TV Room Before & After

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIX3cQf5WWiig4Rt3mWigVlu-eI1R61UHrYnQ-d_0uaf8_GKDOS5qdQT1Fo7NRKI2zhwDdNocEExhuYM_9j1diS-X3IRpTjftAcMyIbVfKP2L3TdrMUeljzP04RG1QdBn6OMj-RpledE/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIX3cQf5WWiig4Rt3mWigVlu-eI1R61UHrYnQ-d_0uaf8_GKDOS5qdQT1Fo7NRKI2zhwDdNocEExhuYM_9j1diS-X3IRpTjftAcMyIbVfKP2L3TdrMUeljzP04RG1QdBn6OMj-RpledE/s1600/before.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRTwzeeAgAhcg6pK_ogAspTF6O4lcVapYsNshGJ4a9pCK3A8Bq3AR05t38f10RSbJrlM2EYeKzesdUweg-dM6OYA51lowUmKEipKWeLxPtrMr0Ahd6265T6byaZ60JfJAf8bPSM9z4is/s1600/TV_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIRTwzeeAgAhcg6pK_ogAspTF6O4lcVapYsNshGJ4a9pCK3A8Bq3AR05t38f10RSbJrlM2EYeKzesdUweg-dM6OYA51lowUmKEipKWeLxPtrMr0Ahd6265T6byaZ60JfJAf8bPSM9z4is/s1600/TV_1.jpg" /></a></div><br />Our TV room is done! The first photo is the before (when we bought the house) and the after is as of a few days ago. The gorgeous linen romans from<a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/" target="_blank"> Tonic Living</a> have been installed and I am <i>thrilled </i>with how they turned out and they definitely add a warmth to this room, that the space desperately needed.  To see more pictures, what we did to change it and the shopping guide click on the read more link.<br /><a name="more"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPGq3DTpV6Sl4eWePZm9rA8ksXskFNJWjYwjHBp92HGsYZtEoSdjgcgFjBbswBXCAHKBU6fRGCUESmDNLIcmWNMmKCapT44ZOeIpeGq6eNSgALw7TfqFOn4cDLKGLXepCMbW88I6MNEQ/s1600/TV_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIPGq3DTpV6Sl4eWePZm9rA8ksXskFNJWjYwjHBp92HGsYZtEoSdjgcgFjBbswBXCAHKBU6fRGCUESmDNLIcmWNMmKCapT44ZOeIpeGq6eNSgALw7TfqFOn4cDLKGLXepCMbW88I6MNEQ/s1600/TV_2.jpg" /></a><a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2013/01/the-evolution-of-our-tv-room.html" target="_blank">A lot has been done to improve this room since 2008 when we moved in, so you can pop over to this post to see the stages. </a>But the last pieces of the puzzle were done over the last few months - new romans, a new carpet and some greenery. The romans are worth elaborating on as they are definitely the thread that pulls everything together for me - As I mentioned in my intro - they add a warmth that this room desperately needed. The fabric and the fabrication are from <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/" target="_blank">Tonic Living. </a><br /><br /><b>FABRIC</b><br />In terms of the fabric you can read more about <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2013/02/the-most-gorgeous-fabric-ever.html" target="_blank">the fabric choice from Tonic Living in this post.</a> But to summarize the decision, I knew that I <i>didn't want</i> a fabric that would cut out light entirely when they were down, instead I wanted a fabric that just <i>diffused </i>the light. I picked <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/Tuscany-Linen-Oatmeal-Slub-P2662.aspx" target="_blank">Tuscany Linen, Oatmeal Slub. </a> They are also lined in a white cotton fabric, that was pretty standard I think - Tonic knew what I wanted so advised on the best one so I just trusted them.<br /><br />The number of windows in this room, not including the door is five. And each window was a different size than the next. A bold patterned fabric would have likely been too busy and drawn attention to the different sized windows - so choosing a natural fabric, although my taste to begin with, was carefully considered because of the odd shaped windows. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvLOv10sjr4uThKuelexKovhAIwkBIxMaDWCONVygMYDEsKN6RHZvIf8N2RmFasIn215asHR9oAiBeugeF3ejZDS9qGsb22FPGoscT_GQpWk8ZEIOou9khAghKGZRRekNUx9LprJYxOU/s1600/IMG_4074..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZvLOv10sjr4uThKuelexKovhAIwkBIxMaDWCONVygMYDEsKN6RHZvIf8N2RmFasIn215asHR9oAiBeugeF3ejZDS9qGsb22FPGoscT_GQpWk8ZEIOou9khAghKGZRRekNUx9LprJYxOU/s1600/IMG_4074..jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikO1LXdn18g-JUmInpo7tInS0sbewxx3BOJMlu1zAqMGKtbRFLys27NRBGpHRqFcm48OrGK4jIrKTaXfZZJJcMmGWjRrPb1VowFlyBj8y0HzZpuyuZYr7yRUIdeRppGZs3NIZteymwoHM/s1600/TV_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikO1LXdn18g-JUmInpo7tInS0sbewxx3BOJMlu1zAqMGKtbRFLys27NRBGpHRqFcm48OrGK4jIrKTaXfZZJJcMmGWjRrPb1VowFlyBj8y0HzZpuyuZYr7yRUIdeRppGZs3NIZteymwoHM/s1600/TV_5.jpg" /></a></div><br />One thing that is worth noting is that the romans have a <i>manual </i>pull, meaning you have to manually wrap around the cord to a hook on the wall, to secure the drapes from unraveling down - whereas some companies (mass produced romans) have mechanical stops that make it easier to adjust. I was worried that this may be annoying but I'm pleased that it's actually really easy to get the blinds to adjust to the same level as the others. The blinds go up and down occasionally twice a day. At night when we're watching TV and in the morning they come up so we have bright beautiful sunlight.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31pyK_VKQEIlbMxvMuorBwEVllRflAn1vNV66ORSuGYoKUGa_QNcZCwTbtyz8eflTzQ-jCGiHgVmJ6XW80B3kuqnw0ejWtWeuEgsxRTLsSUjpr8jBk9EVuFhsPApUdHak0BminkdRGx4/s1600/TV_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31pyK_VKQEIlbMxvMuorBwEVllRflAn1vNV66ORSuGYoKUGa_QNcZCwTbtyz8eflTzQ-jCGiHgVmJ6XW80B3kuqnw0ejWtWeuEgsxRTLsSUjpr8jBk9EVuFhsPApUdHak0BminkdRGx4/s1600/TV_6.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm in LOVE with them. I highly recommend <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/" target="_blank">Tonic </a>for fabrication and I absolutely adore the fabric too. There are other little elements that came in to make the room feel done.<br /><br /><b>A rug:</b> An awkwardly shaped room I thought a custom rug was our only solution. But that wasn't in our budget so I put in an <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60086468/" target="_blank">Ikea Havbro wool rug</a> that is really too long for the room but you wouldn't know because I've hidden the majority of it under the couch. Totally works.  <b>Side Table: </b>I've moved my favourite table - my <a href="http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=duncan+phyfe+&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=" target="_blank">Duncan Phyfe </a>games table that I bought in Craigslist, from the upstairs hall to beside the couch in this room. It adds a little more warmth. It's possible from a design perspective it's too tall but it's staying where it is. <b>A lamp from HomeSense, </b>my <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2012/08/diy-concrete-planters.html" target="_blank">DIY Concrete Planter</a>, and a <b>Fiddle Leaf Fig </b>Tree that sits in a new HomeSense basket - all make this room warm yet uncluttered. Aubrey and I watch TV in here every night and the leather couch makes it a stress free room for me with Oscar. He eats on this couch, and we just wipe it clean.<br /><br />I'd love to add an ottoman in here but it has been tricky to find the perfect one in our budget. So the hunt continues. Anyhow, it's not a grand room but it's potentially now one of my favourite spots in the house because of how cozy it is at night and cheery in the day. I do love it!<br /><br /><b>Shopping Guide:</b><br />Wall Colour ............... Cloud White, Benjamin Moore<br />New Windows ............ <a href="http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fieldstonewindows.com%2F&ei=zlFrUeHKGO614AO4t4CoDg&usg=AFQjCNFChuZvZaoof9TgpUym7JhoRb76yg&sig2=5K_Jr5gK5CjkHbslRCx-Tg&bvm=bv.45175338,d.dmg" target="_blank">Fieldstone Windows</a><br />Roman Blind Fabric ................... <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/Tuscany-Linen-Oatmeal-Slub-P2662.aspx" target="_blank">Oatmeal Slub Linen via Tonic Living</a><br />Roman Blind Sewing/ Fabrication .................. <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/" target="_blank">Tonic Living</a><br />Leather Couch ........................ <a href="http://www.barrymorefurniture.com/product/verona_sofa?ReturnUrl=%2fProductSearch%3fs%3dverona%26pg%3d0" target="_blank">Verona by Barrymore Furniture</a><br />Duncan Phyfe Games Table ............ <a href="http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=duncan+phyfe+&srchType=A&minAsk=&maxAsk=" target="_blank">Craigslist</a><br />Glass Lamp ..................... <a href="http://www.homesense.ca/" target="_blank">HomeSense (2011)</a><br />Concrete Planter ................... <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2012/08/diy-concrete-planters.html" target="_blank">I made it. </a><br />Picture of Oscar .................... <a href="http://tynanstudio.com/" target="_blank">Tynan Studio</a><br />Frame (Picture of Oscar) ......... Ikea<br />Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree ................. Ikea<br />Basket for Tree ......................... <a href="http://www.homesense.ca/" target="_blank">HomeSense (April, 2013)</a><br />New Glass Door ....................... <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/search?q=back+door&x=-1392&y=-984" target="_blank">Lowes, Aubrey installed</a><br />Rug  ............................ <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60086468/" target="_blank">Ikea</a><br /><br /><br /><b>Posts of interest: </b><br /><a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/search?q=back+door&x=-1392&y=-984" target="_blank">Installing a new door</a><br /><a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2011/07/new-windows-step-1-front-of-house.html" target="_blank">Installing new windows</a><br /><br /><br /><br />

TV Room Before & After

Our TV room is done! The first photo is the before (when we bought the house) and the after is as of a few days ago. The gorgeous linen roma...

Read more »

the most gorgeous fabric ever

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuFk1DZVh1rdsBgnxzo0V8HTB5nTwKPKMRI4iEykr2g079VjZJQe6R2-huNrGPLCDZJcnzo8aOJPjT4bD88SEhWkb5K3kXIKBgcrZXq3RUdWxFLIltr1mujeNlkko_DOJsADo1gFUS4o/s1600/IMG_3051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYcGpWYnAH5jwWNb1T2MpTVCnhZNtfIp50g2A9PnRL3Jgp1I2MeX-MCYM2fFtsNRxCZMkHxOMSoVLSld-Xp4LWUZXHXNgsgfyQHKzfdDg-LvuArBONIAol589n2Q9mpxMKH5QrjoUJwc/s1600/IMG_3052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYcGpWYnAH5jwWNb1T2MpTVCnhZNtfIp50g2A9PnRL3Jgp1I2MeX-MCYM2fFtsNRxCZMkHxOMSoVLSld-Xp4LWUZXHXNgsgfyQHKzfdDg-LvuArBONIAol589n2Q9mpxMKH5QrjoUJwc/s1600/IMG_3052.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuFk1DZVh1rdsBgnxzo0V8HTB5nTwKPKMRI4iEykr2g079VjZJQe6R2-huNrGPLCDZJcnzo8aOJPjT4bD88SEhWkb5K3kXIKBgcrZXq3RUdWxFLIltr1mujeNlkko_DOJsADo1gFUS4o/s1600/IMG_3051.jpg" /></div><br />I'm so excited. The major element in our TV room update - the roman blinds - arrived yesterday. Yay! We haven't hung them yet as it will be quite the task making sure they are all placed properly, so for now they sit on our dining room table and I pet them as I walk by. I love, love linen.<br /><br />I think I'm in a minority - Most people pick bold colourful prints but I'm most comfortable with a linen. (Another example of my love of this kind of fabric is <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2012/09/living-room-updates.html" target="_blank">my living room drapes</a>). I want everything in linen.  Which isn't awesome with a kid but for drapery I can get away with it. Side note - You can find linen look alikes that are more durable, like we did for our <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2011/07/new-dining-room-chairs.html" target="_blank">dining room chairs</a>, and, <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/search?q=linen&x=-1392&y=-984" target="_blank">our kitchen bench</a>. Both give me the <i>look of linen </i>but with water resistance which is perfect for cleaning up little fingerprints/spills.  But back to the romans. The fabric we went with was the <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/Tuscany-Linen-Oatmeal-Slub-P2662.aspx" target="_blank">Tuscany Linen, Oatmeal Slub</a>. It's unfortunate that the fabric has "Oatmeal Slub" as a part of it, it makes it sound rather bland. But there is nothing bland about it, it's so, so gorgeous.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br />Going back a few steps.... <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2013/01/picking-fabrics.html#more" target="_blank">after I last posted</a>, Aubrey and I measured, and re-measured the windows to make sure that we were ordering the right size for each window. The room is weird, each window a different width and we wanted to make sure that the spacing between the windows was even. <br /><br />Once we had measurements I e-mailed them to <a href="http://www.tonicliving.com/" target="_blank">Tonic Living</a> for our final quote. Even after we got the first quote, we double checked measurements again and revised it. When dealing with this many windows, and the amount of fabric needed, I didn't want any mistakes. We were able to get a discount on the order based on the fact that we had ordered<a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2010/09/drapes-giveaway.html" target="_blank"> Oscar's drapes from them which was nice</a>. Even still it was still a relatively expensive investment as there are 5 windows plus the glass door. You have to factor in labour for each window + the fabric. The linen wasn't inexpensive at $17 a yard, but it wasn't ridiculous compared to what you could have picked.<br /><br />I guess what I'm getting at is that this wasn't a fly by night decision. We had to really weigh if investing in these were worthwhile, considering we have a washroom reno and potentially some landscaping this Summer. But the privacy was worth it, so we bit the bullet.<br /><br />The process to make them too about 4 weeks and below are some details that make me love Tonic...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKJqrCcgxpD79Y_BzqDHJNrIRVhrR8xBh-ZKUX3jXo0SkUePPWVUKUYac3BEkEzOcpuSUVBx5kqxtKSWXI9n2j6Um6Pi7r0sq20_DMCmMVW1Elh9k7tgJsrTxtB7XH0m3Sjpx90O9tQI/s1600/IMG_3045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKJqrCcgxpD79Y_BzqDHJNrIRVhrR8xBh-ZKUX3jXo0SkUePPWVUKUYac3BEkEzOcpuSUVBx5kqxtKSWXI9n2j6Um6Pi7r0sq20_DMCmMVW1Elh9k7tgJsrTxtB7XH0m3Sjpx90O9tQI/s1600/IMG_3045.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />It was great as I noticed each package was labeled as shown above - because each of our windows is randomly a different size, Tonic had made sure to note on each package which window was which - not only by the Window # (based on the quote for referral I think) but also with the measurements so we could be 100% sure we were putting the romans in the right spot.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbL36CYXQyVxBtbEO9HV7UNqavMMGNmDS954DZzrZEaPVwTMnU3Yh2mqqW9VCA1kd25zUpN-xiJV3HCLtB1c1FXnhL68o7ED7bq-R-HypqQUg6bhmm1jtdu_gn6_0VLIqnuIu6xp8MYo/s1600/IMG_3044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbL36CYXQyVxBtbEO9HV7UNqavMMGNmDS954DZzrZEaPVwTMnU3Yh2mqqW9VCA1kd25zUpN-xiJV3HCLtB1c1FXnhL68o7ED7bq-R-HypqQUg6bhmm1jtdu_gn6_0VLIqnuIu6xp8MYo/s1600/IMG_3044.jpg" /></a></div><br />Also, we got instructions on how to install. This is for Aubrey. My part is done. :)<br /><br />I cannot wait to have them hung! Now I'm on the hunt for an ottoman for the room. Which is tricky as it's a small room and we have a small budget. Fingers crossed.

the most gorgeous fabric ever

I'm so excited. The major element in our TV room update - the roman blinds - arrived yesterday. Yay! We haven't hung them yet as it ...

Read more »

the evolution of our tv room

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsEppluOVHpxvBuAWqlIxKCLJLA7MbKblJV5Pd_chKRXSRcmV-lAwPbjo7XU5PPh4ia2lEbAX6R281WiPCim7jswKHcLUyXY18xtcibBSt7UI9GaEIvziFejrVwhAgJwUNH-_iXaLtKc/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsEppluOVHpxvBuAWqlIxKCLJLA7MbKblJV5Pd_chKRXSRcmV-lAwPbjo7XU5PPh4ia2lEbAX6R281WiPCim7jswKHcLUyXY18xtcibBSt7UI9GaEIvziFejrVwhAgJwUNH-_iXaLtKc/s1600/before.jpg" /></a></div><br />Super boring post coming up. But if you're into seeing ugly "before" pictures then this may be the post for you. I've made it a priority to address the TV room this winter.  Having a "TV room" on the main floor, separate from the rest of the house is amazing. Although it's such a huge bonus to have, it's terribly awkward room to decorate.  Considering 50% of the room is windows, a window pass through and doorway makes it hard for furniture placement. I've decorated in stages - and not invested too much in pieces - which has meant the room has never really felt truly done.  Above is how we got the room when we purchased it. It was used as a office perhaps? Or maybe a mud room? Not too sure. The rest of this post shows you what we've done each year to bring it to where we are today...<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6qzrN83Qhaeq5x1AdMRENwK7fSsmrFG4FuHSIM1cbRLFzgkD95er_5zLhYpNRLsUid601n4ea02D-oETTNGEmGtENT7f88WZnl56u6T40akl7uvp3Dqh2wBxF2K_tdzJvVDsLOUIbTs/s1600/033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6qzrN83Qhaeq5x1AdMRENwK7fSsmrFG4FuHSIM1cbRLFzgkD95er_5zLhYpNRLsUid601n4ea02D-oETTNGEmGtENT7f88WZnl56u6T40akl7uvp3Dqh2wBxF2K_tdzJvVDsLOUIbTs/s1600/033.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New wood floors being installed, not yet stained. "Window" to dining room.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmNIb7EWpdUZ2h1biuiYLNkGheLqJbbW5RZrmoos7tFJ_G_bw6E9fRpL5W1NETnahj763W7iW6h1imFLCwQeNJxNFpHowaWks-_8Rvz8Dki6-J7ahyphenhyphenoho_6VMQ6aFbKwln9pEG_8Fcuc/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmNIb7EWpdUZ2h1biuiYLNkGheLqJbbW5RZrmoos7tFJ_G_bw6E9fRpL5W1NETnahj763W7iW6h1imFLCwQeNJxNFpHowaWks-_8Rvz8Dki6-J7ahyphenhyphenoho_6VMQ6aFbKwln9pEG_8Fcuc/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly windows (not not energy efficient) are all different sizes. We couldn't afford to replace when we bought so we hid them with blinds. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />The TV room is part of an addition to our house that was done prior to us buying it. It was done pretty strangely, so a lot of what we had to do over the upcoming years was fixing weird design decisions. So here is what we did each year....<br /><br />In <b>2008</b> when we bought the house we tore out the carpeting and installed real hardwood floors, which made this extension feel less like an after thought/addition, and more a part of the main house. Above in the "before" pictures you can see a cut out in the left hand wall. We filled in that cut out that looked through to the eat in kitchen. This is now where our refrigerator is - even back then we knew that by closing in that small window, it allowed for more use of the wall on the other side. We also painted the room.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOCt7fzJciY9ut7_9WDkaHk4T_T1tKz9Yox5VPkO9JbnzKXM_eczoScknmfv6fP2mkUCkMllIxr3UQU-vT8ymhmJRi3IapDeU9x_oUpvwgY4Lg3NRVHPX2OCWcC9iVBcO3qDDJEjYIHc/s1600/022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOCt7fzJciY9ut7_9WDkaHk4T_T1tKz9Yox5VPkO9JbnzKXM_eczoScknmfv6fP2mkUCkMllIxr3UQU-vT8ymhmJRi3IapDeU9x_oUpvwgY4Lg3NRVHPX2OCWcC9iVBcO3qDDJEjYIHc/s1600/022.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVItan4ntkkeEC05XEqrNIAqcVQSamov8Ie1FVreA1ouATaJob1N1oPH9agssytFQyPkWuu4lhcaD3Nwrmi09rX7zgWHUDAFpaIES4yqihRFYjZtv-99W_H1ackB6aMW2iKwm5RK4Z5M/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVItan4ntkkeEC05XEqrNIAqcVQSamov8Ie1FVreA1ouATaJob1N1oPH9agssytFQyPkWuu4lhcaD3Nwrmi09rX7zgWHUDAFpaIES4yqihRFYjZtv-99W_H1ackB6aMW2iKwm5RK4Z5M/s1600/007.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In <b>2009</b> we replaced the back door with a full glass door. We saved a ton of money installing this door ourselves, but it wasn't without some stress. The top photo shows Aubrey late at night trying to level the door. By this point I had installed some blinds - which we had throughout the house to hide the ugly windows. Although they weren't gorgeous, they were economical and did the trick.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreMrWqg2TTSYQwcgOS9mK6v07v_yIGWj30A6GaIGUraLuxoki6Lz1-a0OiBn4JshsfCKhaS4z3sJFPzYvqKVJCDHW3l3b3HdDlyRxpiqWcVIgu3KPHSiupTmOk7uHSx0rPxxRA20mpHY/s1600/007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreMrWqg2TTSYQwcgOS9mK6v07v_yIGWj30A6GaIGUraLuxoki6Lz1-a0OiBn4JshsfCKhaS4z3sJFPzYvqKVJCDHW3l3b3HdDlyRxpiqWcVIgu3KPHSiupTmOk7uHSx0rPxxRA20mpHY/s1600/007.jpg" /></a></div><br /><b>Between 2009 and 2011</b> nothing happened to this room other than playing around with an Ikea Rug, adding some hanging drapes between the blinds to soften things up. But because the ceiling is so close to the top of the windows, we couldn't install a bar. So these years we just "made do" with what we had. <a href="http://aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.ca/2011/04/hello-roman.html" target="_blank">The room looked "ok"</a> but didn't really work very well.<br /><br /><b>2012 </b>Ken from <a href="http://www.fieldstonewindows.com/" target="_blank">Fieldstone Windows</a> replaced every window in this room with new. It made <i>such </i>a difference. The windows are gorgeous and I loved them SO much I refused to put up the old blinds again. But we ran into a problem.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCNKMWjs_3kVvDnwq2BggxZXiheZOOm0WDtajo50p4Zpdml1n8IfqJ_zaDUWD7hZLYy3sRJQ-t3UYAxroaLzd3GkUglpZjQnJSzEPTv5AHl5MO7rPSjlM25yxsjsVwfdcpKn3_lwZkzI/s1600/IMG_1272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCNKMWjs_3kVvDnwq2BggxZXiheZOOm0WDtajo50p4Zpdml1n8IfqJ_zaDUWD7hZLYy3sRJQ-t3UYAxroaLzd3GkUglpZjQnJSzEPTv5AHl5MO7rPSjlM25yxsjsVwfdcpKn3_lwZkzI/s1600/IMG_1272.jpg" /></a></div><br />The windows look right in at our neighbours, who use their backdoor a lot. And although I love our windows, I found myself crawling along the floor if I was in my bathrobe to get something I forgot from this room. Although we LOVE our windows, the lack of privacy was, well, <i>awkward</i>. I really don't know how people live in uber modern glass houses with tons of windows. You really can't slouch around on days you don't feel like getting dressed.<br /><br />So that brings us up to speed. Plans for this room are a new carpet (I ruined my old one by using Oxyclean on it - which bleached it) - switching out that side table for something heavier and less "sun room" like and the biggest expense will be adding some romans blinds. Budget is low, so we're trying to reuse some things from around the house. I visited Tonic Living so I'll post that next to show you some fabric samples I'm thinking of for the windows.<br /><br />xo Linds<br /><br />

the evolution of our tv room

Super boring post coming up. But if you're into seeing ugly "before" pictures then this may be the post for you. I've made...

Read more »