SOCIAL MEDIA

October 24, 2014

Our "New" Wall Unit

Our family room can feel very dark.  It is the only room in our home that is built at grade level (on a cement slab with no basement underneath) and it can sometimes feel a bit like a basement, even though there are plenty of windows.  I knew that the dark leather furniture and dark wall unit weren't doing anything to lighten the space.  So we decided to paint the wall unit white. Painting accomplished just what we hoped.  It brightened the whole room.  
Painted white wall unit, entertainment center look-a-like to the Pottery Barn logan-www.goldenboysandme.com

Here's a comparison of the before and after.
Before and after of painted wall unit-www.goldenboysandme.com
The wall unit was purchased at JC Penney many years ago.  At the time, I loved Pottery Barn's Logan entertainment unit and this JC Penney version cost a fraction of the price.  It is a huge piece of furniture and I briefly considered retiring the whole thing and putting a console with the tv hung on the wall above.  Because it was a budget friendly piece, it is made of wood veneers so there were dents and scratches that were showing its age.  But, the storage this unit supplies for this room won me over and we decided to keep it...with a fresh coat of white paint.  Just as we did in our last painted wall unit project, we used a spray paint primer (Kilz) and Rustoleum white spray paint.  The unit is made of six separate spaces so we were able to complete this project outside.
Painted wall unit, crate and barrel trunk style coffee table and Bassett plaid chairs-www.goldenboysandme.com
It changes the entire feel of the room.
Painted wall unit, crate and barrel trunk style coffee table and Bassett plaid chairs-www.goldenboysandme.com
I also considered purchasing some white slipcovers for the sofas, but I think the wall unit brightens the room enough on its own.  This room gets a ton of use from the kids and dogs and the idea of washing white slipcovers weekly also factored largely into my decision.  
Painted wall unit with Rustoleum white spray paint in family room-www.goldenboysandme.com
It was fun adding the accessories back onto the bookshelves because everything shows up so much better with the white background.
Bookcase styling in white painted wall unit-www.goldenboysandme.com
I added a few extra baskets for storage.  I will write a separate post about how our family uses this wall unit to stay organized next week.
Bookcase styling in white painted wall unit-www.goldenboysandme.com

Bookcase styling in white painted wall unit-www.goldenboysandme.com
It feels like we have a whole new room and I am really excited to decorate this space for my favorite holiday, Christmas!

14 comments :

  1. Wow the room is so beautiful. I love the pop of white. It gives the room some brightness. I love all the rich shades of the leather of the sofas and the reds in the chair. You will have so much fun decorating this for Christmas. Having a golden retriever myself , white slipcovers would definitely be a no for me! Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thanks Jeanette! The white changed the whole feel of the room and we are just loving it. The leather furniture definitely works best in our family room with the dogs. I hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

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  2. I really like what you did! Not only was it practical...but it's gorgeous too! Our home is very similar to yours...raised ranch. But our tv unit is in the living room...and it provides a ton of storage for us. Now that our 3 sons have moved out, our " downstairs" family room doesn't get as much use. But, I know the darkness you are talking about. Great job...your family is fortunate to have just a fantastic room! ;)

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    1. Thank you!! I can't imagine not having all the storage this unit provides. Hopefully, we will all spend more time down there now.

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  3. Courtney,
    It looks wonderful. Love how you styled the shelves. So pretty. I bet you will have a great time with Christmas decorating.
    Kris

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    1. Thanks Kris!! I can't wait to decorate it for Christmas. Looking forward to your Saturday Spotlight tomorrow!!

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  4. Love it! Christmas decor will be great!

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  5. Wow! What a difference the white paint made! GOOD call! I'm glad you kept the leather furniture--it keeps the room warm & cozy and adds another texture. Plus it's good with the plaid chairs. I think the white slipcovers might have been too much and started pushing the room towards "cottage-y". I always love your Christmas decor and can't wait to see how you decorate this "new" room!

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    1. Thanks Denise! I agree, now the brown leather warms up the space instead of the whole thing just being dark. Have a great weekend!!

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  6. Hi Courtney! I am your newest follower...found you through Kris @ JunkChic. You are already on my sidebar and I can't wait to get to know you better. You do wonderful work and I love down-to-earth people that love their families. xo Diana

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    1. Hi Diana! Welcome!! So nice to connect with you. Thank you so much for visiting and following. You made my day :)

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  7. This is a lovely space...I'm sure the whole family loves it! Hopped over from Saturday Spotlight...I'm a new follower on Bloglovin'!

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    1. Thanks Linda! Welcome and I am so happy you are now following along. I visited your blog as well (and followed) and I love it. So much inspiration. Have a great weekend!

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