Home.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 01:40AM Yikes. Six days into the new year already, eh? 'Bout time I shared my word of the year, then. :) For the past few years, inspired by Ali Edwards, I've been picking a word of the year. This year, it will be HOME:
;)
(Yes, I envision using these photos of the boys as letters to spell out many words...get used to it, lol!)
Speaking of home...here are the promised before and after pictures of our family room project. A bit over a month ago, we decided finally to *do* something about making our house more a home. We opted to approach it one room at a time and started with our family room, which had become a bit of an extended play area for the boys. The only furniture in the room was hand-me-down such that the boys had no qualms about jumping on it all and really nothing matched. Here are some of the pictures:
;)
This first set of pictures shows three things...1) we painted that high wall...it's a lovely green color that goes yellow during the day and reminded us just how much difference a simple coat of paint can make, 2) we added a big mirror over the fireplace (when we first viewed the house before buying back in 2004, the previous owners had a nice big mirror there and we've always intended to get one also...just took us awhile, lol), and 3) we mounted a new 52" flatscreen tv (Sony Bravia or something like that...sorry, I only know it was a smokin' good deal) where the fireplace is (we've never used the fireplace and had always joked that putting a big tv there would be the best use of the space). (Sorry, I should have had the boys turn the tv off while I took pictures, but oh well.)
;)
This next set really just shows the well worn loveseat that was really the only furniture in the room before. (Yes, it's in an odd location. Let's just leave it at boys tend to climb, shall we?) Over on the far left was the old tv (which we acquired in trade when one of Nathan's coworkers moved and didn't want to haul his 30-something inch tv up three flights of stairs...can't blame him...it was *heavy*). Feeling rather happy that we were able to find new homes for both the loveseat and the tv with families who appreciate them.
Oh, you'll also notice the new area rug in the "after" pictures. We ultimately intend to redo the flooring on the whole main level. But, as that was a bit bigger project than we felt we could undertake just now, we opted for an area rug in the meantime to cover up the hideously ugly and stained grey carpet that's been in the house forever. :) Also added two new matching bookcases on either side of the fireplace...have yet to properly fill those up, though.
;)
Yup, got a new couch. Well, it's a sectional really and is fabulous. After years of sitting on the floor for the most part and constant fighting over who got to sit in a loveseat, this is fabulous. (Made us feel like grown ups to buy actual furniture, too, LOL!) We snagged a few coordinating throw pillows (intentionally referred to as "couch pillows" rather than "throw" pillows in front of the boys, LOL) and blankets, too. Changed out the curtains (the new ones look very red during the day but are really a coppery orange...chameleon curtains to go with our chameleon wall, lol) and moved that bookcase, too. Still need to find some artwork or a big clock for that wall space, though.
;)
And this last set of pictures shows my very favorite part of the new look! We moved the mess of games to the basement, gave away the tv and stand and painted that wall!! After serious debates and discussions about what artwork to put there, we decided on silhouettes of the boys (since it is the *family* room after all (all five of us didn't fit as well though)) and couldn't be happier. For those wanting to know how...
- Take pictures of boys jumping one at a time. (makes things easier if you make sure they all do it from the same distance from the camera)
- Use Photoshop to delete the background and be left with a fun little silhouette.
- Arrange all three silhouettes in the same file.
- Borrow a projector from your husband's office and use that to project the Photoshop file onto the wall. Use a pencil to draw around the edges.
- While watching football or some such thing on a lazy Sunday, hand-paint the entire thing.
- Voila! Stand back and enjoy your handiwork!
Because I just think it's cool, here's another look at it:
;)
We're thinking we might go back and paint the white parts green, too. Can you tell which boy is which? :) And here's one last picture to try to show the whole room better (sorry I don't have a before picture from this angle...hard to photograph this particular room it would seem):
;)
And, that's that. Our plan for 2010 is to tackle one room/project a month and see how things go. For January, we're working on clearing out a bunch of "schtuff" (that we've been moving around with us for ages) out of the basement and converting that area to an open rec room for our growing and active boys. We're feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sorting and purging necessary (glad to be doing it, just overwhelmed by the volume, lol) but are hoping that the results are well worth it. Wish us luck!
So, do you have a word for 2010? Do share!
Reader Comments (18)
Awesome stuff Amanda, I'm always just so so so in love with your ideas! And it is just not right that I want another child so I can do the 2010 or other letters/numbers, LOL.
I love the quote on your home layout. I may have to use that one some - perfect! Especially for a homeschooling family. :)
My word for the year: RETIRE!
The tie-backs look really nice!
Love what you did with the room!
LOVE the silhouettes! Would love to do something like that in our house. Our walls are so bare and that would be a relatively easy, clutter-free way to fill them in!
Love the letters/ boys, love the new furniture and love the silhouettes That will be really neat too when they get older and you start to see how they are changing and growing...how sweet :)
Thanks for sharing!
LOVE the silhouttes ... they're so fun! They remind me of the shadow wall at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.
gorgeous.
i love how the you have used the boys to make the letters.
fantastic!
can i ask where you purchased the vintage digital frames?
i love them!
thanks!
Your house looks great Amanda!!! Happy New Year!! Hope to see you soon!
the room transformation looks awesome, amanda!! thank you for sharing!! :) *
Gorgeous Amanda!
My word for the year is a combination phrase. Just Do It/Jump In.
One of the things I need to 'Just Do' is purging my basement, but I am finding other things to Just Do instead!
Would you mind sharing how to delete the background in photoshop to get the silhouettes?
I love the silhouettes.
I am a college teacher and spent my summer from May to August cleaning our basement. It took that long. I gave dontaed so much stuff to friends and charities. By August were could paint after the purge. I viewed the TV show NEAT often to keep me motivated. :) Good luck with you project. You can do it!
LOVE LOVE LOVE the silhouettes! What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, Amanda, I really love your new room! Feels so much cozy and alive! You should done it earlier...LOL.
I was just move to our new home last month, and found decorating our own home (well, I do decorate other people's home a lot and got no chance in doing for ourselves.) is such a crazy exciting things to do! Good luck with your word....and looking forward to see the progress month after month....:)
Love the 'new' room...and those letters with your boys...making me wish I had 3 children!!! CUTE!
I love what you've done with the family room. That looks so cool to put their pictures on the wall like that. This year I decided to change things around our house also. You have a head start on me though, I don't even know where to begin. Thanks for sharing your photos.