Wow, they look so great and are so perfect! congratulations and kudos to you both.

Lovely room!
Beautiful job by both of you-
Great job!

Great transformation. I love that you did them together. Congratulations!

Well done! Love the lighting. So glad you followed up with us...I remember your project well and am delighted to see the end result.

Very nice!! One question why did you decide against the same molding a top the built ins as was on the window previously, which matched your door ways? I see it in your initial offering to your husband.

That looks amazing!! You must be thrilled...what an inspiring project!

How beautiful! The room looks so finished now. Excellent call, ob2b!

Your wonderful drawings have inspired me! Now to go inspire "the one who uses the power tools"!

Lovely.

OH, muh gosh! Wow! What a transformation! I remember this room. The builtins really are a finishing touch and give the room gravitas. Perfect. And that track lighting is thoroughly cool.

Amazing-in 2 years the room went from ordinary to beautiful and useful.Congratulations

OB2B, what a lovely space you have created. It is truly perfect!!

OB2B, those look so nice! I remember when you were in the planning phase and also picking out the rug. Great job by an amazing team!

Excellent form and function --- therefore really wonderful built-ins!!! The whole room looks so gorgeous! :)

Very well done indeed! :)

Wow! It's a beautiful room. I remember when you got the new sofas.

Wow, those came out great!!!

Looks beautiful!! Enjoy.

Gosh, your vision turned out wonderful. The only thing I don't care for is the track lighting, but I bet it looks and "feels" better in real life. Congrats.

That looks fabulous! Well done, OleBat(2B)! Just gorgeous.

I have to say though, I also really liked your before! That does not often happen; i like both. Both lovely rooms with character.

That looks fabulous! Well done, OleBat(2B)! Just gorgeous.

I have to say though, I also really liked your before! That does not often happen; i like both. Both lovely rooms with character.

Great built-ins :) I'm also curious why you switched out the crown moldings on that wall, and did away with the bead board that was there originally. I actually think the original room was beautiful as well.

Wow, what a beautiful room. I love the color and the light that comes in. Congratulations

Your room came together so well--I love how those built-ins really do widen the space (and create practical storage as well).

Can I ask you about those ceiling lights? What are they called, they're amazing!

Your built-ins are wonderful! All of your careful planning paid off.

Love the built-ins AND the track lighting! (I am so inspired, I think I might do it in my lliving room -- love the idea of not adding extra holes in the ceiling.)

What is the aspect of your room?

Love the built-ins and the sawtooth system. It looks so cozy.

I'm still amazed at the difference in the room by changing the ceiling and adding the window.

well done! It looks so cozy and inviting, like a place I'd want to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of tea.

mtnrdredux said what I was going to say. The after looks great and I love the built-ins, but I equally loved the before!

Such a beautiful room! You really did a phenomenal job! Looks like you earned a little R&R, so grab a book and enjoy!!

I really love your cable lighting! Im also intrigued by the sawtoooth shelving system. Where might I learn more about it?

Ya'all are the best, I'm so glad you like how these turned out!

holly-kay - Thanks!! You're always the first out there with encouraging (or maybe enabling, just saying) words :)

motherof3sons - So nice to see your name pop up! Thank you, we're getting better through trial and error. Happy New Year my friend!

This project was DIY (except for spec'ing out most of the wood) but to be clear, we definitely didn't do the room renovation ourselves (brief consultation with architect regarding bumping up the ceiling-'easy-peasy' - his favorite words!- quick new drawing, then builder and plasterers).

jlc712 - Glad you like the sawtooth shelves! mtnrdredux got me thinking in another thread, with some strong opinions about the million little holes. I have similar shelves in a Guy Chaddock bookshelf, which gave me the idea. Now, it's another thing about which DH and I smile.

outsideplaying - I always smile when I see your moniker, hope you are! The planning phase with me takes forever, but eventually, there's progress. This is why I think Europe can be so beautiful - if people live in a space long enough, they will come up with great ideas to improve it. (I'm incapable of figuring it all out at once). Thanks!

teacats, Errant, mamorella, nutsaboutplants, 1929Spanish, MarinaGal, jakabedy, joaniepoanie, melsouth, bethpen, nini804, cran, arlosmom, crazybusytoo - I so appreciate your kind words, thank you!

melle_sacto - the lights are from Tech Lighting. It's their kable-lite system, with K-Hello heads. Glad you like them.

Hydragea - have to ask, why is there no 'n' in your name? - the room is

marti8a - Use the sawtooth shelf system - adjusting shelves is a TREAT. We actually also closed off part of the room (walled it off) and created a linen closet to the left. Again, if you live in a space long enough, you come up with enhancements.

pipdog - exactly! Please do come visit with your next book, I will provide the tea and comforter to keep you warm:)

fourkids4us - the nice words for our old room make me happy. There are so many happy memories from that space.

clairebouyant - glad you like the cable lighting and the sawtooth shelving system. Lee Valley sells the latter, but I found pricing was better buying directly from the source. Please find link below.

springroz - Hopefully the one who uses the power tools is guided by she who must be obeyed? (Good luck!)

linelle - Crazy how quickly time goes by - it feels like years since I posted soliciting input for the new sofas. The one in the picture is 'mine' (and believe me, I use that word often). At night, often, the moonlight will stream in through the window, and I will sit, and smile, in the dark. Have to say, that sofa is incredibly comfortable.

kswl - Compliments from you, my dear, are high praise indeed! Big smile here. I'm just wishing I knew then what I know now, when I designed the kitchen.

gooster - Thank you!! It's so much fun to get it right.

The lighting... sometimes I feel like it's the elephant in the room. DH spent a weekend of his life (I was out of town) going up and down ladders (with his bad knees) installing it. So it's there and (most probably) going to stay. Still.... I feel that everything needs to fit in with it. AnnieDeighnaugh - you were a huge help and I spent a long time studying your built-ins. Glad you like the lighting.

Tibbrix - thank you!! Love that you love the lighting. Always enjoy your posts.

schoolhouse - maybe it's the transitional feel that you don't like, about the lighting? I do feel it works in real life. Come by and make your own judgment (welcome anytime!).

sixtyohno - Liked your description, thanks (Love your kitchen even more, but that's another topic!). I smiled at your use of useful... the most useful former feature (exercise bike) has definitely been banished from this room, and is now in the adjacent 'map' room with the dreadful sofa duo.

arcy - Thank you for asking. Moulding is still a question in my head. My goal was for simple lines. Do you think it would look better with the more formal crown? I would appreciate honest opinons. Regarding crown... our builder used the more formal crown in other parts of the house when we renovated and we continued it in this room. Sides are belly casing which I've decided, I rather dislike in this room. Easy solution for the vertical pieces, correct? Replace with flat board.

There was absolutely no dissension on a thread I posted about mixing molding in a house - everyone said, don't do it. However... I find that while I am pleased with the formal crown in the newer section of the house, as I tackle the bedroom areas, I am increasingly turning to a different, simpler, style of molding. So, I may change to the crown at the top of the built-ins - or just as easily, update the existing molding on the doorways in this room.

Here's a picture of the space to the left of the family room, which we walled off and to which we added a linen closet. The simpler trim just speaks to me while the family room (outer) doesn't. So, I may buck the wisdom of the forum and have two (very different) styles of trim.

{{gwi:2139811}}

almondstriations - regarding beadboard, one gets tired of repainting it and keeping it clean - much easier to paint a wall. I loved putting the beadboard up but was very pleased to take it down (and will never install again). Thank you for the nice words about the old family room; it was a happy place.

mtnrdredux - Thank you! I did like that room too (the before) but with a roof which sloped down the way it did (to maybe 6 feet?!) on both sides, it's really an improvement. Still, there was definitely a warmth which is not there (fully - books have helped) yet - DS is the first to remind me of this (and to say it was cozier before).

I'm throwing this out there - during renovation, open walls, I have to say I LOVED the wood feeling. (Maybe barrel ceiling at some point?)

Fireplace side of the room - doesn't this wood color emanate warmth and coziness?

Here is a link that might be useful: Sawtooth Shelf System

Thanks so much for the link and for sharing the evolution of your very lovely room. It makes me want to come over and curl up with a book.

re: have to ask, why is there no 'n' in your name? - It's a typo. I've thought many times of starting with a fresh screen name but haven't bothered.

LOL OB2B, I am indeed an enabler extraordinaire!

OB2B - Thank you for the link to the Sawtooth shelving system. Reminds me of the little notched boards we use to keep our 300 year old windows open! (Pre- ropes and pulleys and other devises)

Your "Before" was very cosy but your "After" is so sophisticated and inviting. You did a great job dreaming up and designing the built-ins. They do a wonderful job fooling the eye and making is seem so much wider. Awesome!

P.S. - Love the new sofas!

OB2B - Thank you for the link to the Sawtooth shelving system. Reminds me of the little notched boards we use to keep our 300 year old windows open! (Pre- ropes and pulleys and other devises)

Your "Before" was very cosy but your "After" is so sophisticated and inviting. You did a great job dreaming up and designing the built-ins. They really do fool the eye and make it seem so much wider. Awesome!

P.S. - Love the new sofas!

"Moulding is still a question in my head." I just noticed it different, and the plan FEELS more complete with the matching moldings, from this side of the pictures. Maybe I just don't like variety? I do love the way the more formal looks..it is beautiful, and soooo classy. Only you are in the room and can tell if you think it is "missing" anything. It is lovely and well worth all the work either way.

I really liked your room before you redid it, but now I love it even more with the higher ceiling. The built ins give it the cozy look for me. The depths of the bookcases are perfect. Beautiful room with great ideas. Very interesting shelves with the saw tooth supports. Thanks for the link.

Gorgeous room, and amazing job on those cabinets! I'm really drawn to that window and the beautiful view outside. What an inviting space you have created!

I can certainly relate to the hassle of painting beadboard! We installed it (4 feet around, plus backing the floor-to-ceiling built-ins) in our daughter's bedroom, and already had it in our little our powder bath. Mercifully, the semi-gloss paint is holding up so well to scrubbing that even after 10 years here we haven't had to repaint it (yet). But I vividly recall the priming and painting of it in our daughter's room and it felt like it took an eternity getting the paint into those little cracks!

I think the mixed molding of the built-ins looks fine, I'm always just curious what goes into such decisions when building or renovating. And I personally don't mind the mix between molding types between the more formal and casual parts of the home.

I must have been on a GW hiatus during the planning stages of this project. What an undertaking - and what a fabulous result! I am besotted with built-ins. They add such personality and warmth to a room and yours are perfect.

You and your DH did a great job. Sounds like you're taking time to enjoy the room, too. That's what it's all about!

Look in' good. The built in are perfect. What a difference.

Enjoy!

Absolutely fantastic job!!!

The built-ins turned out great!

How wonderful! I'm taking notes!

They are wonderful and compliment (as opposed to competing with) your equally beautiful window. Gorgeous!!

Awesomely beautiful Old Bat! And I'm going to check out that sawtooth system thread too.

Looks so cozy and inviting. I wouldn't leave!

I am very belatedly returning to this thread, as I turn to the next project in the room.

clairebuoyant1, karenseb, wma89, amck2, dilly_ny, caminnc, gsciencechick, debbi branka, louisianapurchase - Thank you for the lovely things you've said, big smile on my face as I reread them:)

beachpea3 - Glad you saw this! I would love to have you over to see in person, but please give me a few days notice for a thorough cleaning:)

arcy_gw - After having lived with the molding, I agree with you! We'll be redoing this. One of the projects for this spring.

Looks amazing! The built ins and window look great together!

I must have missed your finished photo. The built ins are gorgeous; they really add a warmth and a finishing touch to your room. You did a beautiful job on the design and your DH did as well on the installation. I think the crown will really complete the look. I'm the same way with taking forever to plan, but I'm much happier with the results when I do.