One Project at a Time - DIY Blog: July 2015

You all know that I've been a little overwhelmed lately, (which is a classy way of saying that I feel like I've been run over by a truck and every time I get back up it runs me over again.) But I do owe you all a big Cabin Living Room reveal, and let's be honest, before and afters are good for my soul. So let's go on a little journey...

Here's where the Cabin Living Room began just under 2 years ago. Ouch.

Baby Bo is a little Where's Waldo.

First we spent weeks striping wallpaper:

And got a clean slate after some paint on the walls and new furniture:

Then we tore out the carpet and laid beautiful rustic hickory wood floors:

Next I removed the window:

Framed out a fireplace:

Build a pair of built-in bookshelves:

Created a barn wood wall to hang the TV on:

And created a stacked stone fireplace surround:

Finally, we built a mantel, and we have this:

I'll save your finger the scrolling, here's that before again:

And the after:

And here's an updated look at the cabin from entering the front door:

Let's get a close up on that lovely wall.

I love, LOVE how the inset cabinet doors that I built turned out. It was a little, difficult detail, but I think it really makes these pieces feel original to the house and intentional.

We've filled the shelves with all shorts of old and new things that are special to us. My Mom's uncle carved that wood heron on the top shelf, my parents picked up that piece of driftwood on their honeymoon, and I grew up with that fan which was a relic from early in my parent's marriage (and I remember always hating to be the kid that got stuck with it on hot nights because it rattled.) A stack of classic books will help to fill lazy afternoons, and I'd hear "Go Jump in the Lake" dozens of times every summer weekend growing up whenever I dared to say I was bored.

On the other side a basket of binoculars and bird books will help us discover the local fowl, and that wooden loon is a favorite of my Dad's. The cupboard is packed with games for rainy days.