When er Lana Carlene became fed up with her property, which she called a “large, dull, beige box,” she chose to do something about its lack of personality — one area at a time. She began her coup from the living area, in which an expansive fireplace screamed for attention. In less than two weeks of construction time, she had the black granite from around the fireplace stripped, organic rock installed all the way to the ceiling along with a clever new storage system packaged in. Here’s how she did it.
Project in a
What’s Living room makeover
Location: Maple Valley, Washington
Duration: Approximately two weeks of preparation; 12 days of in-house construction
Budget: $12,000
Installation done by Powell Custom Homes & Renovations
Before Photo
BEFORE: Carlene had transferred from a significantly smaller condominium to the 2,000-square-foot house. Her numerous small furniture pieces were creating the spacious living room feel cramped, and they felt out of balance.
AFTER: A clever storage method and ceiling-reaching stonework now surround the fireplace.
Mounting the TV over the fireplace would have put the display too high for comfortable viewing from the sectional, so Carlene had it hung at eye level to a side and the components put in a cabinet underneath. Cables running via a Smurf tube in the wall connect the components to the display. And she made sure to leave enough room for a larger TV in the future.
Before Photo
BEFORE: The small TV stand was crammed into a corner and packaged with amusement gear, furthering the mess issue. Carlene knew the spacious wall could be used for storage. “I wanted something more unified,” she said. “The thought of not needing another entertainment unit and shelving for storage has been attractive.”
She place various paint swatches on the wall until she found the right color.
Carlene spent hours looking at photos of living rooms with fireplaces, eventually settling on a mix system that would span the entire wall. After she found the right storage layout and wall color, the area was emptied and prepared for installation and painting.
In the beginning she tried a mild blue, Behr’s Cloudy Day. She had the black granite onto the fireplace surround replaced with natural rock to add texture and also to utilize the existing mantel. “The existing mantel is a really fine, chunky Craftsman appearance, so I wanted to just enhance that feel,” she says.
She had the rock extended to the ceiling for height and texture.
AFTER: Symmetrical shelves make the most of this extensive wall space and accommodate artwork. Carlene changed the wall color to a warm gray (Benjamin Moore’s Cinder) for a more dramatic backdrop for her artwork and accessories.
Stone: Cronin, Desert Gold
Once the TV components were put up, Carlene eliminated the center doors onto this cabinet and set in perforated metal panels for additional ventilation.
What was cluttered and plump is now inviting and warm. Merely ask Carlene’s puppy, Ricky.
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