Hi! Did you have a nice weekend? Ours was pretty quiet…well, except during that quadruple overtime at the end of the Auburn/Arkansas game. There was lots of noise around here then. ?
…and speaking of our living room: Can I run a few things by you from there today? I made a little video because I felt like it would be easier to chat with you “in person” on this one. Easier to show you what I’m thinking of doing in there. Not all at once, of course, but bit by bit over time, as time and budget allows. (Adoption-related fees will continue to trump “all at once” (or non-sponsored) home improvement projects til our Sweet P comes home!?)
But before you push “play”, read these next few sentences…they’ll help fill in some gaps while you’re watching the video:
- we painted because The Cottage Journal is coming to take some photos on Tuesday- aaaahhhh! ? #Fall2016
- there’s not much light at night on the fireplace side of the room.
- I would spray the (inexpensive) brass picture light oil-rubbed bronze. (I can do that, right?)
- “all the little things” also includes stuff like: craft supplies, magazines & books, paints & waxes, ink & stamps, office supplies, cards & stationary, “fauxliage”, etc, etc, etc.
…and here’s a suuuuuper duper slop-tastic mock up of what I’m thinking for the (currently unfinished) wall that separates the living room from the dining room & kitchen:
(I was standing in front of the chunk of wall on the right in the video.)
Since the living room will also act as our guest bedroom when we have overnight guests, I thought it might be cool to eat up the extra wall space next to the cabinets (around the doorway opening) with curtains so folks can pull them shut if they want a little privacy at bedtime.
What else…hmmm…oh! The (two) Billy bookcases we have upstairs look like this:
They have the same kind of doors and everything…glass on top, panels on the bottom.
And in case you aren’t familiar- here’s what the extension shelf looks like that you can add to the top:
Thoughts? Hold out for custom-built to take advantage of every square inch, or build around the Billys we already have? Thanks in advance for chiming in!
PS- Friendly reminder: BlogThreads.com is active ’til Tuesday morning at 8am CST if you are interested in placing an order before we close the shop ’til next time around! XO
did you know you can get cordless picture lights? And I personally don’t think you’re going to want to try and make two short panels out of one long one… I’d shorten two panels so that the tops match perfectly. ? p.s. Could you be any more adorable? I think not. ?
Great idea about the mirrors and the curtains!
I would opt for built-ins. I think you’d regret all the unusable space if you used the Billy bookcases. Love all your other ideas. Just love your style! Can’t wait to see it all come together!
I usually don’t like videos but I loved this! I’ve been dreaming and scheming about my own living room built-ins and other ideas for my house. Sometimes because of budgets it can take awhile. I just love your style, your living room looks great unfinished even! I think the Billy’s would look great as a temporary solution but you will be happier in the long run going for a custom built in. Love the curtain and light ideas!
I was thinking the same on the video’s! I always have trouble getting them to work for me. Anyhow. I love anything in oil rubbed bronze, it’s so chic and pretty and I just love it. So much inspiration here. Thanks!
I like the idea of doing a simple built in and using that space between the studs and keeping more floor space in the room that the billy’s would take up. I was also wondering what it would be like if you added a sliding barn type door in front of the built in’s instead of regular doors, then when you need to access stuff inside you don’t have to worry about having enough floor space for a cabinet door to open…and when guest come they could possibly be used to close the opening between the living room and kitchen?????? I know whatever you do you look beautiful!
This is what I was gonna suggest!! Sliding doors in front of builtins that can come together for living room privacy! Better sound barrier too! I think you’d be happier with more storage with custom ones….And congrats on the Magazine feature!! Love, love all you do!
While I love this idea in theory…it also means when you pull the doors closed, all your “stuff” would be exposed to the guests. Eep!
Love the barn door idea!!
I love your home and think your ideas are always fantastic!
Would the Billy bookcases/built-ins run all the way to the wall? Wouldn’t that prevent you from putting your curtain panel to the left of the window? Just thinking out loud…
I love the idea for the barn door…good job to those ladies! I was wondering about your need for curtain panels at all on that side of the window given that you’re probably going all the way to the wall with the builtins? Such a fantastic space…wish I lived down the street from you so I could see it all in person. Loved the video btw.
How much extra space will built ins give you and is it worth the extra work and expense? That’s what I’d be asking myself. The idea of the sliding door sounds great but won’t that then reveal all your stuff to your guests. Curtains are softer but you will already have a lot of fabric with your 4 window dressings. Maybe you could add the sliding doors in a recess and build the book cases in front of them? I love all the other ideas. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, I’m sure it will be stunning.
Loved the video by the way. ?
I like build around the Billys you already have.
Yes to ideas 1 and 2….and I’d do the custom for idea #3. Extra inches are always welcome, and…you may be able to take up less inches in the room itself, right? Love the video and your style!
Since you already have the Billys, you could move them into place now and see how you feel about how far they come out into the room. Their depth, along with the room needed to open the doors may take up more space than you’re willing to give up. Custom built-ins with sliding doors (as suggested above) seems to me like your best bet for efficient space usage.
I agree with moving the Billy’s in place and then seeing what you think of that before making a final decision.
I LOVE ALL YOUR IDEAS. THEY’RE AS ADORABLE AS YOU, OF COURSE! I AGREE WITH OTHERS – ANYTHING THAT SAVES FLOOR SPACE IS USUALLY WORTH WAITING FOR. BILLYS ARE GREAT, BUT YOUR BUILT IN IDEA WOULD LOOK SO PERFECT IN THAT ALREADY ALMOST PERFECT ROOM.
Congrats on the magazine. Could not wait to see when it is done.
I just love y’all! I could watch you chat about your home for hours. I love all the plans and I don’t have any suggestions. But I would love for you to come to my house in Florida and give me some ideas. 🙂
I loved the video! You are so adorable. I think I like the idea of customizing the space to maximize storage. The sliding door idea is an excellent one. Also, I agree, you don’t need to plank the opposite wall if it will be covered. How fun!!! Love your pillows in the living room. : )
I loved the video! You are so adorable and the video was great for explaining your vision! Your room is going to be even more stunning that it already is when you’re finished. As for the Billy Bookcases, I would go with storage between the studs. It would take up less floor space. A beautiful sliding barn door would be great for privacy (rather than curtains) Maybe you could configure the barn doors so that they can be used for privacy (when guests come) but also cover the storage space? I’m sure that whatever you decide it will look great! Wow your ceilings in the living room are high and I love your fireplace and planked walls!
P.S. Your little dog is adorable and looked so comfy on top of the pillows.
I love your ideas, but I’d go with full panels on either side of the fireplace. That white space is big enough that you’ll want the extra fullness. I didn’t realize until this video how deliciously high your ceilings are! Love, love, love this room. I was thinking about your storage situation and how an apothecary would be so neat for you. Gen has one and the labels are so random and fun. Probably not as affordable or practical as your ideas. Putting shelves between the studs is a genius idea. You could cover them with floor to ceiling drapery panels until you got around to building custom doors https://www.pinterest.com/pin/523895369129746438/
Love the Billy bookcase idea as well as the curtain idea. Oh and that light to flood both sides, brilliant!!! I’m going to have to think about where I can use that idea myself. 😉
Layla – you guys are so cute.
Here’s what I would do with your fireplace wall. Build your bookshelves all the way up to the ceiling (that would then mimic the height of your fireplace so you would have a better focal point overall), encompassing the square windows within the shelving. For privacy or reducing light for guests, you could put a mini roman shade mounted a few inches above the windows that can go up/down when needed. You could then do cabinets below, giving you additional storage space for things you don’t use every day, and have bookshelves above for display items. For additional light, mount industrial-look wall mount lamps on the shelving or at the top of the moulding, giving that much needed light you need at night. Or, if you bump out the bottom of the cabinet just a bit, add a small table lamp.
If you chose to do custom, which I like, because you would get extra space between the studs if you slid the shelves in, could you take the doors off the billys and use them on the customs shelves. I do agree that what are you going to do with the curtain on that side if you have shelves. I love the barn door idea also. You have a lot of fun decisions to make!!
Layla – check out theinspiredroom.net and look at today’s entry. It’s all about book shelves etc which you might be interested in for your stud wall.
I vote for custom made units, so that you can use all the space. Just get a couple quotes – and maybe do one unit now and another one later? Ask the same company who will build the built-ins by the fireplace so you can get a bigger discount on the whole project! Maybe you could pay as you go? One “unit” at a time?
btw How about (in the long run, obviously!) changing the 2 small windows for 2 larger ones to fill the space? 🙂 I bet someone would sponsor them if you could make a tutorial about it?
Congrats on the living, it’s coming up beautifully!
I love this idea, too – it’s expensive but perhaps a sponsored project at some point would help the cost. We’re building a new house and I took my inspiration for my fireplace wall from this living room, Layla! Love it! I put smaller rectangle windows on either side of my fireplace and will eventually, someday, have the shorter built-ins underneath. Love your style!
Just a thought….why not cool weathered shutters by the two small windows. Think it would look nicer than a half curtain panel.
I agree. You have wonderful wonderful wonderful style but there might just be too many curtain panels in one room.
You’re adorable. Since you already own the Billy bookcases, could you bring them down and use them now, then when you have enough money/time saved up, you can get the custom built-ins sometime in the future? If it were me, I’d try to live with the Billys for a while and see if I even would want/need the extra couple inches of storage before just going straight for the built in option.
Maybe you’ve already considered this, but why not bring the bookcases you already have down and try them out temporarily? That would give you a better visual of how much space they would eat up into the room and whether the swinging doors are a hindrance to furniture placement. It might also make it clear whether or not you prefer to fill those walls corner to doorway. Another question…what do you plan to use the fireplace built-ins for? Will those suffice to store “all the stuff”?
I actually LOVE the video! I love still pictures, too, so I can go back and really study them, but it was fun to see the room “alive”, so to speak! 🙂
Love all your ideas! I also enjoyed the part where you suddenly remembered another idea you had the night before – that’s how I talk to my husband when I’ve been thinking about a space and have all kinds of thoughts running through my mind!
That barn door idea from those 2 ladies above is a great one if it’s feasible! No matter which idea you choose I know you’ll make it look amazing – you always do 🙂 Thanks for the glimpse into your home and can’t wait to hear about the new paint job!
I personally love love love the idea of leaving the exposed walls and using that as your storage. Working from that as your guide.
That’s my take
?
Anything you do will look great! I love your style. I like the idea of slipping little things into the studs; you don’t have a lot of wall space between the entry wall and the window. If you had napkins, tablecloths or runners, you might even find a clever way of hanging them on a rod between the studs. Could you use existing doors from the billy bookcases to cover the studs when done? Agree with others, bringing the bookcases down and “living with them” for a while in the space is a great way to try out the look. I love trying things out like that–I just need to “feel” the room sometimes. Not sure about the barn doors as that would leave the storage area exposed when the doors were closed. I think I prefer the curtains to built-ins around the windows. Can’t wait to see what you end up doing!
I would use the stud space. Great idea with the barn doors. Can you get too much drapery in a room? If you go that route you will have drapery on all but one wall. I have similar dilemma, one wall with a small window adjacent to a wall with a large window that is not centered. I love my old jalousie windows uncovered even if they aren’t energy efficient but need some privacy. I really like the light wash idea. I’ll use that as my living room has no overhead lighting and I have dark spots.
I don’t have any better ideas than you already have—but just had to say…you are so cute! More v-blogging! 🙂 Heck, even better…Your own home design show!! Love your style, personality, and heart! (Kevin too, of course.) 🙂
Ok, first off, thanks for doing this video. You helped solve a few of my own problems in my house!
And if this were my room, I’d try the custom route for shelves against your partition walls, because that is just too much cool detail to loose, even if the detail is on the inside for no one to see. YOU will see it! 🙂
Ummm….you’re adorable! So fun to “see” you and hear your ideas first hand. You are so stinkin creative it kills me!! Loooovvvee the curtain over the small windows with the light overtop. Love the mirror. That room is gonna feel SOOO cozy and it already does! You are a rock star. Thanks for the inspiration. Being a rash girl misled I so appreciate how much you think through everything. And then you hit it perfect, every time! Xoxo
I love the video. I didn’t realize how tall the fireplace wall was until I saw you standing in front of it. Anything you end up doing with be fabulous!!
https://instagram.com/p/9MtsDqge9e/
Barn door. Check out Magnolia Homes post on Instagram
I too like the idea of customizing it. I’m curious as to what type of fabric you are using for window panels? I believe it will even soften your space even more. Love the idea of the light but as Kelly mentioned you can buy cordless..love all your ideas.
I love your style and inexpensive ways of decorating. I like the idea of built-ins because floor space is valuable and children use every space they can to play.
Hi Layla, love the video! So nice to chat!! I love all your ideas. I would start with the billy bookcases to see how I liked them first. Then move to built-ins if they’re not quite right. I think either way will be fantastic. Have a great day!
Hi Layla! Love the video and your ideas! I would definitely do the built in over the Billy bookcase – and I would paint the wood white now until you can do it. Love the idea of the panels and mirrors and agree not planking the wall. I would paint the brass picture lights the same color as the wall so they don’t stand out – and love the idea of them casting light down the panels & lighting up that side of the room- does the print on the fireplace have a light over it? If not, I’d do one there too! Thanks for letting us put our two cents in!! xo
Well, when you do project #3, you will use up some of the wall space for where you want those curtains to go in project #2, so perhaps you could split a panel vertically there on each side of the room. I think it is all darling and am so excited that you have all these visions of greatness for your space. We are just about to close on our house and my husband and I are looking at each other with saucer eyes wondering how our style is going to come together this time. Moving from the country to town he wants to be more formal about things, but I keep being drawn to rustic/galvanized/shabby. Eek.
If you like the look of the Billy bookcases (I do) I would use them. I’m a woodworker and the expense of building custom built ins just for a couple of inches would not be worth it.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these ideas! Do you want to come to my house and help decorate? I still have a basement I am trying to make cozy.
On the choices for the unfinished wall, I would go with option 2 and build in shelves instead of putting wall board up. Gives you extra space and shelves (or buckets or something) would probably be less expensive.
I like your ideas about the hanging the mirrored panels and having custom storage cabinets on the wall that you had built; however, I really like Karen’s suggestion above about using shutters (I vote for plantation ones) for your small windows by your fireplace instead of the curtains.
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. Of course, whatever you decide – it will look awesome!
I love your ideas.
I would use the space between the wall studs. The billy bookcases are going to take up wall space by the window.
Looking forward to see what you do. It will be amazing I’m sure.
Hi Layla!
Long time reader, first time commentor (I think!). As always, you have excellent taste & style and execute your vision beautifully…
I’m not sure if you were asking for opinions on the mirrors between the windows….but I REALLY liked the huge natural WOOD SHUTTERS you previously had hanging on that wall….perhaps you’ve re-purposed them elsewhere or maybe they were competing with your new fireplace surround & gallery wall (?). Anyways just thought I’d chime in a vote for the shutters 🙂
Wow, I like all your ideas! I keep imagining Sweet P running around the room! Could you tell me about your window blinds please? Brand, where purchased, any complaints?
Thanks!
Kelly
Love the video ….you should do more! And whatever you and Kevin decide will be amazing, but I personally love the idea of custom (aka Kevin’s handy work) cabinets and being able to see the texture of the planked wood in the back of the built-ins. Enjoy the day!
1. Fireplace wall – Love the idea of keeping consistent on both sides but I’m not a fan of covering the square windows. If I remember your house and the height of the windows, privacy is not an issue. I think small drapes might look odd adjacent the wall with full length panels.
2. I like the windows and mirrored panel on the adjacent wall. I wouldn’t consider putting planks on that wall. We have wall planks on just one side of a room and I think it actually looks better that way – less match match.
3. I vote for built-ins! We did this to hide our tv and it was not as expensive as you would think. I like the suggestion of sampling the bookcases in the space for a while to see how it feels in the room.
3. Making room for “stuff”! Don’t forget the kid “stuff”! Once your babe is home, you’ll have a whole new category of “stuff” to put away 🙂 If you are like us, you’ll want kid books and baskets of toys accessible in the living room for your son. So just a gentle suggestion to reserve space for these inevitables. 🙂 A good carpenter can design space that will accommodate all these extras. I would highly recommend a deep drawer (think office filing drawer with cup pull) for kids toys. We have two and they hold an amazing amount of stuff and so easy for kids to clean up after themselves.
Beautiful room and so exciting to see the transformation!
If you don’t install the backs on the Billy bookcases, you can slide the bookcases up to the spot, and keep the space in between those studs. Then build around the Billys with whatever you are planning to do to make them look built-in. We used this technique for a beachhouse, and it worked just fine, plus we gained lots of storage space we otherwise would have lost.
I was thinking the same thing. I have no experience with Billy bookcases and wasn’t sure if you could remove the back but if you can, that might be a great solution.
More videos, please! I thoroughly enjoyed today’s “chat”. Watching how patient and gentle you were with your dog proves how natural a mother you are going to be when little Sweet P comes home. He is a lucky little lad.
Best wishes.
I love your idea of the lights above the window but since they will be so high up
I’m afraid they won’t be enough light on that side of the room. Are they supposed to
just accent the window/wall?
Are you going to have lamps on the built ins? If not, maybe you could attach the lights
at the top of the built ins if you will need more than accent lighting.
I believe you’ve received some great advice… I had to add that you’re adorable and I loved the video!
I have a couple of ideas that you can throw out as you as you read them if you don’t like them….
1) On the fireplace wall, I would have bookcases built all the way to the ceiling and have random shelving that would incorporate the windows. That way you could have artwork hanging, lamps etc. making the entire wall a focal point.
2) On the opposite wall, I love the idea of just adding shelving and simple doors and not taking up floor space with the Billy Bookcases.
Love to see your bright personality in photos, but it’s even more fun in videos! 🙂 I just read through the comments & I’m on the same brain train as a couple others… I love the idea of sliding doors over built in’s. “Barn Doors” to be exact! Privacy & function, oh so stylish. Regarding the curtain idea, one small word of experience… I currently have a room surrounded in curatains due to the window layout of our living room. Although I really loved the curtain fabric & pattern I chose, sometimes all those panels of fabric just feel a bit much. I have the same gut feeling thinking of your living space with the two half curtains…. May be a bit much in the end? Lovin’ your idea for the mirrors & curtain panels on the other wall, I completely agree, no need to plank!
Thanks so much for taking us along on your Reno dreams & allowing us to chime in! Your family is adorable!!
Hello Layla,
I love that you want all of us to weigh in with our opinions. Like all women, we only know what we think when we say it out aloud, so you’ve probably clarified your thoughts now after doing the video, but I’d like to throw my thoughts at you ?
Next to the fireplace: can you draw yourself up a little mock up to see how the curtain rod would look at a height just above the window, not in line with the window on the adjacent wall? The reason I suggest this is:
1 – curtains are supposed to be a ‘regulation’ height above the window (as on your adjacent window) and it could look odd to see that big amount of plain wall above the window (especially since it will mostly be open, is that right?) Oh, you guess you will probably put a piece of art above the window then. But
2 – your windows are set at a particular height on the adjacent wall, and the fireplace is set at a particular height, neither of which can be changed, and they appear to be a similar height, which is why you are thinking of lining everything up; but consider lowering the curtain rod on the fireplace wall because it might look visually more interesting, and will make the fireplace the feature, especially if you are having lower cupboards that come forward to the same depth as the fireplace.
The reason I suggest this is because lining everything up is a particular trend of our day (which may be the reason you keep it) and while very appealing (I know because I do it too), we have discovered when copying design features from our heritage home to a new extension, that what makes our old house so beautiful is the difference in heights, between window and door heights, for example. Our house is Georgian, so perfectly symmetrical, but it’s the proportions that make it interesting visually, and appealing.
I can’t believe I’m giving YOU advice, Layla, but I’d just like you to do a mockup to see for yourself if it would be better or worse.
I love everything you do, and check my inbox regularly just to see what you are up to!
You are an inspiration, and so nice with it!
xx
Margaret