Sunday, May 6, 2012

A Fun Activity, Part II

As you proabably have figured out, "tomorrow" on this blog, could mean almost anything. So here is my "tomorrow" post about what else I would do to that cookie cutter house.

After all of the work in the kitchen building that half wall into a full wall, we've isolated the "family room". Good,  because I'm going to make it a library. So crack open the new french door, and walk on in.


In a library, there are no giant TVs, in giant entertainment centers. Just books. Mountains of books and nice soft places to read them. So the first thing we need to do is add some serious shelving.. and a sliding ladder, of course, right where that hideous entertainment center is now, picture this instead:


Then, since this is a virtual world where things are cheap, let's build out the fireplace a bit more, so that it's not hiding behind the shelves. 


Yes, this works! While we are making things cozy with our fireplace, let's add some extra loungey seating in front of the big window for perfect light:




We're on a roll now! Don't forget that we closed up that wall, so when you'e in the library sitting and reading, you don't have to worry about hearing your husband clanging pots while he makes dinner... hey, we're still using our imaginations, aren't we?

The dining room is actually fine as is. Maybe I would add some crown molding and wainscoting, but really, it's in good shape as is, minus the pink paint.


Beyond the dining room is the living room, which I would make a true living room, complete with over-sized television. Take a step in there for a minute, no need to duck, the ceilings are tall enough.




Here is what I know about this living room so far: the fireplace needs to make more of a statement. I'm thinking of something a little bit more like this:


Seems like a good idea, right? Plus, since the mason already came to build out the fireplace in the other living room, he would likely give us a good deal. Or maybe the Mr. and I could just figure out how to do it on our own... Ok, fine it's a little unreasonable. But what if instead of stone all the way to the ceiling, we stopped at the mantel and did some wainscoting instead, would that be better? Then I suppose would could put the TV on the mantel, or build it into a cabinet or something...


Better? Ok, good. Now, since the TV is on the mantel, we need to add some squishy seating options. Typically, I'm not a fan of seeing the back of a couch. But if the Tv is on the mantel, then the couch must face in that general direction. We could flank the fireplace with chairs (like 2 photos up) and then turn them around when we need extra seating. But the couch, and the table behind it would have to look like this.


Something that looks like it is on-purpose because when you walk through the front door, you can see into the living room.


While we are moving into the entry... YIKES.


I was never a fan of a two-story foyer. It seems like a monumental waste of space. plus, where do you hang things? What do you hang? Such awkward heights! But, there is where pinterest comes in:


A little trim goes a long way, doesn't it? The line created breaks up the space and forces your eye to look in certain places. Oh yah, obviously we would be tossing he teal carpet to the curb. I will never figure out why people carpet perfectly good wood stairs. Is it because they are slippery? The people who say that obviously don't have dogs to grit up their stairs with some nice paw dirt. 

Well, together we have re-done the entire first floor of this house. What do you think? Do you want to hug pinterest as much as I do for being able to turn something so blah into a fantastically character-rich house? Ok, maybe it's just me. But next time you go on a house search, keep your mind open... pinterest will do the rest (and maybe a couple of contractors too...)

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