This Family Room has been ten long years in the making. Almost eleven, actually.
And I’m still not finished. ;)
Am I ever? No.
But that’s okay. I enjoy change and I’m a thrifty decorator so it’s all good!
I’ve been telling y’all about this “doozy” of a room for a long time now. You know, “the cave”.
Promising to share for many months…and now I finally am.
The CAVE….that is was.
Wait til you see….just wait. Doozy is an understatement as you’ll soon find out.
By now you’ve seen plenty of “after” shots. Now it’s time for some “befores”.
These are our french doors looking back towards the screened porch.
See the very green trim on the door outside? We changed all of that to white.
But that’s for another post.
Look how dark and dated it was…
And now.
Looking towards the front windows (I had to crop out my hubby ;) I don’t think he’d have been pleased if I left him in this photo)
But you get the idea.
DARK cave.
And what’s with that door being pale, oak-y stained with those other walls stained dark?
Just no.
And now.
Told ya it was a doozy!
We’ve changed all the doors, all the hardware and well, basically everything else!
How about this gem?
I probably should have prefaced this to say…. we had just moved in, literally, when I snapped these photos.
So excuse the mess everywhere! ;) Plus, I had no plans to start a blog almost eleven years ago or I’d have taken better photos. ;)
After, with part of that wall removed.
NIGHT and DAY. Right?
We removed that dark paneling and happily found drywall behind it!
(see our new doors over there in the corner?)
Same far back corner now….
Patching the walls, getting them ready for paint.
See that cord plugged into the wall up by the fireplace?
Those were the odd outlets on each side of the fireplace I’ve mentioned before.
My husband wired lights there soon after this. (the ones that started out brushed nickel but I later painted with Oil Rubbed Bronze in this post here –> “Many Uses of Oil Rubbed Bronze“.
Aw, GI Joe…naked. lol
What a mess. Just look at the wall. ;)
And same corner now.
Looking into the Laundry Room (remember, we just moved in)
Isn’t that vinyl floor fabulous?
I am in the process of making some (more) changes in the laundry room so I’ll be sharing that room again soon.
We ripped up that carpet a couple years later and added this hardwood.
That was our first time laying wood flooring. (I keep saying WE but it was really my husband who did it…I was his “go-for” on that job :) )
That beach sign was originally in my guest bath…and not pointing towards the beach.
I’m happy to report it’s now finally pointing in the direction of the beach in it’s new location.
And just for fun…how it looked before I changed my decor this last time. (one of many times! ;) )
See why we needed to get rid of the large entertainment center? Too big for this room and it always felt cramped.
I had a terrible time with furniture placement.
So, so, so much better now that we’ve mounted the TV over the fireplace.
There’s one of the light fixtures beside the fireplace…that used to be an outlet. Much better with a light than an outlet!
My pretty antique dresser and mirror that came to me painted metallic blue.
I stripped it, repainted it, sanded and refinished the top and added new hardware. (that looked more original than what it came to me with)
So….I can very happily say the Family Room is no longer “the cave”.
It’s a place that we very much enjoy spending time in.
And since we’ve added the faux board and batten, it’s even brighter than before.
See you later this week with the “how to” on the board and batten we did in this room!
(Edit-see the board and batten tutorial –>> “Faux Board & Batten Tutorial“)
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It all looks so beautiful!! So light and airy. Not dark and cave-y at all :)
You guys rocked it!! The board and batten, all the pretty colors, the flooring.
Nice work.
I love your family room ya’ll did a wonderful job. I love the board and batten it brightens the room so much. I’m trying to talk husband into doing it in my livingroom. Sometimes he’s a hard sell. I can’t say enough about how much this room looks wonderful. I will be waiting for the how to on the board and batten. Love the room great job.
Thank you Sheila!
Mine can be too…but he has figured out by now I don’t give up too easy! He’s a pretty good sport with the ideas I come up with!
Just keep at em! ;)
Thanks again!! xo
Nancy
WOW! It looks so fresh and inviting and just beautiful now. I’ve seen so many parts of this space, but it’s nice to see it all together to understand the whole space. I wonder what the old owners would say if they saw it today?! XO
Thank you Christy! What a difference, right?? I told ya! I’ll have to have you over someday so you can see it in person! :)
I don’t think the old owners would recognize it!
xo
Nancy
I am sitting here with my mouth wide open, in shock! I can’t believe the difference, literally NIGHT and DAY! Dark to light, drab to fab, just WOW! So beautiful, I adore everything! Excellent job, 11 years is a long time, but this room is sooooo worth the wait!
Haha Thanks Laurie!! I just said last night…it’s hard for me to believe looking at the photos again. And I lived it! ;)
And haha!! Yes it does…I’m sure he did with my son playing with him!
xoxo
Nancy
It’s just beautiful! All that hard work really paid off. You give me such inspiration – I love that cottage, laid back style! Blessings to you and your fam! :)
Wow Nancy, the transformation is like night and day! So bright and spacious looking now with all the white and removing that wall just opened up the space. The 11 years was worth the wait (I can relate to the wait).
Hey Marie! Yes, it’s crazy how different it is now. And opening up the walls (the other one is the one that attaches to the dining room) didn’t happen on the first “update”. We had to work our way up to those renovations!! lol But I’m SO glad we bit the bullet and just did it. It makes all the difference in the world.
xo
Nancy
Wow, don’t you just love looking at all of the old photos to see how far you’ve come? Pat your self on the back for a job well done friend. I wouldn’t have known it was the same place if the photos weren’t linked! Sharing and pinning:)
Wow! What a difference! I’m impressed that you had the vision to see the potential in that room when you bought the house. Eleven years ago, especially, I probably would have passed on a great house because of such a dark paneled room!.
The room is absolutely beautiful now. You did a fabulous job! xo
Thank you Karen! :) We definitely needed vision when we walked through this home for sale all those years ago! Every room needed updating (and our master bath still does…one day!)
xo
Nancy
holy smokes nancy what a change love every thing about it the colors the furniture every smidge…you could throw nakid gi joe on the floor and i would like him now ha ha xx
I love everything you did and all the colors.
Except for my taste I would either remove the dark blue armoire in the corner
Or maybe even turn it so it is angled in the corner and then give it a white wash.
But love all the rest.
Lots of hard work for sure.
Hi Angie!
Thanks so much! Actually, it’s funny you say that because that’s the way the cabinet always was, angled in the corner. I repainted it a couple years ago and made it flush with the wall. It’s pretty deep and I never really liked it angled because it seemed awkward. You can see (a little bit anyway) how it was angled before I painted it blue in this post here. :)
I do still think it’s a bit awkward in the corner, even now, but it provides a bunch of storage that we desperately need, so it stays. ;)
xo
Nancy
Hey, I think your old vinyl flooring and my old vinyl flooring are related!
Seriously, thanks for the tour – so much brighter and bigger now, eh? I’ve had my share of panelled walls; it’s a relief to get out from under that, isn’t it?
Wow! What an amazing transformation! I have a dark cave in my house too…. time to get busy and paint! Love all the descriptions… keep them coming! Absolutely beautiful Nancy.
I really love how you transformed it! The board and batten looks great as well as the hardwood floors. Your French doors really are accented now. The shutters are perfect! I’m very interested in the placement of your flat screen TV and how you were able to put it on the brick wall over your fireplace. It all looks very light and airy with your colors now and your beautiful painted pieces! Love the open feeling you have created by opening up the wall. It all flows so beautifully! Loving your French country style that brings in the coastal! This is a room you’ll love spending time in now! Thanks for sharing Nancy!
Hey Lynn! :)
Thank you so much! And you are right, a room that we love to spend time in, for sure!
For the TV, we had an electrician (my cousin’s company actually –local if you need one! :) ) come in an wire for us. Then my husband mounted it to the brick with the bracket.
The wires for the TV are well hidden. They did a good job of putting them down beside the fireplace. You cannot even tell. Especially with the board and batten.
You can read about that project in this post a bit more… https://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/11/black-friday-tv-time-family-room-makeover.html
We ended up putting a sound bar (which we love!) over the top later on. I would have preferred it below but we didn’t mount the TV high enough and I wanted space to decorate a bit on the mantel so it had to go above! ;) My husband said “he planned” and there was plenty of space for it below. I said…um, no decor goes there. Men! ;)
Anyway, thanks again!
xo
Nancy
Thank you Debbie! Lol, so funny!!! If I ever thought (in a million years!!) that I’d be sharing those photos on the internet for all to see, I’d have surely moved him ..and the rest of the mess! ;)
Have a great weekend Debbie!
xoxo
Nancy
Oh Em Gee. I can’t believe how DARK it was in there before! Kudos to you for seeing past all that and making it so beautiful! And I think I had that same linoleum from your laundry room in my first house I rented. ;)
Oh yes, it was….so dark and dreary!! Ick. My sister came over after we moved in and I was walking her around and telling her all the ideas I had. She said “I’m glad you can see it, cause I don’t!” lol
I admit, it was tough! ;) Too funny on that lovely linoleum!
First time visiting your blog and I love it! Your house is gorgeous and I LOVE that dresser above! Beautiful! I subscribed and will definitely be back alot more! Thank you!
The color on the wall is called Blonde by Sherwin Williams, SW6128. The color on the board and batten is white but I mixed in a bit of “Creamy” to soften it.
Hope that helps! :)
Nancy
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It all looks so beautiful!! So light and airy. Not dark and cave-y at all :)
You guys rocked it!! The board and batten, all the pretty colors, the flooring.
Nice work.
Thank you Shannon! :) We are so happy it’s no longer “the cave”!
xo
Nancy
I love your family room ya’ll did a wonderful job. I love the board and batten it brightens the room so much. I’m trying to talk husband into doing it in my livingroom. Sometimes he’s a hard sell. I can’t say enough about how much this room looks wonderful. I will be waiting for the how to on the board and batten. Love the room great job.
Thank you Sheila!
Mine can be too…but he has figured out by now I don’t give up too easy! He’s a pretty good sport with the ideas I come up with!
Just keep at em! ;)
Thanks again!! xo
Nancy
WOW! It looks so fresh and inviting and just beautiful now. I’ve seen so many parts of this space, but it’s nice to see it all together to understand the whole space. I wonder what the old owners would say if they saw it today?! XO
Thank you Christy! What a difference, right?? I told ya! I’ll have to have you over someday so you can see it in person! :)
I don’t think the old owners would recognize it!
xo
Nancy
I am sitting here with my mouth wide open, in shock! I can’t believe the difference, literally NIGHT and DAY! Dark to light, drab to fab, just WOW! So beautiful, I adore everything! Excellent job, 11 years is a long time, but this room is sooooo worth the wait!
PS looks like GI Joe had a rough night! ;)
Haha Thanks Laurie!! I just said last night…it’s hard for me to believe looking at the photos again. And I lived it! ;)
And haha!! Yes it does…I’m sure he did with my son playing with him!
xoxo
Nancy
What a beautiful makeover! I love the beautiful soft colors. Very, very nice. Definetly worth the wait. Congrats on all your hard work.
Thank you so much Melissa! It’s daunting to look back at the photos now, I’m just so happy it’s done. :)
xo
Nancy
It’s just beautiful! All that hard work really paid off. You give me such inspiration – I love that cottage, laid back style! Blessings to you and your fam! :)
Aw thank you Jayne! :)
xoxo
Nancy
Wow Nancy, the transformation is like night and day! So bright and spacious looking now with all the white and removing that wall just opened up the space. The 11 years was worth the wait (I can relate to the wait).
Hey Marie! Yes, it’s crazy how different it is now. And opening up the walls (the other one is the one that attaches to the dining room) didn’t happen on the first “update”. We had to work our way up to those renovations!! lol But I’m SO glad we bit the bullet and just did it. It makes all the difference in the world.
xo
Nancy
Wow, don’t you just love looking at all of the old photos to see how far you’ve come? Pat your self on the back for a job well done friend. I wouldn’t have known it was the same place if the photos weren’t linked! Sharing and pinning:)
Thank you friend! :) I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t lived it! ;) Thanks for the pin!
xo
Nancy
Wow! What a difference! I’m impressed that you had the vision to see the potential in that room when you bought the house. Eleven years ago, especially, I probably would have passed on a great house because of such a dark paneled room!.
The room is absolutely beautiful now. You did a fabulous job! xo
Thank you Karen! :) We definitely needed vision when we walked through this home for sale all those years ago! Every room needed updating (and our master bath still does…one day!)
xo
Nancy
holy smokes nancy what a change love every thing about it the colors the furniture every smidge…you could throw nakid gi joe on the floor and i would like him now ha ha xx
Haha!! :) Thank you Chris!!
xo
Nancy
I love everything you did and all the colors.
Except for my taste I would either remove the dark blue armoire in the corner
Or maybe even turn it so it is angled in the corner and then give it a white wash.
But love all the rest.
Lots of hard work for sure.
Hi Angie!
Thanks so much! Actually, it’s funny you say that because that’s the way the cabinet always was, angled in the corner. I repainted it a couple years ago and made it flush with the wall. It’s pretty deep and I never really liked it angled because it seemed awkward. You can see (a little bit anyway) how it was angled before I painted it blue in this post here. :)
I do still think it’s a bit awkward in the corner, even now, but it provides a bunch of storage that we desperately need, so it stays. ;)
xo
Nancy
Hey, I think your old vinyl flooring and my old vinyl flooring are related!
Seriously, thanks for the tour – so much brighter and bigger now, eh? I’ve had my share of panelled walls; it’s a relief to get out from under that, isn’t it?
Great job!!
Hi Gabrielle!
Haha!! Maybe so!! ;) Oh yes, very much brighter and bigger now! Definitely a relief…it’s a “happy” place now! Thanks a bunch!
xo
Nancy
Wow! What an amazing transformation! I have a dark cave in my house too…. time to get busy and paint! Love all the descriptions… keep them coming! Absolutely beautiful Nancy.
Hi Nan!
Thank you! OH yes, do!! It will change your world! :) You will love it!!!
xo
Nancy
I really love how you transformed it! The board and batten looks great as well as the hardwood floors. Your French doors really are accented now. The shutters are perfect! I’m very interested in the placement of your flat screen TV and how you were able to put it on the brick wall over your fireplace. It all looks very light and airy with your colors now and your beautiful painted pieces! Love the open feeling you have created by opening up the wall. It all flows so beautifully! Loving your French country style that brings in the coastal! This is a room you’ll love spending time in now! Thanks for sharing Nancy!
Hey Lynn! :)
Thank you so much! And you are right, a room that we love to spend time in, for sure!
For the TV, we had an electrician (my cousin’s company actually –local if you need one! :) ) come in an wire for us. Then my husband mounted it to the brick with the bracket.
The wires for the TV are well hidden. They did a good job of putting them down beside the fireplace. You cannot even tell. Especially with the board and batten.
You can read about that project in this post a bit more… https://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/11/black-friday-tv-time-family-room-makeover.html
We ended up putting a sound bar (which we love!) over the top later on. I would have preferred it below but we didn’t mount the TV high enough and I wanted space to decorate a bit on the mantel so it had to go above! ;) My husband said “he planned” and there was plenty of space for it below. I said…um, no decor goes there. Men! ;)
Anyway, thanks again!
xo
Nancy
The transformation is amazing! You did a beautiful job creating a light, airy and oh-so inviting room. Love it!!!
Thank you Susan! :)
Nancy
Great job, but after I saw GI Joe I couldn’t think about anything ;) Love the light bright makeover, especially those shutters!
XO
Debbie
Thank you Debbie! Lol, so funny!!! If I ever thought (in a million years!!) that I’d be sharing those photos on the internet for all to see, I’d have surely moved him ..and the rest of the mess! ;)
Have a great weekend Debbie!
xoxo
Nancy
Oh Em Gee. I can’t believe how DARK it was in there before! Kudos to you for seeing past all that and making it so beautiful! And I think I had that same linoleum from your laundry room in my first house I rented. ;)
-andi
Oh yes, it was….so dark and dreary!! Ick. My sister came over after we moved in and I was walking her around and telling her all the ideas I had. She said “I’m glad you can see it, cause I don’t!” lol
I admit, it was tough! ;) Too funny on that lovely linoleum!
Nancy
First time visiting your blog and I love it! Your house is gorgeous and I LOVE that dresser above! Beautiful! I subscribed and will definitely be back alot more! Thank you!
Thank you Heather!:) So nice!! I appreciate the sweet comments and so happy to have you along!!
xo
Nancy
what color are on the wall and the board and batten? love it all.
Hi Roxanne,
The color on the wall is called Blonde by Sherwin Williams, SW6128. The color on the board and batten is white but I mixed in a bit of “Creamy” to soften it.
Hope that helps! :)
Nancy