It’s finally here! The spring One Room Challenge has finally begun and I am so excited to get this area of my house renovated and feeling more like home. Let’s get into it!
The Room
We have been living in our new build home now for almost 4 years, and by far the space that I am in and looking at the most is our family room. It’s open concept to the kitchen and dining room, but the way the layout flows is that when you’re sitting watching the tv the dining room is behind you and the kitchen to the side.
We upgraded our kitchen cabinets and counters through the builder and did our own backsplash not long after moving in. So while there are still things I’d like to do in there, it isn’t an area that is begging for a makeover! Let’s have a look at how it is now:
Family Room Fireplace and Surround – Before
The family room however is still just basic builder finishes. Let me first say, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the family room. We are grateful to have a new build home and all that comes with it. But it doesn’t feel like us, you know? I have been staring at this space, dreaming up different designs that could work here. I’m actually really glad that we waited this long to do it, because my design for this space has changed a few times over the last 4 years and I’m finally in a place where I feel like I’m really honing in on my style, and this room is now really going to reflect that.
I will mostly be renovating the fireplace surround and the wall behind it. I might be changing the window frames and baseboards in the whole room, and if the budget allows building a couple of end tables and console. But let’s get into the main design!
What function do we need from this space?
The first thing I think of when I’m designing a new space is function. Because let’s face it, a beautiful space is useless if it doesn’t function the way you need it to. Here are a few things that we need from the family room:
- a mantle to hold the sound bar for the tv
- a safe and to code fireplace surround and hearth
- shelves of some sort to hold the tv box and other media boxes
- storage space for PlayStation controls and kids’ toys/books
- a countertop to hold the computer (I’ll explain why it has to be here)
I know many people do not like to have their computer front and centre in the family room, and admittedly it’s not the most ideal in terms of design. However, for our family right now, it is the most functional option.
I work from home doing freelance graphic design and social media management. At the same time I am a stay at home mom, and need to be able to keep an eye on my 1 year old and 4 year old while I’m working. Having our computer set up in the family room let’s them stay in an area that has everything they want to keep them occupied and safe while I get work done. Is it the prettiest option? No. But does it function the best for us right now? Absolutely!
What’s on the to-do list?
Here’s almost everything I’ll be doing during this 8 week challenge:
- Fireplace: Remove builder grade fireplace surround, build it out wider and with a more modern profile.
- Hearth: Remove existing hearth and replace.
- Paint: Covering the fireplace buildout with a DIY Roman Clay finish, and painting the remaining walls (cannot wait to show you the colour!)
- Storage: Building custom, builtin cabinets on either side of the fireplace, with shaker style doors
- Mantle and Shelves: Using mitred hardwood plywood to build 2 floating shelves and a 5 inch mantle.
- Decorative Touches: Creating a gallery wall and gallery lighting without electrical.
Here’s what I’d love to add if the budget and time allows:
- Replacing baseboards throughout the room.
- Replacing window trim
- Building 2 end tables
- Building a console table
Mood Board
Ok, here it is. After all this talk here is a look at the colour scheme/design ideas I have in mind. Things may change as the weeks go on and we see how everything starts coming together, but I’m pretty sure the end result will be pretty close to this.
Modern Industrial Fireplace and Surround – Spring One Room Challenge Mood Board
I’m so excited to take you on this journey with me and hope you’ll follow along here. You can subscribe below so you don’t miss out on any posts and make sure to also follow along on my Instagram for lots of behind the scenes and play by play of all that goes down!
Make sure to check out the other participants in this year’s One Room Challenge here.
Until next time,
Oli
