Washed Out to Knockout — See a Smart Living Room Makeover
Soaring stonework and nifty custom storage take a spacious living room in Washington from bland to beautiful
When Houzzer Lana Carlene became fed up with her house, which she called a "big, bland, beige box," she decided to do something about its lack of character — one room at a time. She began her coup in the living room, where an expansive fireplace wall screamed for attention. In less than two weeks of construction time, she had the black granite from around the fireplace stripped, natural stone installed all the way to the ceiling and a smart new storage system packed in. Here's how she did it.
Project at a Glance
What: Living room makeover
Location: Maple Valley, Washington
Duration: About two months of planning; 12 days of in-house construction
Budget: $12,000
Installation done by Powell Custom Homes & Renovations
Project at a Glance
What: Living room makeover
Location: Maple Valley, Washington
Duration: About two months of planning; 12 days of in-house construction
Budget: $12,000
Installation done by Powell Custom Homes & Renovations
BEFORE: Carlene had moved from a much smaller condo into the 2,000-square-foot home. Her numerous small furniture pieces were making the spacious living room feel cramped, and they felt out of balance.
AFTER: A clever storage system and ceiling-reaching stonework now surround the fireplace.
Mounting the TV above the fireplace would've set the screen too high for comfortable viewing from the sectional, so Carlene had it hung at eye level to one side and the components put in a cabinet underneath. Cables running through a Smurf tube in the wall connect the components to the screen. And she made sure to leave enough room for a larger TV in the future.
Mounting the TV above the fireplace would've set the screen too high for comfortable viewing from the sectional, so Carlene had it hung at eye level to one side and the components put in a cabinet underneath. Cables running through a Smurf tube in the wall connect the components to the screen. And she made sure to leave enough room for a larger TV in the future.
BEFORE: The small TV stand was crammed into one corner and packed with entertainment equipment, furthering the clutter problem. Carlene knew the spacious wall could be used for storage. "I wanted something more unified," she said. "The thought of not needing a separate entertainment unit and shelving for storage was appealing."
She put various paint swatches on the wall until she found the right color.
She put various paint swatches on the wall until she found the right color.
Carlene spent hours on Houzz looking at photos of living rooms with fireplaces, eventually settling on a combination system that would span the entire wall. Once she found the right storage design and wall color, the room was emptied and prepared for painting and installation.
At first she tried a light blue, Behr's Cloudy Day. She also had the black granite on the fireplace surround replaced with natural stone to add texture and to work with the existing mantel. "The existing mantel is a really nice, chunky Craftsman look, so I wanted to just enhance that feel," she says.
She had the stone extended to the ceiling for height and texture.
AFTER: Symmetrical shelves take advantage of the extensive wall space and accommodate art. Carlene changed the wall color to a warm gray (Benjamin Moore's Cinder) for a more dramatic background for her artwork and accessories.
Stone: Cronin, Desert Gold
Stone: Cronin, Desert Gold
Once the TV components were set up, Carlene removed the center doors on this cabinet and put in perforated metal panels for extra ventilation.
What was once cramped and cluttered is now warm and inviting. Just ask Carlene's dog, Ricky.
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