Living room – kitchen wall completion
I was all fired up to build my last two cabinets for the kitchen and get this project finished up but soon realized that I had to either finish the living room/kitchen wall first or deal with mudding around my new cabinets which would undoubtedly not remain free of joint compound blobs no matter how much tape and plastic I use. I can’t seem to mud anything without slopping a bit of that stuff around on just about everything in the vicinity.
I opted to finish my wall first. I couldn’t be happier to be done, in part because I hate skim coating and in part because the whole room looks better with this small improvement.
I have to mention the fireplace…in case you didn’t notice that change. Uhm… I hate it. It takes up way too much space in this small living room and as soon as I finish the other 20 projects that need to be completed, the fireplace is next on the list. Corner fireplaces waste a ton of space and this room has no space to waste.
So the white paint was not a design decision that I hemmed and hawed about like I do with practically everything.
It was a spur of the moment act of passion. I was priming my walls. I was hot and sweaty. I was irritable. I hate the fireplace and was SUPER tempted to go grab a sledgehammer and take a whack at it but knew that would drive Wes crazy for the months and months that it would inevitably remain half destroyed. So I whacked it with a paint roller instead. Then I taped it off properly and madison volunteered to finish priming and painting it.
Do I love it? No, but I like it better this way than before so maybe I can live with it until I can get to it properly. 🙂
So now I won’t have to try to skim coat around the last cabinets. That would have been a PAIN.
I decided to make this a full length dish storage cabinet so I also have to get rid of those light switches…unless I change my mind 4 more times and end up with something else. I’m turning out to be really fickle with this particular decision!
Jaime Costiglio says
Great progress and truly the fireplace is much more you (and soooo much better) even though it’s not the ultimate finished product. Just goes to show what a little white paint can do. Looking forward to this dish cab build.
Sandra says
Thanks Jaime. It’s coming together. One step at a time…
Annet M says
I was not a fan of the fireplace, and was not sure when you put up the pic of Madison painting it. But now I think with some big artwork or a big mirror to add sense of more space above and a few things on the mantel, you’ll be surprised that you’ll like it for longer than you now think.
Sandra says
Well it will certainly be more enjoyable to decorate around like this than it was before but I don’t think I’ll stop having the urge to bash it out anytime soon. Hopefully long enough to get by.
Krista says
What specific colors are used in this room for the walls and trim?? Looks great!
Sandra says
Walls are SW “light french grew” the trim is SW “snowfall white”. 🙂
Shannon says
Hi there. I’m a big fan and do most of the remodeling on my own at home. My questions is. What color is the grey paint. I’m currently searching for the perfect grey and you might have it!
Sandra says
Light French Grey – Sherwin Williams. 🙂
Deb-IL says
Talk to me about the crown decision. I totally get that the vault, angles beams interruptions of the ceiling/wall line make for a chopped up line but I keep thinking there’s a piece missing! My brain keeps putting a little piece in there to connect with the fireplace bump out – no?? I know there’s a reason – you don’t do anything without a reason – why did you stop where you did?
Sandra says
There was no reason to install breadboard and crown moulding that I would just have to tear out again when it comes time to tear out the fireplace wall and once that’s gone the bead and crown would have to be reinstalled so I just opted to wait for the final wall shape and install the crown once.
C. Brame says
I think your fireplace now “fits” and compliments the room; not a dark blob in the corner anymore. I too think once you start decorating the mantel you may find you like it a lot.
C. Brame says
By the way, is the wood floor new? What color would you call it? It looks great with the light french gray walls.
Sandy says
You did a great job.What color is the ceiling ?
Xenne says
Would like the TV mounted above the fireplace. Hate TV displayed on a piece of furniture as I see it here. Do you have room to angle the couch so that it faces the fireplace. That would be an interesting and great use of space.
Monica says
What color is this wall I love it
Betty Merritt says
Love your whole room! Is the floor natural red oak?
Sandra says
It sure is.
Cindy says
I honestly love the fireplace once it was painted. Love the color choice of walls. The flooring compliments it or vice versa. I have red oak floors. Did you refinish floors with just polyurethane?
Sandra says
These are the floors that were in the house when we bought it. We were able to find it (because we added it to the bedrooms) and it was a pre-finished floor from Home Depot.
Ashley says
What colour did you paint your walls? I recently painted my walls a grey that my husband thinks is blue, which now I can’t I see so I’m on the hunt for a new grey
Sandra says
Light French Grey (Sherwin Williams)