Living Room Edition: The Built-in Bookshelves
This IKEA hack changes the whole space
By Kara WurtzelThe BEFORE
I had this ugly yellow wall in my family room and I was dreaming about a nice bookshelf for ages!
Billy Bookcase Built-Ins
We bought an ol' BILLY BOOKCASE from IKEA. Ya know the simple white one.
Step 1: Add wood panels to the wall
We added four pieces of wood panels on the walls ( both sides of the fireplace)
Step 2: Cut out baseboards
The hub cut the baseboard out from the back wall so the Billy Bookcase could be pushed up against the wall.
Board and batten
It was time to update our circa 2000 Pottery-barn-inspired living room.
Tape out where the MDF will go, nail & paint!
The tape on the wall is my faux board & batten trick. First tape out where the MDF board will go.
AFTER
Board and batten was just the thing to complement our navy & white room. Bye, bye Pottery Barn circa 2000
Living Room Edition: The Fireplace
Just moved in and this was just not going to work. There were cracks and a poor repair job, so I decided to tackle this project.
Laying the wood strips...
I used $2 wood strips and concrete nails. I hammered them in at the mortar joints.
Laying the hearth
Using slate from a landscaping store, I cut down the slate and created the hearth
Pine boards for paneling
I stained pine boards and used a brad nailer to attach them to the studs.
AFTER! Loving our new fireplace
The cold season is over. We burned probably 25+ fires. TV is going strong and the house is still standing.
Modern and Bright Living Room
We brightened things up for a newer, modern look
AFTER: It makes me happy!
I might have gone a bit overboard with pillows, but I love the texture of all the pillows with the shag rug.
BEFORE
When we moved into our house, I knew a gallery wall would be perfect for the large amount of space and high ceilings
I laid out the arrangement on the floor
I then traced the frames/items onto wrapping and kraft paper and taped those onto the wall so I could see how it would look
AFTER: Our massive gallery wall
I just love how it's filled with DIY projects and upcycled finds. I LOVE the impact the wall has on our living room.