Late last June was one of the happiest moments in our life together as a family. We had just bought a little Cape Cod cottage in town and had all these dreams of slowly fixing it up and making it ours. We moved in with boxes of stuff (mostly toys and books) and just a handful of furniture pieces we’d bought locally through antiques shops and Craigslist, art and a couple of vintage tables and chairs. We decided to be patient and carefully consider all options and aspects before committing to any permanent changes in the new house. We didn’t want this to be a quick fixer-upper, and although the budget was carefully considered, we decided we can wait and save for the good things. We’re still not finished, not even close, but I thought I’d share with a little progress update.
Here is how the living room looked like on moving day. I loved the large south-facing windows and the hardwood floors but the entire downstairs was painted a dark green, had dusty gray popcorn ceilings and felt a bit dark and cold. I wanted a lighter color not only to cheer things up a little but to also visually create the illusion of more square footage so I started priming the walls the minute we got the keys.
For the rest, I took a couple of months to study how we were living in the new house and soon came to realize that the small downstairs bedroom tucked behind the living room wall (pic above) was becoming a storage space of sorts that no one really wanted to be in. It had all our bookshelves and a pair of comfy (if rather ugly) chairs but because the entrance to the room was next to the closet and the door opened onto a bookshelf, even painted a light yellow the room still felt claustrophobic and cold and being there the three of us was uncomfortable.
So, after agonizing over it for a couple of weeks, we decided to reconfigure the floor plan a bit. (Below, the living room painted a warm white, already looks brighter and bigger. ) We bought a pair of French doors and had someone come over and install them.
We closed off the old entrance to the bedroom and had the French doors centered on the living room wall. It now brings in all that natural light from the living room windows and I cannot tell you what a change that’s made of how we use and live in the space. That little bedroom has become one of our favorite rooms in the house and functions as a study/family room/guest bedroom when needed. We love being here even if the room is completely undecorated for now. It holds seating for the three of us and our books, a desk and a TV. It feels like a tucked-away nook, really cozy and sheltered but also bright and surrounded by views. We’ll eventually have built-in shelves on three of the four walls and a French door to a new deck we’re building later this year, if all goes according to our plans. But more about that later.
Our study now open to the living room…
French doors installed and popcorn ceilings gone…
Back to the living room. When we added the French doors, we also reworked a bit the electrical system and had four sconces installed, two of them above the fireplace.
Over the Christmas break my mom and I painted the French doors and Ivan had new hardware installed.
Something was still missing though. The big expanse of the ceiling was visible when coming down the stairs and it felt like it could use some sort of treatment. I love the farmhouse look and looked at many country cottages on Pinterest until I landed on the idea of adding ceiling beams.
It took some time to plan and schedule the work but three weeks ago our contractor stopped by and installed them. What went with a bunch of 2x6s from our local lumber yard and had them installed so that they span the width of the room. In the process, he also hit a hot water pipe and we only realized it half an hour later when I touched the wall and it felt really hot and soft. The drywall was about to cave in and the basement was flooded with hot water but luckily he was still here and could contain the damage. We now had one beam and one giant hole in the living room wall.
Anyway, once the beams were installed and the drywall patched up, I primed and repainted them the same color as the rest of the trim. I opted for a semi-gloss finish (a good use for the leftover paint I had at hand) and I’m glad I did it because the glossy finish bounces even more light into the room and creates a pretty effect at night. I finished painting them last week and did the last paint touch-ups over the weekend…. Here’s how the room turned out:
Some of these images were taken right after I’d finished painting the beams so you can see some sloppy paint smudges around the seams…
Paint smudges all cleaned up…
Right before our quarantine started, I picked up this log basket at a local antiques shop, and I love it! One more thing to cross off of my living room shopping list… 🙂
About the fireplace – I’ve been debating whether to paint the brick or have it replaced. Because the fireplace is so large, painting the brick black will create this giant black hole in our living room and it won’t work design-wise with the scale of the space. And I rather like the idea of keeping the brick. Replacing it also seems like a great expense that I’d rather put towards a nicer sofa and pretty curtains so for the moment the brick surround stays. I’ve been looking at some brick veneer that we could use to retile over the existing brick (if that is at all possible, will have to ask our handyman) but I’ll write about that if and when that happens.
A few weeks ago, before the beams went up, my husband replaced the trim in the hallway (far back in the photo below) and I haven’t gotten to caulking and painting them yet. I’ll try to find the time later this week…
And a final view of the living room from the study…
To sum up, adding the beams was a relatively inexpensive project yet it changed everything. The room feels more grounded and sheltered and has a bit more architectural character than before. Adding the beams on the width of the room also visually widens the space, not a bad thing. The only difficulty I’ve had with the project was the unexpected pipe disaster which really scared me at the time. For materials, we used 2x6x12 beams which I primed and painted in advance. They were placed 18″ apart and I really like the rhythm and repetition they create on the ceiling. As always, there’s more to do – like sourcing a new sofa, pretty pillows, hanging art and draperies – but for the time being I like that we used what we had and made it work. I hope you enjoyed this lengthy update on our progress! See you on Friday with a fabulous Instagram account I’m obsessed with these days. Stay safe!!
Oh, Eva, it is looking amazing!! You are right – the beams changed everything and add so much charm and character.
As for the bricks on the fireplace, I would totally leave them. If you feel that they are too stark or dark (?), you would try whitewashing them a bit to add a little age.
But the hone is looking amazing!! Great job.
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Awww, thank you Linda!! You are too kind! Glad you like the changes to our living room. Whitewashing the bricks sounds like such a great idea, thanks!!
xo, Eva
Really nice job….looks GREAT!!!!
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Thank you so much, Cory!
Beautiful! I think the red brick against the warm white looks great. The whole room is so much more inviting than when you moved in….well done!
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Thank you so much, Janet! I appreciate it!! And yes, by popular vote the bricks will stay as they are 🙂 xo, Eva
Really charming! Love the beams, a welcome architectural addition, yes. I would be interested to know what could be laid over the existing bricks. Just wondering if there are other options, but not pricy…..!
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Hi, Jennifer! Thank you, glad you like the beams!!
About the bricks, there are several ways to go about them. Some readers had the greta idea of whitewashing them to add a bit more age. Another option would be to layer them with brick veneer tiles sold at Lowes and Home Depot. If and when I decide to do something about ours, I’ll make sure to share my thoughts and the process on the blog… Hope this helps! xo, Eva
It turned out beautiful. It is so cozy and comfortable looking. Thank you so much for sharing your pictures.
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Thank you so much, Laurie! Glad you like the beams!! xo, Eva
Looks great, Eva! Y’all have done an impressive amount of work, and it has added so much charming character. I’d consider whitewashing or liming the bricks around your fireplace—it might buy you some time through the summer, at least. And, I’m so jealous of your French doors!
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Hi, Paula!! Thank you so much for your sweet comment. Love your idea for the bricks too!
xo, Eva
Lovely
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Thank you, Maureen! So glad you like the beams!! xo, Eva
I love your vision for your living room. I just keep scrolling up and down to see all of the pictures again. It is truly lovely!
I really like the red bricks on the fireplace just the way they are. Although maybe it’s only the photos that are making them look nicer than they really are. 🙂 Now that the beams are in, I think you should try living with the red bricks for a few months before making any decisions. I also think your slip-covered couch is charming and fits with the space. What type of sofa were you thinking of getting instead?
The style of my house/decor is very different from yours. I would describe it as leaning into the 1930s side of the mid-century modern movement combined with a contemporary American focus on craftsmanship. A few weeks back I ordered a new couch through Article that was shipped via contactless delivery and it is amazing what a difference it has made to my space. I look forward to seeing your continued progress! Don’t forget to share more garden/landscaping updates with us as well.
With your design sensibilities, you have already transformed your home, giving it character, warmth, charm, . . . Most of all, it looks like a home that belongs to someone who loves living there.
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Hi, Melissa! Thank you so much, you are too kind… xo, Eva
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Hi, Lauren!! Thank you so much for your sweet comment, glad you enjoy our progress!!
I like your idea of keeping the brick, at least for a while. It is a bit redder than it shows in the photos, but I like the texture of brick and the country-cottage feel it imbues to a space… As for the sofa, thank you for thinking it’s charming. We love it too! It’s IKEA, very affordable & extremely comfortable but it is slightly too big for the room. By the way, congrats on getting yours! A sofa really is the single most important piece of furniture in a living room and the better the quality, the smarter the overall look of the space.
Stay tuned for some garden progress, hopefully soon! Take care!!
xo, Eva
Your ceiling is amazing! The beams added so much character!
Your fireplace looks great. It looks very authentic & timeless. All the painted-black fireplaces I have seen don’t seem to age very well. The current earthy red of the brick goes well with other neutral colors in the room.
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Thank you so much, Cindy!! I appreciate your kind comment!!
I like your idea of keeping the bricks – painting them won’t work because the firebox is already black from all the smoke and painting the brick black would just create this giant black rectangle in our living room… I sketched it out and it didn’t look so good, so the brick stays 🙂 xo, Eva
i love reading your blog and it is very interesting to see what you have learned to do. i have tons of decorating and how to books and i visualize all sorts of projects, but i have never actually done any of them. i have had slipcovers MADE, but i have not made any myself. having said that, i was thinking your fireplace bricks would look good if they had a layer of distressed plaster or white paint with the bricks showing through. that would soften and age the look, which would be appropriate for your house.
having thought that, i saw that several other of your readers had the same idea. so this is one more vote in favour of their idea.
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Hello, Linda!! Thank you so much for your kind message and for your suggestion! I love your idea and keeping the brick but have it repointed and a bit distressed is definitely something I’m considering for the near future. I agree with you that the look of aged brick is so appropriate for a country cottage… I’ll think about it and will request an estimate and will probably blog about it one way or the other later this year! xo, Eva
Eva,
The changes you made to your home are fabulous and well thought out. What a great designer you are. Bravo.
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Aww, thank you so much Debbie!! I appreciate your kind comment, thank you! xo, Eva
Oh, yes, Eva! The living room is fantastic–what a transformation! You are very talented not only in the planning stage, but in all your hands-on work. Love everything about this room–enjoy!
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Thank you so much, Diana!! I’m glad you like the changes we’ve implemented so far! xo, Eva
Oh, and definitely keep the red brick–it provides a nice color and contrast to your neutral palette!
Wow, what a difference! I’ll bet you already have the room decorated for Christmas in your head! The red brick doesn’t bother me either, but if you do decide to change it, I like a fireplace grounded with black marble or slate. It just looks smart.
How excited you must be…because I am just looking at it…GORGEOUS…just GORGEOUS!!!!
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Aww, thank you so much Linda!! You are so sweet! xo, Eva