If you have ever moved into a brand spankin’ new house that feels like a big, uninspiring box of white walls and bare windows, raise your hand.
We did just that in 2003, and it was a daunting task to even know where to begin. All of our walls and baseboards were painted “builder’s white.” We had no casings around the windows. No trim around the open doorways. No crown molding to give the place a little character.
So last year we decided to do something about it. My husband Dave is pretty handy, so he read a book about hanging crown molding, bought the necessary (expensive) tools, and went at it, one big, bare room at a time.
The family room was a special challenge, though. As you can see above (apologies for the grainy, pre-digital photo), the fireplace wall was pretty bland for something that should’ve been the focal point of the room. We painted the walls a light tan (Waverly Home Classics in “Natural”) to give it a little contrast, but it still suffered from a serious case of the blahs.
I told Dave I wanted more than just the crown molding around the top of the room. I wanted the windows to stand out more, too. And, while we were at it, could he create some sort of overmantel?
Here’s what he came up with:
Quite a difference, isn’t it? Not bad for a DIY job by a couple of amateurs (if we do say so ourselves). It’s amazing what a little trim and crown molding can do to transform a room.
Dave trimmed out the windows and ran crown molding around the entire room. But the biggest difference comes from the overmantel he created with nothing more to go on from me than some effusive arm motions and vague statements like,”Make it go up like this, and then over like that, and keep it simple, you know?”
We also spent two long weeks painting the family room various shades of tan and gold until I found a color that was just right (Eddie Bauer Home’s “Pecan”). We went through about 5 or 6 colors first (I lost count). It became a popular neighborhood sport to stop by our house and play “What color have the Knispels painted their family room today?” and then vote on whether it should stay or go.
For the record, Dave voted that the paint colors should “Stay!” every single time. And my vote–until we tried “Pecan”–was “No, it has to go!” I may be just a tad too picky when it comes to paint.
During those grueling two weeks of our Paint Marathon, I remember seeing a perky host on one of the HGTV decorating shows saying, “Paint is the cheapest and easiest thing you can use to transform a room!” and I wanted to throw the paint roller at the TV.
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Oh I LOVE this! Looks GORGEOUS!! Oh and I LOVE the toile chairs!! Drooling over here.
My hubby and I were looking up crown molding and beams for the ceiling of our new house we’ll be building soon. He found this … if you’re interesting in checking it out. We’re thinking about getting it for the new house and adding crown molding to them!
http://www.fauxwoodbeams.com/beams_regal2.php
~melody~
Oh, isn’t that Dave just the most talented of all?! And clearly you’re no slouch in the hand-motion-description-giving yourself.
That…is absolutely gorgeous! You guys did a wonderful job. Love the mantel, love the color. Great transformation.
I found you via Cincymoms. I am loving the blog!
Liz–
Yes, Dave IS talented. Gotta love a man who’s handy around the house! He will be grateful for the compliment, which I will be passing along.
Melody–
Thanks for the link. Those are very cool. I’ve got to show them to Talented Dave (as he will forthwith be known). If you do add them to your new house down the road, you have to take a picture and share! Glad to see you back here again, btw.
Jill–
I’m so glad to see another CincyMom on the site. If there are any other Cincinnati-area moms reading this who don’t know about it yet, check out http://www.cincymoms.com.
Dave gets the Nobel Piece Prize” for making the whole greater than the sum of the pieces.
Oh, Julie, you have a genuine gift for “SEEING” what would be best, HOW things should be, and then making it all happen (with your truly talented Dave). Dave really does need to be commended, because my husband didn’t know how to do things either, and he still doesn’t after our 26 years together. I TRY, but don’t get far. My house hasn’t changed in 26 years, except for more dust. Well, you know, you’ve seen it. Maybe my house was your inspiration, as in, “Oh, my gosh, how does she stand it? I cannot live MY life that way!.” Anyway, you definitely need to be decorating people’s houses as your profession, and telling them what to do. This blog is great. I hope it will be really succdessful.
Judy–
Hope to see you here again soon!
How nice of you to stop by and leave such a sweet note! Yes, I have seen your house, and it is charming, welcoming, and warm. If Talented Dave ever finishes his long to-do list around here, I’ll send him to Indiana to teach Val a few tricks!
WHOA!!! I wish my house was as cool as yours…
I love your fireplace. I happened across your site from FlatpackOhio….We are sisters separated by birth! I have been reading your site for 2 days now and am glad to know there are more people like me out there. I especially love that you have a house similiar to mine! I can’t wait to show my (unhandy) husband this site! I live in the Cincy area and would love to live in one on the Clifton mansions! Take care!
Thanks for pointing me to your before and after on crown molding. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do on your site, and believe me, I will probably read everything on it. Because I don’t know your style well (yet), when I clicked on the crown molding magic and saw the first picture I thought “oh. oh boy. There’s her mantle with the round mirror, candlesticks and plant that she was talking about.” Good thing I kept reading, even at 5:30AM, to realize that was the BEFORE picture. The AFTER is impressive. The paint color is MUCH, MUCH better, the over mantle is beautiful; I’ve never seen something like that. And the vase with flowers does balence out the mantle.
You’re right that it’s been a month since I posted asking for decorating help. I’ve made slight progress, as I found a set of 5 black candlesticks for $10. Score! I have 3 of them off to one side of the scrolly thing, and I’m searching for something to balence it out on the other side with some height. Thanks for visiting my humble little blog and leaving comments too!
I love that Eddie Bauer Pecan, Julia! How funny that I found this post from The Nester’s blog and I was researching her blog for her sister’s fav paint color for someone else…and now I think I have my color for my living room…Eddie Bauer Pecan! Love it!
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Oh, I love what you did with the room, too! Sorry, I got so excited about the paint color, I forgot to tell you how beautiful your room is!
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