Wednesday's Word – Stuck
I am linking this up with The Shabby Chic Cottage’s Transformation Thursday – in the hopes of getting some good suggestions for this room!
Yep – stuck. As in stuck in time. The 90′s to be exact. Not me… at least I don’t think so! Let me check
Straight hair
No shoulder pads
Skinny jeans
Fake Ugg boots
Yep – I’m good. For the Northwest anyway – we tend to be a year or so behind.
What is actually stuck in the 90′s is my family room. We remodeled it from our garage
when we bought this house in 1990. I have redone it since then, but it still seems stuck
to me. Here, let me show you what I’m talking about -
Here is a view from the living room. There is a step down into family room.
We put in new carpet about 2 years ago.
Here is the view from the back door.
My furniture is all black and brown – I have the mission style
chairs, futon, and coffee table.
We just moved the TV to this wall – it has been on one of the shelves for 18 years! Also – the center of this wall is where the one and only heat vent for the room is – that’s why the TV isn’t centered.
I don’t know what to do for the wall behind the TV -
This right here is the very worst part of the room, and what dates it the most.
(insert high pitched creepy music here)
Yep – flowery wallpaper border. I may have just thrown up a little bit in my mouth….
So – obviously this room is in need of updating. The last time we painted it I
remember my husband and I had the movie Erin Brockovich
playing on The Movie Channel. 1,000 meaningless points to whoever can tell
me what year that movie came out and who played the lead role.
Anyway – back to my rooms stuckness… I will probably paint it brown
because it is my favorite color right now (umm – yeah.. The little brown house!)
- I love the shade I have in my bedroom here.
That is probably the way I will go with color and paint, and I am thinking I will try to style it like a study/den. (Think maps and leather) My biggest problem right now are these shelves.
I love books and have tons of them (obviously!) I have them in every room in the house.
But for some reason these shelves bother me. It feels cluttered. So I am thinking about how to
cover them up. I think I would like doors, but I know my husband would not like making
them. I am actually wondering what it would look like if I put curtains up there. Put a rod
in the top inside of the shelf and just have a curtain hanging down to the bottom of
the cabinet. I could open it and tie it back, or leave it closed for a cleaner look.
I would love your opinions on this – or anything else about the room! Bear in mind that
the treadmill in the back of the room has to stay there. I have not used it in the last
3 months and if it was gone I would use it even less. Don’t ask how I could use it less
than not at all – just give in to my logic.
So give me your input friends! And I will show you the process as I redo the room!
Joyce
1220 days ago
I love your room, the bench seat in the bookshelves are just gorgeous!
Me- well I would take that border down, paint it a beautiful soft sandy brown, and put up the white panelling that comes half way up the walls, would look fab!
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Cindy S
1220 days ago
I like what Joyce has to say, I was thinking the same actually. The beadboard panelling would look great in there, if white doesn’t work, you could paint it a lighter or darker shade of brown then you would paint the upper part. I love those bookshelves, they are a great addition to the room and it adds a library feel. Place globes on the shelves along with more books. The benchseat is wonderful, perhaps you could move the clock and have the drapes come straight down on both sides of the window. Put the clock on the wall somewhere else. Put maps, as well as photos from around the world, in dark brown frames, on the walls. Don’t know if this is any help. That is a great room, though.
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asnipofgoodness
1220 days ago
Okay, so can I just say, that I am by no means an expert, and my home would prove that, but it is so much easier to tell someone else what should be done, then it is to know what to do for yourself. I am so going to follow suit, and ask some of my readers for advise someday soon!
That being said, can I just say what a GREAT room! It has sooooo much potential, so warm and cozy, and the book shelves are terrific! I also love your furniture,and carpet, also cozy and warm.(did I just say can “I just say” too many times?)
Here goes….wallpaper goes first. I would put up wainscoting like this http://www.rd.com/40609/article40609.html only take it all the way to the top of the window. I would paint it gloss white, or whatever the trim is in the rest of your house, then I would paint the remaining walls and ceiling really dark chocolate brown. I think that would keep the coziness going on, but brighten it up at the same time. I would use a roman shade on both windows, either fabric, or some kind of natural reed like you have now, and forget the drapes. I would center the TV on the wall it is on now, and place the futon opposite it, a bit away from the wall perhaps, with a sofa table behind with the lamps on it. I would place the two chairs on either side angled toward the TV, and the footstools in front of each with the table in front of the futon.
Check out the third pic on this post
http://designholeonline.com/2008/design-dilemma-arranging-bookshelves/
I think that would be a good model on how to dress your shelves.
I would maybe eliminate all the small tables, unless they are functional and you are really attached. I LOVE the pillows, and their arrangement on your window seat! I would bring in some more to brighten up the furniture, do you like lime green? You could make them out of old sweaters to keep going with the cozy theme, and add a few soft warm throws to match, like the one you have. I would take down all the wall decor, and hang one big simple thing on the treadmill wall to balance the weight of the bookshelves a bit and draw attention away from the door.A map would be great with a DK frame, or a dresser….anything a bit weighty.
If you could loose the treadmill that would be great, but if not, then fold it down, and just own it. Oh, and perhaps you could consider painting that outside door and trim to match the wainscote so that it disappears a bit.
If the wainscot is more then you want to bite off, then you could just use paint to define the space, with some substantial trim work around the top where the wainscot would be.
Okay, there’s my two cents1 stay tuned on my blog, and repay the favor when I ask for help, if you would please!
Can’t wait to see what you come up with!I’ll be checking often!
Stay warm!
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Jan
1220 days ago
Wow, you are getting lots of ideas, aren’t you? Here are the responses from 2 of my co-workers who read your blog.
Joyce: I love your sister’s blogs. She might want to use some square wicker baskets on her shelves, she could put some books in them or whatever she does not want setting out, dark brown ones would look nice. Suggestions given on her website are good but thought I might add to them through you….
Nicci: I think your sister should go with an olive green color as an accent wall since she already has brown furniture, brown walls may be to much. Then maybe do a shade of beige on the other walls to give it a warm feel.
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admin
1219 days ago
I am loving the idea’s – thanks for taking the time to give them and please keep them coming!
And Jan – tell Joyce and Nicci I so appreciate their imput!
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The Lumberjack's Wife
1219 days ago
Julia Roberts-no clue on the year!
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Angie @ The Country Chic Cottage
1219 days ago
I think it looks pretty good already. I agree on the border down. Some new color on the walls and new accessories. Visit:
http://www.homebodyholly.com/2010/01/pointers-for-arranging-shelf-displays.html
For some pointers — I thought her article was very interesting.
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Amanda @ Serenity Now
1219 days ago
Hi there! I’ll be offering the Decorating Dilemmas party again, next month or possibly in early March.
If you are signed up to Follow my blog, I have several Reminder posts for readers. 
Hope to see you there!
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heather
1216 days ago
Your room has GREAT bones! Take a look at that Pottery Barn catalog again and mimic some of their rooms. So many of their rooms have big shelving units and such like your room. I love the shelves, maybe just clean them up a little and get some square wicker baskets to keep things in on them! Love the room. Look forward to see what you do with it!
Thanks for stopping by my blog….I will email you with some shirt ideas soon!
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Dianne
1205 days ago
Hi. I just found your site from “My Romantic Home”. I knew from that post that I wanted to see more. You say you find your bookshelves in the family room cluttered. My suggestion would be to build doors for the bottom shelves on either side. This could then be for overflow book storage. You then can use some of the books on display, along with many of the things you already have. Lay some books down, have a few upright and intermingle them greenery, finials etc. One site I really like and she has great decor ideas is “Imagine Cozy.blogspot.com.
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