Wednesday, October 13, 2010

balancing a big room and filling an empty wall

In our new house we have a great big family room downstairs that we LOVE!
On one side of the room we have this...

We needed an entertainment center with A LOT of storage for all our books, games, and yes VHS movies (I know, I know, I'm a little behind on the technology front).

As much as I would love a huge wall of built-ins or a ginormous Potter Barn entertainment center these 5 bookshelves from Target have been a great solution for a really reasonable price.
See the old window frame on top? My sweet friend recovered it from her home renovation.

It was one of the original windows in her 130+ year old house

and it is one of my favorite things in my house. Thanks again Tiff!


On the opposite side of the room we had a few chairs and a huge blank wall so the room looked very heavy on one side and bare on the other.

Sorry, no pictures of the huge, blank, beige wall.

Just use your imagination. ;0

I knew I wanted to use the wall to display our family photos and I framed each 8x10 in a beefy matted frame like so... But it wasn't enough.


So, I added these "buttons" and some ribbon above the frames ...

and then some vinyl lettering below the group of pictures like so...


The wall is 9ft high and 16ft wide and by the time I finished the display of family photos with the lettering it measured 9ft wide by 3ft high and made a huge difference.



But it still felt out of balance with the other side of the room and since I wanted to keep things very clean and open feeling I decided against adding more furniture/ accessories to the wall and instead picked up my paint brush.


I taped off the wall for 18 inch stripes (making sure I didn't need to paint where I had the vinyl lettering) and took the original beige paint and added white (just like with my painted wallpaper) to create a bit of a contrast without making it too "bold".

I wanted it to visually draw your eye but not smack you in the face.







And here it is all finished...

I LOVE it!

If I had really big muscles I would have moved the elliptical out of this picture but... well, I don't... which is why we bought the elliptical.

Next up for this room- DRAPES!

I already ordered the fabric... can't wait!!!


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25 comments:

  1. LindsOctober 13, 2010 at 6:57 PM

    Looks great. I love how simple stripes made such a huge difference!

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  2. Danielle StrongOctober 13, 2010 at 7:26 PM

    ohh love it. I plan on doing this in my 1/2 bathroom.

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  3. Carla KeaheyOctober 13, 2010 at 7:37 PM

    AMAZING! I love it!

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  4. Mandi@TidbitsfromtheTremaynesOctober 13, 2010 at 7:38 PM

    Oh wow. .. KATHRYN! It is BEAUTIFUL! So soothing and classy. I'm in love. So would you tell us some more about the colors you chose?


    p.s. I want to tell you about your post back in March when you took your break-- I love what you had to say, and that you, true to your word, took a real break to focus on what's important. You rock, sista.

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  5. LacyJOctober 13, 2010 at 8:19 PM

    I love this...and how you worked through the process to figure out what it needed to make it "just right"! So glad you are back to posting! I found your blog last spring and have been checking in every so often to see what you would have to say once you got back!

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  6. DianaOctober 13, 2010 at 9:48 PM

    That wall is GORGEOUS! I love everything about it and the stripes really made a HUGE impact. That scripture below is perfect. Love this!

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  7. Carmen @ Life with Sprinkles on TopOctober 13, 2010 at 9:53 PM

    You're so lucky to have that great family room. I'd love to have it! The wall looks FABULOUS! The stripes are exactly what it needed.

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  8. Mama ThompsonOctober 13, 2010 at 9:57 PM

    Perfect...it looks so great...amazing what some stripes can do!

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  9. AnonymousOctober 13, 2010 at 10:27 PM

    Gorgeous. Those stripes really made a huge difference. I will have to remember that.

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  10. JenHunsakerOctober 13, 2010 at 10:39 PM

    So beautiful! Thanks for sharing. Wish I had a room with a wall like that!

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  11. JanaOctober 13, 2010 at 10:58 PM

    that is so inspiring- I love it!
    And, glad to hear I'm not the only one with a whole bunch of movies on VHS!

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  12. TiffanyOctober 13, 2010 at 11:44 PM

    Once again, my dear, I will be copying you :) Of course the thought of painting with 5 goobs is a little daunting at the moment, but hopefully soon!

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  13. Emily @ Finding My AlohaOctober 14, 2010 at 3:34 AM

    I love it! Pat yourself on the back. I did a similiar wall treatment in my master bedroom playing with sheen. I loooove the idea of using the knobs for the picture wall. Genius!

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  14. JuliaOctober 14, 2010 at 11:43 AM

    Love. Love, love, LOVE! Did I mention, I love this idea? Lol! I will definitely be "borrowing" this idea when we move.

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  15. Emily Anne Knight WilliamsonOctober 15, 2010 at 11:01 AM

    I've given you a BLOG AWARD. Please do the same for someone deserving. (= Great blog. Keep up the good work.
    http://paperpixiecrafts.blogspot.com/2010/10/happy-101-blog-award.html
    -Emily
    Paperpixiecrafts

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  16. ashleyOctober 18, 2010 at 3:15 AM

    OH! I LOVE it! I wish I had a house! I'm envious!!

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  17. shapewearOctober 20, 2010 at 10:46 AM

    I sooo love your room. And the stripes added a very nice twist to everything.

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  18. KandiceOctober 20, 2010 at 12:42 PM

    I love the stripes. So subtle, but perfect! And the beautiful people on the wall make it even better!

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  19. ezeldabethOctober 21, 2010 at 9:49 AM

    wow! that is amazingly wonderful!

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  20. Handbags*and*PigtailsOctober 27, 2010 at 6:23 PM

    I LOVE the striped wall!
    Sarah

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  21. LauraNovember 5, 2010 at 10:43 PM

    Hi, Kathryn. (this is a little long-winded - sorry!) I happened upon your blog tonight for the first time, and I love what I'm seeing. You have a great eye for design, and I especially love the bold, graphic touches (LOVE the nester's drapes!!!) I have been a design junkie all my life, and have raised two daughters who have become professional interior designers. (The third is getting her Masters in Library Science/Knowledge Management - I know...don't ask, I can't explain what that last one is. The scripture verse is one of my favorites. My husband & I have been blessed to see 2 of our kids grow up to serve the Lord passionately, and it is the greatest blessing to see them serving, and hear of the fruit He's producing in them. I am marking your site as a favorite for design, although I came upon it in search of directions to make babylegs out of socks. I have been a professional dressmaker for 30 years, and your instructions were superb!
    Thanks!
    Laura
    http://cricutcard-iologist.blogspot.com

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  22. jennNovember 16, 2010 at 1:52 PM

    gorgeous! :)

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  23. UnknownNovember 30, 2010 at 9:00 PM

    That one wall makes such a big difference, I love it! But I'm really bummed that I just now found your blog. So many great ideas, so little time to browse... ;)

    -Ann Marie

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  24. HeatherJanuary 19, 2011 at 11:25 AM

    This is a great solution for your blank wall. It adds visual interest without overwhelming the space. Might have to try something similar!

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  25. AnonymousApril 29, 2022 at 1:00 AM

    I haven't started the project yet but I have nine grandchildren all are boys except for one girl how would I display this to still look neat and organized

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