Family Rooms and Fireplaces

Let me first say...what a wild, crazy, God-filled, humbling, inspiring, AWESOME weekend I had with the best bunch of high school kids on the planet!  Actually, probably the real first should be a shout-out to Bill for braving the whole weekend solo, and willingly and happily so.  I could not have done it without you- thank you.  I missed him and the kiddos, but it really does feel good and necessary to be away sometimes.  For just a little while.  Especially when I get to be with God in a really different, amazing way.

But here I am back at home, a clean home, I might add.  :)

I'm tired.  And a bit sore (okay, a LOT sore), and my heart isn't really in writing this long, drawn-out {typical of me} post.  So I'm sticking with photos to tell the story.  That's probably the best part anyway, right?

This is how it all began...

 ...a sketch I made in the fall after finding my inspiration mantel and surround over at The Lettered Cottage (I am beyond grateful for the tutorial, Kevin and Layla- thank you!)

Well, and these, the vomitous cubby holes that just couldn't be emptied- more stuff kept coming and coming and coming!...

You know how one "simple, little" project begets other, bigger, more complicated projects?
That was really how the mess began, and we undertook the re-do of two rooms simultaneously.

But this post is focusing on the Family Room.  I'll save the Home Office/Music Room for next time.

Prepping the wood after spending {many} weekends cutting and gluing and clamping

he primed, I wrote chapters 11 & 12

great late-night dates

still measuring, just to be sure

left side up and looking good

looking even better

that's not a mantel, is it?

starting to set up my special little corner in the back of the room...

kiddos' art work = pure happiness!

with the center

(I was seeing if I liked the tan color better than the white.  I did not.)

Truth be told, I'm not really as smitten with the tiles as I was...five and a half years ago when we moved the windows and had the fireplace put in in the first place.   However, we were really committed to keeping costs to a minimum (that must be code for, we do actually need to feed our growing babes, and keep the house from freezing over, and pay the bills...)

affixing the mantel with the help of some handy hand weights

close up of some pretty details

I'm really proud of Bill for doing this- I think he did an amazing job, and I love how everything turned out!

more close-ups

whoops, I don't think this was painted yet and I'm not getting up to snap a couple pics

I told you, I'm sore!

more primer...we needed something narrow and not too "curvy" to finish off the edges of the tiles that were exposed along the wall- Bill thought of this and it was perfect!

This is my view from the kitchen now...it's wonderful!
(although the mantel accessories are forever changing, ha!)

So may I officially welcome you to the redone Family Room.

This project has lingered!  The mantel decor is temporary (I'm looking for something big and old to lean against the wall in the center), and I'm still deciding a few other things, but it's mostly done.

We love the colors and didn't see the need to repaint the walls...yay!

Okay, that isn't entirely true...the walls are pretty beat up and should be painted again, but I'm tired, oh so tired!

That pretty fireside chair doubles as well, a pretty chair, and my sewing seat for my new yet-to-be-named sewing nook

new old sewing desk- love!

 I'm still deciding what to put on the wall above the desk

  our old tv stand (Bill and my Dad made it a month after we got married) now houses games and more sewing supplies- it may get a fresh coat of paint one of these days...

I sewed up some pillows last weekend...I still want a big, bright, colorful one in the middle

I also have the furniture arranged much more in the center of the room than I ever have before- the heat from the fireplace feels great, and it's so cozy and close; plus it gives me another chance to move it all again and try something new when Spring comes back  :)

The green and blue fabric stash above will be the spring/summer pillows, and I found some blue panels on clearance for $5 each

the hand-painted egg I bought in Budapest

I still cannot believe it survived two months of backpacking through Europe, two long flights home, and sixteen years of adorning our Christmas tree~ this is the first year I've decided to leave it out so I can see it everyday and remember that time in my life

some favorite old books

...and the tag is still on the chair, ha!

I'm not sure what window treatment I want back there- something light and flowy I think
and I'm on the lookout for a reasonably-priced, neutral area rug for under the coffee table

the storage unit for the TV and all its "things" isn't my favorite, but....it was made by a prisoner in our local prison, learning a new trade, and hopefully learning that he has skill and importance and value, and I really like to support that, so it certainly works for now (our tall book shelves were also made there, and I think the pieces look nice together in the same room)

I'm thinking of adding something above the television, but I guess it depends on what I find for the mantel first

What's New In Here?
{long} leather couch
2 leather chairs + ottoman ~ Jordan's Furniture- 40% off, and a rebate!
2 microfiber pillows ~ Kohl's- 50% off, $24 total
media shelving ~ local prison workshop- $179
sewing desk ~ antiques store- $69
dual-purpose chair ~ TJ Maxx- $79.99
small plant (ie, cat snack) ~ Home Depot- $9.99
camel panels ~ Burlington Coat Factory- clearance, $7 each
2 additional pillow (forms) ~ JoAnn's, 50% off, $8 each (used cloth I already had; Bill hearts the corduroy one)
ceramic planter ~ TJ Maxx -$3.99
sweet pea pillar candle (currently on mantel) ~ TJ Maxx- $4.99, which smells like heaven, by the way
"fishers of men" table lamp ~ Burlington Coat Factory- $12.99
"bear" fur throw ~ Christmas gift for Ethan that somehow landed in the family room  :)
paisley pillow ~ Burlington Coat Factory- $7.99
the television is also new, and we saved up for it for a long time, so I'm proud of that!

I did want new lamps and a few other accessories, but then you run into that whole pesky issue of eating and not freezing to death...I tell ya, it's always something!  :)  Everything else was already in there, or somewhere else in our home.

I hope you've enjoyed looking around!

I can't believe that the room looked like this a few years ago ago...

I'd like to think I've refined my style a bit since then, though I still adore those cheery pillows I made when the boys were so small

And this a few months ago...

we didn't fit on the furniture- too many of us!

Now we actually have places to sit {and snuggle by the fire}and...
no more plain tiles!!  :)

Although these cuties are the perfect accessories!

Now I'm off to play princesses with my super cute girl...have a great day!

**update for Valentine's Day**
I couldn't resist sprucing up the mantel a bit in the name of love...

I'm absolutely swooning over that pale pink and those luscious reds right about now!

I've never had a mantel before, and I still haven't found my look just yet...   :)
Thanks so much for visiting today!  Blessings!

Linking up at...

The Shabby Chic Cottage
Savvy Southern Style 
Just a Girl
At the Picket Fence 
Thrifty Decor Chick