i love ryan's comment above...and he's going to hate me for this...but PAINT THAT FIREPLACE WHITE! have you looked at Emily Henderson's redesign she is in the mists of? her boy was very against the white paint on the fireplace as well, but man oh man does it look sharp...and yes to the barn wood mantle...it's pretty now, but that sucka would be a beauty!

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  3. i take it all back...she kept the brick! but painted everything else white...DON'T PAINT THE BRICK! bahahahaha

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    1. hahahahaha you're too funny!! THANK YOU for the amazing suggestions you emailed me too!! i love your idea of pulling in more wood furniture. as i looked again at the pictures you are so right, that would really help. i'm trolling craigs list...

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  4. I don't know what all these other "comment as" options even are, so I'm just going with Anonymous...but this is me, Holly!! You know my K-Mart taste isn't going to help much here, but my thoughts on the fireplace even before I got to your comment about switching out the mantle was to perhaps paint your mantle some crazy funky color? Just enough to draw attention to it and away from the brick, and to give the "hospital room" a splash of color and uniqueness...but I don't know how exactly that would look in real life. It looks cool in my head. :-)

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    1. LOL you have excellent taste...evidence: you have selected me as your best friend. HA! ;-)

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  5. You've done it again! (As your dear mother and husband know all too well :)) I'd throw some white on that fireplace brick next if I was you.

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    1. AHH! ryan says "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" hahahaha...but i think you're right! love you mamacita!!

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  6. So, $0 huh? Well I'd for sure swap out the ottoman for the dark coffee table. You need some dark for balance. I love how that end table looks between the two couches (don't you love how I use the word "couches" on a design blog...sofa and love seat). Even the tv looks good as dark against the light walls. I was thinking that some dark hard wood flooring would look awesome, but that'd be hard to do for $0. The fireplace is tricky too. I'm with Ryan on not painting it. Once you do it there ain't no going back...that sucker is painted forever. I think you could do something with the mantle though. Perhaps a dark walnut stain or even white paint. Another thing to try and minimize the focus of the fireplace would be to get something up on the walls on either side of it. A large portrait of me should do the trick. But I will leave it to your abilities to come up with what that should be. That is all. I can't wait to see it in person.

    Chad

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    1. 1. i had no idea who was writing this until i got to the end. i thought you were a real designer! obviously you need to drop finance and pursue your true calling immediately.
      2. you are correct. the more i think about it, wood furniture would even make the brownish brick seem less horrible. a little.
      3. i'm impressed you knew the design-y terms for couches.
      4. agreed. extending the wood flooring is a someday MUST.
      5. please let me know when those portraits will be available at your etsy shop. i'll be first in line. ;-)

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  7. Laura, I love the white! I think it is such a nice fresh look and a great blank canvas to build from. Your colorful accessories are going to be great in there. I have a million other ideas, so I hope you don't mind what is going to amount to a brain dump. I don't know what you have in that basement of yours, but here are some ideas: The dark wood coffee table and chunkier dark mantle sound divine (you could probably use your existing mantle to build from. I've seen some good, cheap tutorials for that if you need one.) I would wait to paint the brick until you have exhausted all your other options. I love the idea of some colorful artwork (which knowing you, you could totally DIY). Have you ever thought of building a gallery wall around your tv? I love those and Pinterest has a million ideas. I am wondering about a couple of added items, which if you already have them, that would be awesome, but could potentially be purchased on the cheap. A big, colorful rug or even a simple jute/sisal rug would look fantastic layered over the carpet and either give you more color or some grounding in the space. Rugs USA often has the best deals. I also would love to see a matching set of chairs on either side of the fireplace. I'm not sure the brown one on the left fits into the color scheme anymore? If you have a set, the symmetry would be nice. I also really like the idea of some greenery, like maybe a big fiddle fig leaf on the right side of the fireplace. (They have these at Ikea right now for like $15, so very doable.) It would be nice to have a few other greenery bits, like maybe succulents on the coffee table, etc. I always think live elements are so great in a room, though I totally struggle to actually keep them alive:) Oh, and some nice throws draped around would give it some texture and comfort. (I could probably give you a million other ideas, too, but I'm gonna reign it in:) When I see a blank canvas like this, I just get so excited, because it has heaps of potential. I can't wait to see what you do with the space!!

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    1. grace!!! you're a genius. these are ALL such good ideas! my wheels are spinning...this is exactly what i needed. yes, i have totally thought about a gallery wall...i've even thought about moving the sofa to the bigger wall so i could do one even more properly. last time i did the family room i tried doing a few of my own paintings but they looked like a kindergartner did them. or a really drunk person. actually either of those people would have done a better job. i'll have to get back on the horse. i have never considered a rug (i might be scared of them, i'm not sure...like, on a committment level) but that would be awesome. and yes, i do need matching chairs. i've definitely grown out of the painted furniture shabby look and would love something more modern. (and the zebra chair tooooottallllly doesn't fit the colors anymore)! AND are you serious $15 fiddle leaf figs??? if they were open i would seriously drive over to ikea right now in my pajamas. huge hugs and thanks my friend!!

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  8. you guys! i was geeking out when i read your comments, all six times i read them. i love every last word each of you said. THANK YOU truly...you are so inspiring me with all these ideas!!

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  9. Laura, I love the room completely white!!!..so pretty and fresh and a totally blank canvas :) ok, so I do have a few ideas...first, are you wanting to stay with the fun bright colored pillows? If so, you could get some great wide striped panels (if your ceilings are 8 ft., west elm has the navy/white, grey/white or celadon/white), I have the celadon/white in one of our bathrooms and I LOVE it! Or...you could paint some wide stripes on drop cloths from home depot or lowes (cheap and it looks so easy!!) ... Next, I think I would paint the gorgeous white chest a really warm, neutral color. Depending on if you are into the cool tones, or warm tones, you could do a light warm grey or a seagrass or sisal color. The chest is so beautiful, it should stand out from the white walls. If you love the bright colors, you could also paint the chest a fun bright color...pale aqua? Are you familiar with Edie's lifeingraceblog.com? If not, go to her blog and go to the 'decorating' tab and then her house tour...she is THE queen at mixing fun, bright colors and patterns. I would also get some throws .. herringbone or plaid maybe? Ok, and as far as the fireplace, painting it white, or a light white wash, would definitely be first choice, but that is SO permanent, so a second choice would be to put together or find a salvaged mantel, that would be thicker and deeper than the one you have...one to kind of cover the brick above the actual fireplace and one that would wrap down vertically along the sides of the fireplace, covering more brick ... and then paint that white instead of the brick! hahaha I am certainly not a designer, but hope that helps a little!! I know it will look incredible whatever you choose to do .. keep us posted! ... your insta friend, linda :)

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    1. linda!! thank you!! i knew you'd have great ideas. ;-) ok, so i'm reading it and saying yes...yes...in my head along with everything you said, hahaha! i have totally thought about putting more of a mantle surround (and definitely something chunkier), maybe even having ryan make one. (it's so handy that he's so handy...and he'd probably enjoy building something that avoided the need for painted brick, haha!) and i'm not sure at all about keeping the colors i have now or not. it's weird...i think i like colors but then i look through my pinterest boards and the house tours i've featured, and they're pretty much all white and dark brown (white walls, white couches, mid-tone wood, congac leather on accent chairs...with a fiddle leaf fig thrown in there, of course!) and then i think perhaps i should just go more that route and just get my color fix from fresh flowers. ;-) ANYWAYS...thanks again!! i will definitely go check out the life in grace blog!!

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    2. Oh! that's so good that Ryan is handy!! Mine, unfortunately, is NOT haha. And, yeah, I didn't know if you were still wanting to stay with the fun patterns and colors, or go a more neutral route...which, I'm totally wanting to do (thanks to IG and pinterest of course)!! What you're maybe wanting to do sounds gorgeous! .. white, espresso and simple greenery. Can't wait to follow along with the progress :) ! linda

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  10. Laura, I love how crisp your room looks in white! I love the ideas of adding some warmth with natural wood tones and textures. I am personally obsessed right now with stacked logs or stacked firewood as an accent or wall treatment. You have a great spot on the left and right of the fireplace! I would consider white washing the brick (not completely painting an opaque finish - leave a little of the brick peeking through) and adding stacked wood as a cool focal point. I just sent you a couple of pins to look at! Can't wait to see it come together! Christine

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    1. thank you christine!! such great thoughts! i would not have thought about stacked logs (it's actually a gas fireplace) but ryan and i both LOVE the way they look and i loved the pins you sent me. it would be a great way to pull in that warmth, and cheaper than new furniture, haha! and as for the fireplace brick, i am so on the same page as you. i actually love the textures and variation in the brick, just not the darkness, so a wash of some kind to lighten it without totally covering it would be perfect. hmm...

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  11. Oh! I love the white room, looks so clean and fresh. I honestly have no idea what to do with the fireplace but I can't wait to see what you figure out! Oh, also love the pouf and fun pillows!

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    1. haha, thanks noey! i appreciate the vote of confidence...hahaaha! ;-) xo!

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  12. Laura, sorry I am so late to the party! I meant to check this out the day you posted, but just now remembered! Ok, the white is lovely, and not at all 'hospital'. I think about going all white all the time, but that's not in my budget... I think the fireplace would be gorgeous painted white, but that is a big commitment for sure. I think either a barnwood or white mantle would freshen up the palette. I love your selection of textiles! I got one of those Target poufs on clearance, too! I'll have to think on this a little more... Did you make any decisions yet?? I can't wait to see what you do!

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