Sometimes I like to wake up, make a coffee and start sledgehammering things in my house. Which sounds incredibly impulsive, but it usually takes 500 or so Saturdays of quietly stewing about something I don't like before I snap.
Longtime readers will immediately notice in the photo above what it is I took a sledgehammer to. For the rest of you, I'll first explain a bit about the psychology behind the design SNAP because it can happen to anyone.
The actual SNAP happens when you go from thinking "I don't like that, to I hate that and it needs to disappear immediately". I can't predict exactly when I'll snap but it always happens 10-15 years after I decide I don't like something.
My floors are a perfect example of that.
One minute I was having my morning weekend coffee and the next I was ripping up all the wood floors (and there were many layers of them).
The photo below of the prybar set under a board is the actual moment it all happened.
You can read about the entire story behind ripping up wood floors in this post.
And you can read about what I did AFTER I ripped them up in these posts.
My living room has been in a constant state of ... I don't like that for 20 years. I love my kitchen, love my dining room, love my foyer ... but my living room has always been I don't like that.
First it was because of my lack of funds to furnish it with anything other than items I found on the side of the road which I spruced up by washing and removing any debris, gum, or dried up worms.
Then it was because I filled it up with a sectional sofa which I LOVED at first because it felt cozy and comfortable but really limited anything else I could put in the room. Worse than that - having a sectional meant I couldn't move things around at all.
I'm a serial rearranger. I like moving things around when I get bored.
So a few months ago I moved half of my sectional to the dump.
IT'S GETTING BETTER
With each SNAP the living room gets better and better both to my eyes and in terms of usability.
Table of Contents
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE LIVING ROOM
- I still LOVE the interior shutters I made. Here's the tutorial on how to make interior shutters.
- The art. I like my creepy portraits of children and farmy style landscapes and even my homemade forgery of a Cy Twonbly's signature.
- I love a lot of the pieces of furniture like the very small antique, wood buffet and the $5 mirror above it.
- I LOVE the vintage Eames lounge chair but ... the size of it because of the ottoman makes it a bit of a headache.
WHAT THE LIVING ROOM STILL NEEDS
Lots of stuff. I'm still working with the furniture that I have until I know exactly what I want everywhere.
SOFA - I'm still looking for the perfect English Roll Arm sofa with a tightback. There are lots of nice ones but I need a smaller depth than most offer.
I'm also considering a very classic flat arm sofa with side cushions.
CHAIR(S) - The gold and cream thrift store chair beside the fireplace needs to be replaced with something opposite to the sofa in terms of style. If for instance I get an English Roll Arm sofa, I'd want the fireside chair to be more modern. BUT COMFORTABLE!
PAINT - Considering a colour in the blue/green palette. If I keep it white, I'll add the colour to the room through accessories and upholstery.
MANTLE - I'd like to get rid of the whole front of the fireplace and replace it with something more in keeping with the age and style of the home. Something more simple.
TELEVISION - I need a bigger one, probably a Samsung Frame or LG Oled. I'll make a custom frame to go around it so it genuinely looks like art. I especially like that The Frame has a matte finish now, so there's no glare which makes art you display on it look more realistic.
I'd like to place the television anywhere other than over the fireplace, but final furniture placement is going to dictate where the tv can go.
SO WHAT DID I TAKE A SLEDGEHAMMER TO?
The bookcases on either side of the fireplace.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Why Would I do that??
- Because they were janky old bookcases that my sister Pink Toolbelt and I installed when I first moved into the house.
- The shelves were originally built so the section on the right could house my 1990's Fred Flintstone style television which was the size of an oven.
- The shelves were uneven and weird sizes.
- They irked me.
This isn't how these nooks will remain, but even just throwing 2 matching lamps on them they made the room feel a LOT calmer. Not so busy.
The Video Tour
What Happened When I Snapped?
It always starts the same, so I'm relaying these points as a way for you to recognize when this might be happening to you.
- For 10 years these feelings have been brewing. Longer even. But my first instinct was never to rip the bookcases out.
It was to REORGANIZE them all the time for 10 years.
If you are doing the same with something in your house, pay attention: you're going to snap.
- Over the past year I've stared really hard at them willing them to disintegrate. Explode even maybe. This approach didn't work. Not even a little bit.
Things don't just disappear or appear if you wish for it. Praying won't help either. Your God doesn't care about your shitty bookcases.
- Last month I called a support line for people who are struggling but they only made matters worse by delivering my dinner into a snowbank.
If you start doing things you would never normally do, like ordering take-out or wearing cowboy hats you're getting close to snapping. I mean, you are ALMOST there.
- On Friday night, the evening before the SNAP, I mentioned to a few people that I was thinking of removing my bookcases. By Saturday at noon the living room was filled with Dremel saws, pry bars, hammers and paint cans.
I said it out loud. I told someone of my plan. IF YOU SAY IT OUT LOUD IT WILL HAPPEN.
So be careful about that.
I needed to keep the bottom of the bookcases for now (I'd like 2 almost matching pine chests in there I think) so I cut the tops off using THE BEST TOOL IN THE WORLD.
A Dremel MultiMax. You can see it sitting on the cabinet in the first picture above. It will cut wood or drywall out of anywhere. Because of its flat blades you can cut horizontally along floor or in this case the top of the cabinet, to create a perfect, flush cut.
This isn't all styled and zhuzhed. It's the room as is.
TIMELINE
The actual demolition, hauling away the bookcases, repairs and repainting the walls took from 12:00 until 6:00 p.m.
Then there were another few hours of finding places for the things I took out of the bookcases, and deciding what to put in there for now.
I've given you the warning signs: disliking something, constantly rearranging, swearing at, willing something to implode, and saying it OUT LOUD.
If you experience any of these symptoms take a sledgehammer and call me in the morning.
Jody
I love the idea of small pine chests either side of the fireplace. Now I'm looking around the house wondering what I need to say out loud!
Su
The bookshelves! I get it but… I’ll be watching to see how you redo the space. For me keep it white on the walls. Ties everything together
Mary W
That is exactly the steps before I dig out a new flower bed. Saying it out load makes it a commitment.
Karen
That's the trick to all accomplishments in life. ~ karen!
Mary Casey
Hi- hey I was wondering where you got the Eames- those are usually quite pricey….. yours looks amazing!
Christine Hilton
I hated my living room.Dont get me started on my what were expensive sofas for me that lasted less time in my grown-up house than my daughter's Ikea sofas with her toddlers and teens and dog jumping on them every day.
I fixed the room by removing half the stuff.The fabulous collage wall of art is gone.The books are gone.Two chairs are gone.l have given up the dream of navy velvet sofas and l think the navy velvet cutains from lkea are the next change.
And maybe the navy leopard print carpet from Stark.lt has taken years to figure out and l am a designer.l even contemplated hiring another designer.Maybe we should hire each other!!!!
Karen
LOL. It's SO much harder to do your own anything. Garden, decorating, exercising.😆 ~ karen!
Pattie Meyers
Christine, I know that “I’m a designer and I’m stuck on my own space”. Weird, but it happens. Easy to see solutions for others, but I guess we’re too close to our own “things”. But picking through the issue is what we’re good at. It finally works out. Hang in.
Robin A Carter
Mirrors and sconces would reflect the light beautifully 👍
Karen
I agree. :) But it would also make it feel less calm with the mirror and reflections. I am leaning towards sconces though. ~ karen!
Sandra
I am impressed that your snap happened on a saturday morning...Mine seem to happen at 5pm on Sunday.
Karen
Thanks for noticing! My smaller "let's rearrange everything in the house" snaps usually come around midnight. ~ karen!
Paula
Looks very nice, uncluttered.
Karen
Thanks Paula! Now let's hope I can keep it that way. ~ karen!
Hettie
I love your style, Karen, decor, and long-contemplated impulses. The living room looks super! Good luck finding your couch. Have you checked out MaxSold? Alotta junk but some fantastic bargains on there too.
Karen
I have! MaxSold is a great place to buy things, a terrible place to sell things, lol. ~ karen!
Marilyn Meagher
I have those snaps too! I like it too. You are right ,it’s calmer. We removed two shelves from beside our fireplace and our 55 inch tv fits in nicely. I too didn’t want it over the fireplace. My husband was resistant but ultimately realized it was one if my better ideas.
Karen
This living room allllll started to work when I threw out half of the sectional. Which NEVER would have happened if there was a husband here I had to convince of it. Actually it would have. They both just would have ended up in the dump. ~ karen!
Debbie
Oh, I am so right there with you. For me, it is my bathroom mirrors. I hate them. Hated them from the moment they were installed. Can't take them down by myself as I would have 14 years of bad luck. Can't handle that because I have already had 30 years of bad luck just living where I moved, 30 years ago. However, I think they will be gone by the end of June, if not before. I might be able to afford new ones by then.
BTW, I too am height challenged when it comes to sofas and chairs. I have the Oxford Sofa from Ethan Allen which (when I bought it) came in two different seat sizes. The smaller one fits perfectly. Just checked their website (man have their prices jumped again!), I don't see it being offered, however, always call and ask. Many times they offer things that are not on their website.
Karen
Thanks Debbie, I'll have a look! ~ karen!
Kathy B
Really enjoy your house renos! Your quirky style matches your personality and keeps me coming back. Have you done anything upstairs?
Karen
I can't do a ton of work upstairs because furniture doesn't fit up and down the stairs. I had to remove drywall to access a false window to get my bedroom furniture in originally. I'll have to do the same to get it out! ~ karen
Stephanie
All I could keep thinking was, "OMG, how does her beautiful, cream couch stay so nice with her poodle!?" Yes, I have a Standard Poodle also and I just purchased a navy blue couch ; )
Karen
It's because it's made out of cruddy microfibre which dirt wipes away from like a miracle. Honestly, I spilled an ENTIRE bowl of pumpkin soup on it last year and it all just wiped up, lol. ~ karen!
Quatorze
What if… (my musings always start with «what if… ») you put mirrors that take up the entire space where the shelves used to be on either side of the fireplace? I saw that on a home decorating site a few years ago and I still think about it all the time. Thanks for taking us along on your journey!
Christine Hilton
That was my immediate thought too.
Karen
That's funny because that's what my mother wants me to do. But as I said to her, the mirrors would reflect a lot of stuff taking away from the clean, calm look. :) I'm leaning towards sconces and large pieces of art under them. But don't hold me to that. ~ karen!
MBirds
One entire wall of my grandparents condominium, in the dining area, was done floor-to-ceiling in those stick-on mirror tiles with the gold vein pattern through them. The gold ended up looking dated (as they moved in and decorated it in the 70s). But the effect of an entire wall of mirror still did wonders for the space. It made the room feel much bigger and brighter. And when I visited a friend who lived in the same building and had the same kind unit it amazed me how different it felt without the mirror wall! Small and dull and shoe-boxy. I’ve often meant to try doing something similar with a wall in our house…I’m glad this comment thread reminded me of it!
Susan Taylor
What a difference it makes. I always find that taking something out of the room is often the answer. Your living room is so much lighter and less cluttered now. Kind of makes it more livingroomish and less like a den. Also the beautiful fireplace stands out. (I’ve had the Frame t.v. for years with no issues).
I love seeing your living room evolve and you can’t go wrong with a timeless English roll arm sofa. You have great instincts be it a sledgehammer or a garden shovel!
Karen
Thanks Susan! Yeah, this room is taking a while.😆 But it'll get there. ~ karen!
Molly
I so enjoyed reading this! And the fact that you've proven the theory that destruction can be its own creation.
"Your God doesn't care about your shitty bookcases." 😸
Karen
And it really didn't even take very long! Thinking about it is always worse than just doing it. This is especially true of income taxes. ~ karen!
Addie
Hello....I would NOT be getting the Samsung TV. Samsung was leading the charts but they have gone down hill and been surpassed. I have one for 3 years and it has started "pixel death". The pixels die off and leave a blurry hole. A repair man said it was beyond hope get a new one....AND don't get a Samsung. Sony was behind in the game but has really picked up speed. It waited and watched what all the others were doing in digital tech and now it excells. The Oleds are nice too. Oh, the repairman also said, "Don't even take a Samsung refrigerator for free!!!"
I am getting the 65" Sony Bravia. Go big or go home!!!
Bev
Good to know that even their fridges are bad news.
Sarah B
I have to completely agree about the Samsung fridge. I had one and: never again!
Barb
I do have to say with Samsung fridges ,it seems you are either really happy or really not. We have been immensely pleased with ours (now it will probably curl up its toes....)
Patti_is_knittinginflashes
BTDT with the Samsung fridge.
Karen
Good to know! I have both of those. I have a Sony Bravia which is the one over my fireplace. It's olddddd. And I have a Frame upstairs but I rarely use it. I need it to be a Frame "style" tv if I put it over the fireplace. ~ karen!
TK
Seconding your advice. A 65" Sony Bravia (XR95J I waited a year for) replaced the 55" because the husband mismeasured. Once we mounted the 55" on the wall, we discovered we actually COULD have fit the 65" between the closet door frame and the bedroom door frame. The 75" is on a huge family room wall. I thought the 85" would be ostentatious. The way most films are still letterboxed, it would have been just suffucient. My nine year old 70" only HD Sony is still behaving perfectly in the man cave.
Karen
You have very, very large televisions, lol. My mother Betty would be thrilled. She has a 65" and I just told her a couple of days ago it seems HUGE to me, because I'm used to such a small one. I believe the largest I can fit in the room will be 55" but I am going to relook at what Sony has to offer. ~ karen!
Christine
And that is exactly why I have not verbalised to my husband that I want to redo our lounge and make it moodier - because once it's out there, I will have to do it!! However, I can feel the words bubbling up towards my mouth..............this may be the push I needed to say it out loud!!!
Karen
You'll say it out loud when the time is right. You can't help yourself when you snap! ~ karen
Randy P
I like learning new things, as in Google quickly informed my art-ignorant self what a Cy Twombly (Twonbly) was. And now I know and Google images rightly suggests I'm not a fan of abstract art. The new look does 'unclutter' that end of the room. Being the crude cave-dweller male biped that I am, MY idea of a fireplace lends it self to flagstone or very dark woods (hides the inherent soot.) I've also learned that if i ever see a Karen with a sledgehammer I should just slowly back away and not make direct eye contact.
Karen
Don't forget to stand up tall, wave your arms and throw money at me. Like a black bear exotic dancer. ~ karen!
Robert
The fact that you've been thinking of doing this for almost as long as I've been reading this blog!
Wow!
It does look better, i hope you find the sofa
Karen
Hey Robert! It definitely does look better. I'm leaning towards sconces in the nooks with art underneath. Maybe. Oh my God, I don't know.😆 ~ karen!