It is finally finished! I started about 3 weeks ago, and got held up by a 2 week wait on the corbels, but it is FINISHED!!
As I showed in my teaser post this is what the family room built-ins looked like the day we moved in.
The mantle was pretty sad, and didn't match anything else in the room (the baseboards were the only other thing that was white in this room) so I knew I had to amp it up.
One of the things that bugged me is that the plywood shelf on the left was too thin compared to the bookcase shelves on the right. So I added a 1x2 to make it match. I also added cabinet hardware that matched my kitchen cabinets:
I also knew there were too many focal points on the wall, and it was way too busy, so I had to unite the whole wall to make it look like a single built in unit.
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| Sorry about the quality of the pics, this was before my new camera! |
I removed the doors and then primed all the oak and moulding as well as the wall above the fireplace.
We had to live with it in the "wet paint" stage for quite a while, and my family started to go through TV withdrawal so I had to set up a temporary solution:
I painted the brass accents on the fireplace screen black and added corbels under the fireplace mantle:
I used bubble wrap and packing tape to hold them in place while the liquid nails dried.
I painted them before installing, but after caulking them I needed to touch up the seams. I just adore how they came out:
Finally I staged the shelves with my thrift store owl and homemade milk glass.
The built-ins still house a lot of bric-a-brac, but I don't mind it against the white shelves.
I think it came out fantastic! I am still considering installing doors over the opening by the TV, but for now I am more than happy:
And hands down my favorite part is the new mantle, especially the corbels. SWOON!!
Linking up: ThriftyDecorChick, BestOfMarch(BeneathMyHeart) HomestoriesAtoZ, DIYShowoff, Craftomaniac, SassySites, Keeping It Simple, TodaysCreativeBlog, TheGirlCreative NotJustAHousewife, SugarBeeCrafts, SerendipityandSpice, TipJunkie, TheKurtzCorner, RaeGunWear, TheStuffOfSuccess, BetweenNapsOnTheFrontPorch, TheShabbyCreekCottage
And MORE
What a fantastic transformation! I love that you had the courage to paint the wood- it really pulls everything together well. I hope you'll stop by and link up: http://www.serendipityandspice.com/2012/03/manic-monday-linky-party-9.html
ReplyDelete-Melissa
Wow! That looks fantastic! I love the corbels under the fireplace mantel. Great job!
ReplyDelete- Hope : )
http://hopefuloneblog.blogspot.com/
Wow! Everything you do totally inspires me. This whole transformation is incredible. I like that you painted the wall (behind the painting) white. I wouldn't have thought to do that, but I think it is the key element in unifying both sides of the wall. It looks great!
ReplyDeleteWow, this looks amazing! The door molding and rosettes truly unify the space! And the corbels, they kind of say Ta-Dah, don't they?
ReplyDeleteIt looks fantastic! You've got to be so happy. It is like the room lost 25 years!
ReplyDeleteYou updated that fireplace with such class! This project would be perfect for our linky party featuring "Transformations" called Repurpose-Remodel-Reveal, I know our readers would love to see it too! (It starts tomorrow- Friday, March 16th 2012 at 7:00 am and reoccures every 1st and 3rd Friday)
ReplyDelete-Whitney @ TheRoosterAndTheHen
Beautiful job! Megan
ReplyDeleteTurned out great! Love when you finally get a big project done. Love the corbels too! Your owl is adorable.
ReplyDeleteMelissa
www.lovebugliving.com
That is a wonderful transformation! Love the whole look. Glad you showed it off at SweetTalkin' Sunday!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome is this? I love the shelves! It looks great--gave you a feature tonight, come check it out!
ReplyDeleteYou are a genius!! It looks ever so much better. I love it!! The shelves look great - the mantle looks great! great job!!!
ReplyDeleteYeah! the corbels are also my favorite! What a difference from what the previous owners had!!
ReplyDelete