Current Progress
A month after I took that last photo we constructed these "built in" shelves to create a home for the TV (free of wires) and layer in pretty things that hopefully distract from the giant black box. Styling these bad boys has been a challenge, to say the least. Coming from an apartment half the size, I'm not in the habit of collecting stuff (let alone pretty stuff). This area is in a constant state of flux while I try to simultaneously edit out the what I don't love and find more that I do.
Down the line, I want to upgrade the loveseats to a vintage leather sofa and a couple loungey, low-profile chairs. I'm still on the fence about window treatments here (give me all the light) and I may try to cleverly disguise the TV.
I'll be posting more photos and a tutorial soon on how to make these for yourshelf. See what I did there?
Before Moving In
This photo from the listing does a decent job of demonstrating the open layout on the first floor. That little 10' by 10' square in the background is our lush living room. Note the builder-beige walls, super orangey oak floors, and general lack of natural light. Another challenge here is the front door and staircase, which eat a lot of the square footage. Figuring out where to put the TV and seating is complicated by the need for a clear pathway from the door to the rest of the house. The pros? Everything is new – the seller totally rebuilt this 100 year old house and moved the staircase to create an open floor plan. Thankthalawd!
Four Months Later
We painted everything blue and set this giant TV down on the first surface we could find. The color makes me happy & helps to counteract the orange floors. Color Wheel #FTW. The couch situation was tricky because the room is so narrow – I'm standing in the stairwell using a wide angle lens and still can barely fit the room in the frame! If we tried to sit in front of the TV our eyes would probably burn out of our heads. My solution for now is his & hers IKEA Ektorp loveseats. Eli & I each claim one and sprawl out for movie night. Plus now it seems like we'd rather talk than watch TV. Imagine! ;)
