Finding Balance
From the moment I saw the listing, I fell in love with this massive living room, even in all of its 80s oak paneled glory. Especially the wall of windows with a view of the jungle of a back yard. Occasionally (okay, at least twice a week), I’ll hop on realtor.com just to see what’s available in the world and the featured image will always be a house with a spectacular view and I’ll sigh and think, “I would love a view like that.” And then 30 seconds later, I’ll remember that I just need to open my eyes and express gratitude for what is right in front of me.
However, we do like a little privacy, so we added bamboo roman shades, curtains made out of Ikea tablecloths, and a curtain rod made out of electrical conduit. Seriously, though, if you’re looking for ways to save on curtains and hardware, look no further than tablecloths and electrical conduit.
After whitewashing the brick and painting the woodwork, the fireplace and built-ins on the North wall provide a fantastic backdrop for art and other pieces we love. I’m still working on my mantel game, though . . . .
Yes, I did figure out how to deal with the cluttered, open shelves on the book case under the TV. Stay tuned.
In spite of the ancient intercom, even the South wall also makes for a great gallery space.
Unfortunately, the East wall facing the windows is just a wall of . . . wall.
A rare in transition pic.
I love the picture frame molding and would never dream of removing it, but it did pose a design challenge. The room felt off balance with no art on that wall, but any configuration I could come up with would have been clunky and contrived or sterile. A friend suggested wall paper. She didn’t understand my horrified reaction, so I asked her to help me take the wall paper off in the dining room. After that experience, she apologized profusely for suggesting the addition of wallpaper anywhere. An all-over pattern was definitely the way to go, though. Stencils to the rescue!
I fell in love with this imperial trellis pattern when I first saw it ages ago. Unfortunately, my Bear said, “I don’t like straight lines in a design. I want something that is all curves.” Apparently, he is all about that bass in every sphere of life.
{Image via Decor Pad}
So I kept looking. I happened to have a Moroccan lantern template left over from another project, so I got to work tracing it over and over and over and over and . . . you get the point. Then I painted over the lines with gold craft paint. Ooof, was that way too busy.
So, it was back to the internet to search for stencils. I presented the Bear with three options (keeping in mind his aversion to designs with straight lines) of which he chose this one.
The man has phenomenal taste.
A few more shots because it’s hard to do justice to this pattern from just one angle and distance.
The use of metallic paint creates the illusion of depth and draws the eye without demanding attention.
It could just be me, but I feel like the subtle shimmer makes the room feel more open and vibrant.
At least my living room is balanced, even if the rest of my life is completely chaotic.