Reader Redesign: Home Is Where The Hearthroom Is
When we got this sweet note and some great before and after pics, we just had to share ‘em. Here’s Sarah’s letter:
My husband and I bought our first house in May of 2007, and immediately went to work painting every. single. room (the previous owners had 4 girls, who were apparently fans of varying shades of pink and purple). This room (we call it the “hearthroom“) was the first one that we finished, and we’re quite proud of it. We painted the walls in Behr’s Olivine, which was a major departure from our previous apartment beige. We then painted the back of the built-ins the same color, and slowly added our own touches over the first few months – I think we were so eager to finish it because it flows from the kitchen, and we knew that we would spend a lot of time in this general area. The former owner used this room as their dining room but I love that my husband Ryan and I were able to rework the space into a fun room in which to lounge by the fire and play board games, or just have a casual dinner or read a book. – Sarah
So here’s the muli-colored country dining room as it looked before Sarah and her hubby moved in:
And the newly transformed “hearthroom” (we love that name!) for lounging, reading, and general chilling out after a long day:
Sweet, no? Fabulous job Sarah! Here’s to a chilly night or two to make that fireside lounging extra cozy.
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I would have taken one more step and painted the fireplace and what looks to be hardwood baseboard(?), but it looks great, nonetheless.
Totally! That fireplace would look ridiculously fab painted a soft feathery gray. And two white lacquered boxes or a grouping of tall white vases on top of the bookcases would add even more height and drama to the focal wall. Yummy.
And don’t for one minute think that I’m not LOVING that that fabulous decor idea came from a guy. As you all know, I’m partial to guys who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty when it comes to home decor.
xo,
Sherry
It looks good but I think they could have painted the bricks and extended the cabinets on either side to the ceiling. I’m not sure I like the chairs with their backs to the room though – they need you to re-arrange it much like you did John’s sister’s flat. Some carpet or seagrass flooring might make it look more welcoming too. Just a suggestion though…
I think the fireplace would look completely fabulous in gray – BUT the bricks look like they are in great shape so I would hate to paint them if they don’t have paint or crumbling issues to start with…who knows how long the painted brick fireplace fad will last?!?!
Maybe a fireplace screen redo – or new one all together will tie it all together? And I love the suggestion of painting the baseboards white…that would look so clean and put together.
And I totally agree with Sherry – the bookcases need more height…and lacquered boxes would be gorgeous! I would have never thought of that – but it is a great idea.
Overall – SUPER makeover – this is the cutest hearthroom I’ve ever seen!
Great job! I personally would not paint the brick…I think they go well in this room.
I love that paint color, I might steal it for when we paint our living room.
I’ve seen this room before and love the color. I think that painting the baseboards crisp white and extending the built-ins upward would look awesome, but I disagree about painting the brick. While some brick fireplaces NEED to be painted, this one is in good condition, has good colors in it, and adds a certain warmth. I don’t think that every brick fireplace requires a paint job, sometimes they add character to a home.
The whole re-do looks great! I love the color choices.
I’m going to have to take the no painting the bricks side. The brick adds a certain warmth and cozy factor to the room that I think would be lost if painted.
I also think a different carpet would look great. Something bigger and with some texture. I also think a slipcovered loveseat or sofa would look great in this room and cozier than two separate chairs.
Congratulations on gathering quite a flurry of comments Sarah! You have a gorgeous and cozy room on your hands whether you change a single thing! Thanks again for sharing:)
xo,
Sherry
Looks beautiful! I love those red chairs and the white built-ins!
I would’ve painted the brick white and agree the built-ins from floor to ceiling.
It’s a great transformation, Love it!
looks great although my first thought when I looked at the after photo was, should have painted the fireplace. If you’re roller shy when I comes to painting the brick, I would definitely paint the mantel white and replace the fireplace screen with one that has a brushed stainless surround.