I decided to consolidate this all into one post so I could have a dedicated living room source list next week and you won’t have to scroll through a bunch of chatter to find what you’re looking for. Keeping things simple and easy for ya!
First up, one of my favorite pieces in the entire living room…
Originally I wasn’t going to have anything on this wall at all. Brad ended up running some wires from the cable jack behind it to our outdoor TV (right on the other side of the wall) and they needed to be hidden, so I had to come up with something.
Then I stumbled across this gorgeous cabinet from Shanty 2 Chic:
I loved the simple styling and the fact that it was narrow, and the perfect size! The plans seemed easy enough too (I followed the instructions from Ana White as well as referenced the photos from Shanty 2 Chic).
The stained wood she used turned out gorgeous but I realized that all of the furniture I had in the room was wood/brown so I decided to switch it up and go with a warm gray. I’ve had trouble in the past choosing grays—they always turn out bluer than expected, so this time I went with a much warmer shade—Valspar’s Mountain Smoke:
It actually looks pretty cool in this photo but next to all of the other gray swatches, it was a very muddy shade with brown/green undertones. It really is the perfect gray, I think.
Whitney had ripped down a sheet of 3/4″ Purebond plywood for the main frame, which isn’t available at Lowe’s, but since I wasn’t staining mine I used a sheet of 3/4 MDF instead. Best choice EVER. MDF is so easy to work with—doesn’t splinter or crack and it’s super smooth which makes it perfect for painting.
I had Lowe’s rip it down into strips to make it easier to transport, but their measurements weren’t perfect (as usual) so I ended up having to rip it down on our table saw (I don’t know what I’d do without that thing!)
I won’t get into the step by step details since you can find those in the links I posted above, but here’s some photos during the process. This project calls for a Kreg Jig which I’ve had some trouble with in the past (mostly with the wood splintering and the screws poking all the way through) but it worked like a charm this time—great for MDF:
The plans aren’t super detailed—like it doesn’t say what order to assemble the main cabinet pieces in, so Brad and I just assumed it didn’t matter.
First pieces up!
This is where more detailed instructions would have come in handy (or perhaps common sense on our part) because after adding the shelves in we realized we couldn’t fit our drill in there to secure the top. Oops.
We had to improvise with hand held screwdrivers. It’s solid.
There were also a couple conflicting measurements on the cut list which set us back but luckily I had leftover scraps of wood I was able to make work.
The doors were the easiest part:
I decided to add a bit of cottage flair by swapping out the plain plywood sheets with beadboard:
Yes, I wasted good red wine for this test. |
e OCD clean freak) and convinced him to let me buy my white slipcovers. Forget the gray, I want all white.
It’s super comfy so I couldn’t bear to part with it (and I didn’t have to spend hundreds on a new armchair!)
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Brendan says
What kind of flooring do you have in that room? It’s stunning. I love all of the projects and I want to try and make some myself. Thanks for sharing!
jennasuedesign says
Hi Brendan, it’s engineered hardwood and you can find all the details/links on the Sources page! https://www.jennasuedesign.com/home-tour-source-list/our-current-home/
Nicki says
Wow Jenna, I actually posted a question re your chaise sectional from your August 2013 Pinterest photo – it was exactly what I wanted for my den. I’m doing a full reno on my home and was looking for that ‘comfy cosy’ look. Passed it around to my friends and Interior Decorators and they all said ‘Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel’ etc. or made to order. I was dumbfounded to see that you had actually purchased it from IKEA !! My past experience with IKEA, here in Vancouver Canada, has been sub-par to say the least but now you have somewhat renewed my interest . I think it’s time I pay them a visit again with fingers crossed.
Love your blog Jenna……
Chang Carbonneau says
Congratulations on your success! You deserve it for brightening all of my work days with something to be excited about.