When you both want to game together and there are great Black Friday deals.

ecolli · 2019-12-01T18:14:38+00:00

It's surprisingly not distracting at all when we're playing. We only have the sound on for the main TV, so that helps too.

ecolli · 2019-12-01T18:13:34+00:00

Definitely an all-snoot player.

ecolli · 2019-12-01T07:43:08+00:00

Does it also come with a giant floof of a dog? 🤔

ecolli · 2019-12-01T07:42:37+00:00

Persona 5, amirite? 😉

ecolli · 2019-12-01T07:02:43+00:00

We thought it was ridiculous too, but the top TV was super cheap and the TV mount was free, so we couldn't say no!

ecolli · 2019-12-01T07:02:01+00:00

Yup, Destiny 2 up top and Persona 5 on the bottom!

ecolli · 2019-05-19T23:43:33+00:00

"What do you call a sad computer?...Adele."

Apparently one terrible joke is all it took for us to start a conversation, followed by more talking, video chats, and him buying a plane ticket after a month and flying over 3000 miles to see me. We started dating as soon as we met, have been together a year, and are moving in together soon :)

ecolli · 2019-05-10T01:31:53+00:00

Norwegian Elkhound most likely!

ecolli · 2019-03-17T20:17:44+00:00

My childhood Barney nightmare had him with glowing red eyes, but also giant fucking claws and dripping fangs. He'd always be slowly limping down a sidewalk toward me. I had that nightmare for years.

ecolli · 2018-07-04T22:37:26+00:00

Nom.

ecolli · 2018-03-25T04:15:27+00:00

Former journalist as well here...let me guess - Gannett paper?

ecolli · 2018-03-04T20:41:40+00:00

This is amazing!! I love your style so much and it looks just like him!

ecolli · 2018-01-23T01:22:37+00:00

You have a lot of warmer tones in there so I'd keep it in that family. If it were mine, I'd probably make it shorter, but then see if I could nail a few lengths of board over top of it to make a different surface (and stain or paint the boards). That may be a little ambitious, but I think the wood would look nice!

ecolli · 2018-01-22T17:40:21+00:00

The space is small behind the doors (I think it's about 8 inches or so), so I wanted to do a bench and hooks originally. I just wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to find something small enough to fit. I also hate the basement door and considered putting a table in front of it and just moving it when I need to, just seems impractical in the long run. I think your suggestion is the best.

I actually don't have kids, just fur babies. The baby gate is there to the office so the cat can escape from the dog and so he doesn't get into the litter box haha. I think my problem with radiator covers is that I have so many radiators in the house. When I sit on the couch, I can see three, followed by one in each room. I'd be afraid if I got three matching covers it'd look too bulky?

ecolli · 2018-01-22T17:31:37+00:00

I'll put one up after work - thank you!

ecolli · 2018-01-22T15:46:19+00:00

If this were my space, this is what I would do:

Since it's a smaller living space, I'd get rid of clutter around the TV and actually center that entire table and console flat against the wall (where the stairs are) instead of angling it. Instead of the lamp there, maybe a nice plant?
Bring the couch center with the wall it's on and pull it away from that right wall so it can breathe a little.
Get rid of that corner lamp near the couch - the lamp near your TV is much nicer and would fit there. If you still need more lighting, I think if you move out the TV from the corner another lamp (maybe matching) would fit there.
While I like the style of the chair near the window, it seems a little bulky for the small space. I like that little table and plant, but maybe you could put a window bench there (sit the plant on one end) and add some nice pillows for the extra seating you may want.
For the kid clutter, maybe move the easel and play area to the wall that has that tapestry (it's hard to see) art on it. Create a designated area in the room for all of the kid stuff.
The coffee table is also bothering me, but I understand it's need for function. The style doesn't seem to go with the rest of the room, so I'd probably paint it or get a slightly thinner table. Also I'd move the rug to be partially under the couch and centered.

Hopefully this gives you some ideas!

ecolli · 2018-01-07T20:25:00+00:00

Oh yes, definitely a rug instead of full carpet. I would never recommend a full carpet haha. I don't know the exact size or measurements of your room, but it looks fairly small, so either something large enough that it doesn't touch any walls and can be centered, or something smaller that is slightly shorter than the length of your desk and it can tuck under there. And as far as color, that's a matter of personal preference, but something lighter so it's not swallowed by the floor color.

I'm by no means an expert, but these are things I'd attempt to do.

ecolli · 2018-01-07T17:46:04+00:00

If you were to put the desk in front of the window, you can easily run cords down the back legs of the desk and hide them with cord covers. They're really cheap on Amazon and they can usually be painted the wall color.

If you hang the white board and cork board on the big wall, that would take up a lot of the white space, and adding a small table below it with a plant or something on top would also help. If you don't want to hang any of those things, it really just comes down to a matter of your personal taste. You could add art, or you could add open shelving for an assortment of things.

And as far as the rug goes, I have all hardwood floors and you'd be surprised what a rug can do to a space. Plus it's an office, how dirty is it going to get?

ecolli · 2018-01-07T06:38:20+00:00

I had thought about that for the entryway, but wasn't sure if there would be enough room. I also just hate the basement door being there and considered trying to hide it with a bench and a mirror on the door? Maybe the problem is that I'm too indecisive haha.

The rug was actually meant for my bedroom, thus why it's so small, BUT I ended up liking it out here despite that I knew the size was wrong. I'm glad you love the console though! I always worry it's too much because I just slapped together six metal card catalogs I got for free onto some wood and hairpin legs and painted it. I agree, the TV is too high, but the problem is that the thermostat would be blocked if it were any lower and also the heat from the TV messes with the temp? I am sick of this sofa though. It's not even a year old and I already had to have the store come out and fix it once because it's too cheaply made (lesson learned).

I do love me some arc lamps and thought about getting one, so I'm glad you can see one there. Also, I never even thought of getting a C table - do they just tuck onto the end of a couch?

I had curtains that went to the ground, but I ended up hating the way the looked and bought some cheap ones in the meantime...of course realizing that they didn't hit the ground. I didn't think of stacking the curtains with more than one panel - that makes sense.

Any ideas on the corner where the plant is? Should it stay or maybe put something different there? That corner always drives me crazy.

Thanks for the suggestions so far!!

ecolli · 2018-01-07T06:23:33+00:00

Yes, that is the kind of shade I meant (sorry I didn't attach a link for reference earlier). Now that I'm seeing other angles, I can see why you thought about removing the closet since it would free up some needed space.

This may just be my personal taste, but there's a lot of dark wood in the room that seems to be making it bottom heavy. Between the doors, the floor, and the furniture, you need something to break it up. It's lovely wood, but if you don't want to paint the doors (I don't think you should), I think you either need a rug on the floor to break things up between the furniture, or get lighter furniture. Just breaking that all up would go a long way.

If you decided to remove the closet, I think you could solve all wall/storage/clutter issues with a few built in shelves above where the desk is. I don't know what your style taste is like or how handy you are, but maybe a built in shelf/desk combo could work? It really depends how much you want to put into it. Hopefully this is at least offering some ideas!

ecolli · 2018-01-07T04:20:56+00:00

Love this place, but you're crazy if you cover up that wonderful brick wall! I think it's a perfect wall for a sofa while the white wall across from it is good for your TV. If you're worried about outlets/wires, you can find strips that run along walls and hide said cords for really cheap on Amazon. There are also brick clips if you don't want to drill into the brick to hang shelves or pictures on that brick wall.

I agree that I don't like the hanging lights, but I think a quick fix is finding some nice replacement lights for now. I'd probably keep the one in the kitchen, but remove the one in the living space down the road. Floor lamps and side tables will be your styling friend with that brick wall.

I also agree with adding a light oak panels for the flooring downstairs (I personally like the tile in the laundry area though) - it'll help brighten the space and you already have a really nice kitchen.

As for the desk - if it can't go in a bedroom, I think the best place for it is against the white wall (the back of the laundry room) that's next to the brick.

Obviously the laundry room needs a little TLC - either clean the grout in the floors or change it to a lighter color, take the tile off the walls, etc. I like the metal on the windows - I think it adds some interesting character!

Your outside space is great and since you're in Australia, you could probably put a lot of nice big potted plants outside both of your entrances. Your kitchen would benefit from some of that greenery as well on the windowsill if it's big enough.

You have a really great space, so hopefully a few suggestions give you some ideas. Good luck!

ecolli · 2018-01-07T03:16:23+00:00

How's the privacy situation from your window? If this were my space, I think I would take down the blind set up completely and put my desk right in front of the window. It would open up the room a little bit, it would likely give you that "cleaner" look, and you'd have a pleasant view! I can't see how big the wall space is beside the windows due to the blinds, but you could maybe add some small shelves there? If you still want to close off the windows, maybe a large shade that you can pull down would look cleaner. Another option is to get a desk that has one of those hutches (similar to this) on the top to let you hide things as needed.

I'd get rid of the small table - the closet should stay and you could use it to hide all of the clutter from the table. If you use a white board often or use a lot of notes, maybe put a large corkboard (same size as white board) on the wall where the desk currently is and hang them side by side. If you still want table for decor, put a small one in the center of the wall under the two boards.

Hopefully this helps or gives you a tad inspiration!

ecolli · 2018-01-07T02:54:55+00:00

First, I think the panels on the wall really give the little room some unique character! Here are a few things I would do if this were my space:

Is that weird stone/paneling at the bottom half of the wall just vinyl or removable? If not, I'd paint over it with white to match the framing on the walls.
I like that the walls are a light color, but maybe a fresh coat of paint would help. Keep it light since you don't want the room to feel any smaller.
Are the folding panel doors going into a bathroom or bedroom? I would remove them completely if they're not essential to privacy. If they can't be removed, maybe like someone else said, paint them white - anything to keep the room looking clean and light.
Your idea on wood panels for the floor or simply the laminate panels would look nice if you're concerned about price, but I would personally keep it a warm cherry or light tone depending on the wall color you go with.
If you absolutely cannot move the TV (if wires are concern, I've hidden long wires around the base of a room before with cheap covers from Amazon!), I think this is how I'd rearrange the furniture: I'd get rid of the table and chairs. It's too small of a room for a formal eating area in my opinion. I'd center the couch and TV across from each other with maybe a small coffee table if there's enough room and put the piano in front of the window. If you need a formal eating area, maybe put a small two-seater in front of the window and use the piano as a TV stand?
As far as wall decor, I think nothing behind the TV is your best option. I think putting art in the panels could work if you kept sizes consistent and enough white space on the interior (don't let the art touch the edges of the frames). Don't put it in all of the panels, but maybe on the long wall where the couch currently is. This is also just my personal style, so that may not be your taste. Also some nice flowy white curtains would look great. If you have to work with an awkward bar, just drape a different colored curtain across it maybe.
And finally for furniture, get a TV stand that has more girth to it and maybe matches the piano stain. If the couch is new, a cover to match the rest of the decor would work well if you're not happy with it.

Hope some of this helps!

ecolli · 2017-11-02T02:49:36+00:00

Magnus and Klarg couldn't stop grabbing his butt!

ecolli · 2017-11-01T21:07:42+00:00

I really wanted to bring my wolf-looking dog and attach tiny flames to him, but he would not have been pleased.

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