The console returns. Yes, the console is like Rocky and Batman movies. The sequels keep coming. Maybe instead of The Console Returns we should say “Console: The Final Chapter” or “The Console Strikes Again” or “I Still Know What You Did Last Console.” No? Fine. We’ll stick with The Console Returns.
Yes, after many (many) posts about our big console build, this is the official finale. And this one is the most exciting for me because it’s all about the fun stuff I put on it. Haha. I’m deep, what can I say? I’m sure it’ll constantly change, but here’s what it looks like today:
The lamps were more than we’ve ever spent on lamps (I have some sort of imaginary $50-a-pop maximum and these were $59 each) but from the moment I saw them at Marshall’s I couldn’t. walk. away. I even texted a picture of them to my friend Cat and she said “You’re a magpie, gotta have ’em if they’re shiny.” So I said to myself: “Self, what’s $18 extra bucks when it’s true lamp love?” It did help that they were marked down from $125 each.
We also picked up that big capiz-topped black lacquered box from HomeGoods (on clearance for $15, down from $36) because I knew it would be awesome for stashing nearly all of the clutter that seems to collect on the sofa (a few magazines, books, notebooks, pens, remotes, and even my brush and lotion). And the sleek glammy vibe worked with the blingy lamps to bring some modern chicness to our rustic ol’ console beast.
Other than that I just brought in some stuff that we already owned, from a few stacks of pretty hardcover books that I love to flip through (which are also functional thanks to a handy coaster that I stacked on top for my nightly cup of tea and the smaller white capiz box that’s secretly full of my smaller sofa essentials (lip gloss, vitamins, nail clippers, etc).
And this cute $3 thrifted quatrefoil tray is perfect for all of the jewelry that I like to remove as soon as I sink into my special spot on the sectional (the chaise in case you’re wondering).
And here’s what we have going on in those hidden baskets in the middle compartment. The left side is full of board games since this the room where we usually get our game on. And the basket on the right has a lesser used remote (for the DVD player) as well as some books that we got for Clara from the library (we try to keep them all together so we’re not looking everywhere for one last book on the day that they’re due).
And of course we have a little ceramic animal action going on thanks to my old ZGallerie rhino friend. Probably just for a bit until Clara gets bigger and he becomes endangered. Then he’ll go live on the built-ins in the dining room again:
For some reason this shot kills me. The little ceramic rhino butt in the background gets me every time.
As for the bookshelf sides of the console, we found three of these $5 baskets at HomeGoods, so the one on the close side of the console on the bottom shelf is full of a bunch of Clara’s board books while the top shelf has some of our books and a fun little Cardboard Safari rhino going on.
… and two more baskets on the far side of the console have blocks and other small toys stashed inside.
We’re sure everything that we have on/in the console table will be constantly changing. For example, once Clara’s a bit more mobile I don’t think my beloved ceramic rhino will get to live up there anymore. Unless I want him to meet an untimely end like my ceramic pooch.
Heck, she might even try to murder the cardboard rhino on that side shelf (so far, so good though) so we’re just going to play it by ear. We might decide that we’d like more empty space for putting stuff down on the top of the console (we have that big expanse in the center for a large bowl of chips or something, along with plenty of room for more coasters for drinks, but you never know if we’ll want even more). So it’ll be fun to tweak it and watch it evolve as the rest of the room comes together over the next year or two (still on the list: breezy curtains to add softness, a larger and more balanced looking media cabinet, etc).
And now for the weirdest video we’ve ever made. We were in sort of a quirky mood so we thought it would be hilarious to make a sexy stroking-the-console-video of the whole thing in action (we even throw open that middle compartment for ya to see how it opens and closes in “real time”). The music kills me. And the slow motion. Yup, we’re still laughing about it:
Strangest video you’ve ever seen. Am I right? Oh and we have one more pic for ya. At night it’s all sorts of magical in the living room now that we removed all the weird ceiling fans and that off-center corner pendant light and use the console table lamps along with the desk lamp to illuminate the room.
This photo doesn’t even do it justice, but in person it’s so cozy and glowey and charming. And we can only imagine how the right curtains and a bigger and more proportionate media cabinet will take this work-in-progress room a whole lot further. Someday…
Psst- Wanna flip back through the whole console building journey? Here’s the first post, the second post, the third post, the fourth post, and the fifth post.
connie says
wow. I mean wow. This turned out so well. kudos! and now you can fully enjoy your living room!
Tanisha says
Love It! Those lamps are gorgeous :)
Something that freaked me out though was in the last photo you posted my eyes were instantly drawn to the window. It looks like there is a girl standing out there! I think it’s just the shape of the trees but still…..
FAAAAAAREAKY!
YoungHouseLove says
Creeeepy. I can’t see it for some reason (I just see the two lamps reflecting in the window and some green stuff and the back of the chair at that white table). I wish I could though!
xo,
s
Mitsu says
I have an old console table that I had been using as a make-up table in my old bedroom for ages. I got a new make-up table and just left the console table unassembled in my basement for months. Never even thought of putting it behind my couch. My living room as no room for side tables so lamps were out of the question, until now! Thanks for pointing out the obvious solution to me!!!
alison says
Well done and I love those lamps! I can’t believe you found them at Marshall’s. And for $59? Wow.
Joi says
Loving those lamps! I think they bring the space to the next level!
Lonely Wife Project says
THOSE LAMPS!!!!
laurenjanelle says
I love the way you decorated it. It looks beautiful.
Ann says
I did not realize how big this room actually was before this post. It is huge! It looks very nice btw, love what you’ve done so far. And the lamps are gorgeous too.
Debbie says
The lamps add some curves to all the right angles in the room. Great find!
Beth H. says
Sometimes I feel so weird leaving comments like this but… I am in LOVE with your room… seriously! I am liking this house better than the last, simply because there are a lot more colors going on. And in the best funky scheme ever too. And I’m off to pick up a box like yours so we can control the clutter. Want to come do our house ;]
Teresa says
Fabulous, as always!! You are so wonderful to share all this with your devoted followers. I just wanted to mention that you may want to be careful about storing vitamins in or on the console. Clara, or other visiting little people, could find’em and eat them. That said, knowing you, they are probably in a child-proof container, and it’s probably already on your radar to move’em when Miss Clara is more active. (We just had a poisoning scare when a family member brought his prescription drugs to our home and our son found them.) Sorry for this unsolicited advice, I’m sure you get more than your fair share :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup! Thanks for the reminder! I do keep them in a child-proof bottle that I got from Target pharmacy (for free just by asking, love it!). But once Clara can get up on the sofa (she’s not that mobile now) we’ll make a lot of changes (rhino will go as well as the vitamins I think- and we might even somehow secure the lamp bases to the console with removable 3M strips). We might even make those changes before her birthday party in a few weeks just to be sure it’s safe for the other kids who will be stopping by!
xo,
s
Tarnya Cook says
I love the way the whole room is coming together, definitely gives me inspiration for my family room once our house is finished being built. The console is just WOW, I was dubious at first but Johns woodwork skills are fantastic. Not sure my husband could do quite the same job but am thinking about asking my dad to give it a go for me. Anyway love it all whether you change things or don’t it looks great!
Tarnya
xxx
Tabitha says
that video was hilarious. when you slowly moved aside the stacks of things to lift the middle section, I nearly died laughing. best YHL video ever.
Katie says
That looks AMAZING!! I love how the bling balances the rustic top of the console. The room is coming together so beautifully – well done guys!!!
Jen Jeffries says
hahahaha you guys crack me up! I enjoyed the video! On a more serious note, the console is so awesome. One day I hope to meet a guy who is handy and who can make me a similar one. That hidden area is my favorite part. :)
Kate says
Love love love the outcome!! I wish we were friends in RL so I could come sit a spell on Karl and hang out on your awesome green rug :) Also, the Console Lovin vid is hilarious!
sarah farber says
Dude, that rug really pulls the room together! I am impressed with how this room has come together in such a short time — at least it seems short to this chickie who isn’t living there. Bravo!
Amanda says
I love it! Great job guys – you’ve inspired me to attempt to build a coffee table for our living room.
COLLEEN says
the console looks great!! But I have to say that the pictures not being centered on the couch is somewhat distracting. I know that they are centered on the beams but the couch is your Big statement piece. Other wise great:)
YoungHouseLove says
We eyed it both ways with paper templates and centering them on the beams was the way to go for us. You rarely stand and face the sofa head-on anyway (it would mean that you’d stop in front of the TV and stare at the wall) so by centering them on the beams it looks great from all angles when you enter the room. And you don’t notice that the sofa is a smidge shifted since the beams are a lot more high contrast with the white ceiling than the charcoal sofa cushion seams are, so you notice the beams next to the frames, not the small seam where the sofa cushions meet. The only reason you notice the seam in that straight-on shot is because the beams are cropped out. But in real life they’re where your eye goes to when it comes to the frame wall (especially now that the sofa isn’t against the wall and the entire console is behind it). Hope that makes sense!
xo,
s
Marla says
I’d say you did pretty awesome with the lamp purchase. Take for example this somewhat comparable version from Target for $90 smacks more than what you paid – http://www.target.com/Accent-Lamp-Chrome-and-White/dp/B001I1IZNO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=chrome%20and%20white%20lamp&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-2&qid=1303787694&rh=&searchRank=target104545&id=Accent%20Lamp%20Chrome%20and%20White&node=3151061&searchSize=90&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=3151061&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0
YoungHouseLove says
Woah- that does make me feel good! Love it!
xo,
s
Margaret says
Love, love, love, lllloooovvvveeeeee the lamps!!!!!! I’m going to Marshals today to look!!!
Andrea says
I love how the silver tray sort of resembles the mirror you hung in the bathroom window!!!!!
chrystie says
I love your new house’s color palette. When you first decided on the new colors it was hard to see it all put together, but it turned out so well! And the console?!! AMAzing! You guys blow my mind with all of your creativeness.
Thanks for keeping it interesting!
xoxo
chrystie
http://www.anchoringgemini.blogspot.com
Donna Huebsch says
What a great find those lamps were – they just look perfect on your new console!
megan beth says
So cute!! HEY, my lamp!! It was the first of my living room re-do. And I LOVVVVEEE mine, except, I hate to break it to you, but I believe I paid something ridonculous like 39 dollars for it! I change the shade with the seasons: http://meganbeth.com/blog/2010/12/24/christmastime-is-here-2010/ And here’s the before: http://meganbeth.com/blog/2009/11/03/ch-ch-ch-changes/ And the after: http://meganbeth.com/blog/2009/12/02/fabulous-yes-please/
YoungHouseLove says
Gorgeous! Wow- you’re an amazing photographer and your house looks great!
xo,
s
Rocky B says
If this were facebook I would hit the “Like” button :)
echoes of home says
Hi guys,
Thanks for sharing all your posts on the console! I love your blog, I think it is my favourite one at the mo! The last photo of your room in the evening looks really pretty and very relaxing. Enjoy :)
Cheers,
Leah
Steph says
Just wondering how you access the powerpoints for the lamps? Obviously you don’t need to use the switch on the wall every time you use them, but what if you wanted to change them? Do you have to move the console to get to the plugs?
BTW, I think the room is looking ah-mazing! After our wedding in September I’m buying up on frames to do our own hall gallery and some above our lounge like yours, your whole house is so inspiring!
YoungHouseLove says
Luckily the opening in the middle of the console gives us access to the wall plugs (we surrounded that middle frame with fabric and added baskets for storage, but I cut a little flap in the fabric so I can just remove that center part of the console and access the wall plus if we ever need to plug now things in or unplug the lamps). We just got lucky that the outlets lined up with that opening but we’re so glad they did!
xo,
s
ChristinaD says
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE those lamps!!! We are actually in the midst of re-doing our living room and I just grabbed some great lamps at Marshalls/Home Goods too! However, I think I’m in love with yours! ;) The room is looking amazing by the way! I especially love the night pic! =)
Kathy says
Wow! The entire room looks fabulous. Great job!
Ling says
So inspiring, as always. I still like the placeholder art and don’t think it sticks out in a bad way, but would love to see what alternatives you guys come up with. And love the video cheesiness. If you want more cheese, I’ve got a post about the interiors used in The Bachelor (and its offshoots) coming up later today. But you might need a shower afterwards to wash off all the ickiness from the Bachelor Pad shots.
Kirsten says
That video is SO HILARIOUSLY FUNNY!!!!
Oh, and the console looks great, too:). Love the night shot!
Candice Matthews says
Ok, best video ever! Keep the quirky mood videos coming!
Gina says
Beautiful! Love the bits about a Magpie and rhino hiney too. Don’t know what yall have planned for the color squares, but I wonder if you could print some b&w pics or quotes onto vellum to add to them, keeping the color showing through, but bringing a personal touch to things. I don’t know if it would work, but it might be fun to try!
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely think about adapting those in some way someday!
xo,
s
JoDi says
Wow, this room is really looking great! I can’t wait to see what kind of curtains you put in there!
Melissa says
You own Quiddler & Bananagrams too!
Stacy says
I {puffy heart} you guys so much, but I have to chuckle at all the stuff you are putting on that console with an almost-toddler in the house. Please tell me that you have thought about how pretty soon Clara is going to be up on that sofa and into every.little.thing. :) I mean, jewelry, vitamins, and clippers? LOL. Pretty soon that console is going to be bare, bare, bare. At our house all the surfaces under 4 feet in height (sofa end tables, bedside tables, bottom shelves, etc.) are EMPTY. We are practicing a minimalist look. :) And I say this not to be snarky, but as a service from one mom to another.
On the other hand, you are going to be happy about having that storage inside the console. I predict that’s where everything is going to go once Clara is climbing on the couch.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup! We totally know that everything changes when Clara gets more mobile- we even called it out in this post a few times! But thanks for the helpful reminder. It should definitely be interesting to see how the whole house evolves as Clara grows…
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
That console looks truly incredible.
Anastasia says
Love the room! It looks great. I wish I had the designer eye that you do for decorating.
*BTW, the book under the remote in your console table is “Happy Birthday Little Pookie” if I am not mistaken. So sad that while reading the entire post all I could think about was that book. My son loves it.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, that’s the book! It’s so cute. We got it from the library for Clara since her b-day is just around the corner!
xo,
s
Beth says
I just started a blog and wrote this post up today. If you have a minute, you should check it out:)
http://sunshineontheinside.blogspot.com/2011/04/dear-young-house-love-stop-copying-me.html
You guys are the best…and after seeing your latest post today…it makes my post even more funny to me. Last week, I hand sewed a banner just like the one you made for Clara’s party (albeit much smaller). I actually cut the flags out with a pinking shears and just hand sewed the top part to a ribbon. I haven’t posted it yet because it was totally inspired by the scrapbook paper banner you had in your old office, and I already have linked up to you so much in the last week.
Also, I have my mom’s sewing machine all set up in our guest room, but I’m terrified of it. I have no patience with that sort of work. I am going to attempt to make a custom window seat cover my daughter’s bedroom this week though. Fingers crossed the sewing machine doesn’t end up in the garbage.
Keep up all the amazing work!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s too funny! I guess great mind
thinkbuy alike!xo,
s
ashley says
I love what you’ve done with this room! Are you putting curtains up in that window? Can your neighbors see in that window, or does it face your back yard?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup we definitely plan to bring curtains in for the sliders and that big window. Should add some nice softness. As for the neighbors, we have almost an acre of land so it’s pretty hard for the neighbors behind us to see into the window. But we plan to plant even more trees in the back to create a denser “woods” to make it totally impossible.
xo,
s
Lauren says
I didnt realize how much I hated that weird off center hanging light until I saw the night picture. It’s Soo much better without that weird light in the way, stealing all the attention. love the room! hated that light! : )
Kristina says
“I know what you did last console”…that killed me for about 5 minutes. The video was pretty hilarious and I love how the living room looks now with all the task lighting! Very pretty!
tonya smith says
QUOTE ME “Take Time To Tip Toe Through The Tulips.”
Jen {fuzzy sushi} says
I just absolutely LOVE how this came out! It must be so satisfying to see all that hard work turn into something you adore!
Amy says
So this is a few days later, but I was at TJ Maxx last night browsing and noticed your new lamps, but they were marked at $69. So, maybe you can feel even better about your find, saving $10 on each lamp!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! I wonder if things like that vary by location or store (ex: cheaper at HomeGoods than TJ Maxx, or cheaper when you’re in the South side of Richmond vs. the North side). Thanks for telling me though! It does make me happy!
xo,
s
Kaitlin says
LOVE LOVE LOVE the video. literally almost peed my pants. too funny. ‘was it good for you?” ugh yeah!!! love the console table!
Cynthia says
Oooo I saw similar lamp bases today at Walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hometrends-Asher-Lamp-Base-Silver/13265372) and thought of your beauties. I prefer the round base, but thought others might like these :)
Becky says
Hi Sherry – love the room,it looks great! I noticed what I think is a mommy pendant in the jewelery shot – where did you get it – I want one soooo bad!!!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s the turtle necklace that John got me when we moved (more info in this post) with a little silver disk that a friend made me that says Clara. At first I thought the silver Clara disk would look weird with the gold turtle and chain but I love it now.
xo,
s
Jessi says
OK, a few totally unrelated comments.
1. Your post about Clara’s birth story was riveting and heartbreaking, and joyous all at once. I hugged my own daughter a little tighter. Thank you for sharing such a personal experience with the world, we are all better for having read it.
2. I’m seriously asking for a kreg jig for either my anniversary or birthday. I was wondering which model you guys used so I don’t go too overboard, just want one that can get most stuff done?
3. I blame you for my quatrefoil obsession. I’ll show you what I did with it on facebook soon.
4. sort of related…how the heck do so many quatrefoils find their way to you!? You guys are quatrefoil magnets!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, we always have an eye out for the quatrefoil stuff! It’s like ceramic animals I guess! As for what type of jig we have, it’s just their most basic one (this one) but we also got two clamps which really help. Good luck! And I can’t wait to see your quatrefoil madness on FB!
xo,
s