This was a spare/office type room. It started out as a room for Honey to display his vintage toy collection but in the end was basically a place where everything that didn't have a home somewhere else in the house went to live. To say it was a "hot mess", is putting it mildly!
Don't you just LOVE the dark 60's style paneling...
Believe it or not, but we fit a computer desk, several bookshelves and a full sized sleeper sofa in this tiny space. I truly apologize to all our family that has had to spend the night in this room over the years. Once the bed was pulled out, there was LITERALLY no room to walk. It was horrible. Thank you dear family for putting up with this for so long. We love you!!
Now before you entered this lovely room, you had to walk through what can only be described as the biggest waste of space known to man. I have tried over the years to figure out a purpose for this little square area that measured maybe 10' by 6'. At one point it was going to be a mudroom, then possibly my scrapbooking area. But there was no light in it, so that idea went out the "non-existent" window, so to speak. It originally had the same wood paneling as the office space, but as you can see, we tore that out & started to put up white bead board in hopes to brighten things up a bit. Obviously, that project never got finished & we were left with exposed studs for Lord knows how long. (Clearly, I did NOT let guests down into this area unless it was otherwise necessary. Yuck!)
Last but not least, was the very narrow hallway that led to the previously mentioned wasted space or C's bedroom (which also got a complete remodel ~ more on that another time). So now you can see why we so desperately needed to do something with this area. I like light, open and airy. This basement was none of those things. :(
So we met with our contractor Shawn, and basically said, "Help! How do we make this a more functional space?" And he immediately drew up a plan that not only solved all our problems, but created the most amazingly, beautiful area that I could have ever imagined. He's a genius!! First thing, was to 45 degree angle both walls that led into the "wasted space" area & then knock down the wall that separated said area to the office. What a difference that alone made!!!
Then after 3 solid weeks of ripping up tile, putting up new drywall, laying new flooring, electrical and ventilation changes/upgrades, new doors and trim, new ceilings, additional lighting, painting and lots & lots of hard work ... we were given this beautiful new living space!! (Cue drum roll.......)
I am absolutely in LOVE with it! No more paneling, no more dark useless space and no more unfinished walls. YEAH!!! As you can see, we are going with a Coastal/Beach theme (shocking, I know). The plan is that this room will serve as an extra family room. A place where the kids can play & hang out with friends or Mom can curl up with a good book and enjoy a little peace & quiet. Sigh....
Like I said earlier, it is by no means done decoratively. I have several ideas that I am working on as we speak. But it's definitely a far cry from the dark, ugly space it was before.
We brought back in the sofa (which is red, by the way) and covered it with an oatmeal colored slipcover that I got on clearance at Target. All the rest of the furniture, believe it or not, is from Hobby Lobby... as well as the canvas hanging above the sofa. The pillows are from TJ Maxx. I wanted to go with an overall neutral color palate and bring in splashes of color with the accessories.
This mirror is also from Hobby Lobby. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the framework looks like pieces of seashells. Honey just laughed at me. I literally had to keep myself from squealing with excitement in the middle of the store when I laid eyes on it. This picture truly doesn't do it justice!
These little glass gems are from Marshalls. The beach grass is left over from the large vase used nearby.
Like I said, work in progress ... as I clearly don't even have a picture in the frame yet. (LOL!)
I picked up this lamp on clearance at Lowes some time ago & it has been waiting patiently for just the right spot to shine. :) Isn't that little pineapple just adorable ... another Hobby Lobby find. I love that store!!!
Now we've all heard the saying "I went into Target for just 3 things & came out with a cart load of stuff I didn't need". Well, that's me when it comes to Bed, Bath and Beyond, as well. Honey & I went in for organizational compartments and walked out with these beauties.
They found their home on the new 45 degree angle wall and there they will happily stay. I have to give credit where credit is due...Honey was the one who discovered these amazing prints. Adirondack chairs are a weakness of mine, being the quintessential beach bum that I am. These portraits made me just want to climb into one of the chairs, breathe in the salty air and watch the waves roll in. (sigh)
Still lots of empty wall space (which I have the most amazing idea for) and plenty of ledge space for just the right accessories that I have yet to discover, but all in all, we couldn't be happier with the progress that we have made. It's actually a place where we like to hang out now, instead of avoiding it like the plague. :) We love our little beach oasis!!
Sources:
Paint: Benjamin Moore Seapearl (walls), Valspar Tequila (trim and doors)
Flooring: Belle Meade vinyl plank flooring
Rug & Slipcover: Target
Accessories: Hobby Lobby, Michaels, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target and Lowes
Portraits: Hobby Lobby & Bed, Bath and Beyond
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