Just bought a 70s pad.. help!
This is the family room of the house we just bought. I have no idea what to do with the wood wall behind the fireplace. It is soft wood, no idea what kind, but not faux paneling. Also, do we paint the beams and trim white?! My initial reaction is to just paint everything white, but I don’t want to regret it!
Comments (33)
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Holy 70s, Batman! Help with condo kitchen layout please!
Comments (46)So. The guys finished up their part yesterday and now it's up to me to do the rest. Their work looks pretty good if you don't look real hard at all the details (which I am going to stop doing in a day or two, I hope, since done is done). These are Applad cabinets from IKEA (semi-gloss white--love them!) and their solid beech butcherblock Numerar counters. The sink is a big honking 16-guage near-zero radius corner Vigo from the O site, faucet from IKEA. The shelf was ripped from one 8' Numerar counter and installed on 10" corner brackets from the hardware store which were screwed into studs every 2 feet. I'd originally gotten some of those posts where you have to drill holes into the shelf edge and slip it onto the posts but they weren't sturdy enough for an 11" deep 1.5" thick solid hardwood shelf that will have cast iron pots on it---so I switched to this method (thanks to my daughter for finding it online!). It is STRONG. The parts that show on the wall under the shelf will be patched and tiled over. The undersides of the shelf were routed out so that the bracket is recessed--will see about patching that over with thin strips cut from leftover butcherblock using a circular saw. They also routed out a channel for the LED tape lights (again, thanks to Yllimuh!) so you can't see the tape unless you crane your neck under there which I do not intend to do ever. LOVE the LEDs. The outlets with the transformers are inside cabinets at the ends and they fished the wire through the wall on the side with no uppers. Still waiting for the appliance people to come back and install the DW and slide-in range, which I hope will happen in the next few days. I paid them for installation months ago but it had to wait until now. I am going to get the IKEA "Bursta" table in the 32" square size (with two pullout leaves which i think make it about 60" long?) and keep it pushed up against the wall most of the time with 2-3 chairs around it. It can be moved into the living room if I ever want to have 4+ people at a sit-down meal. Or just pulled out into the kitchen a bit. It'd be cramped in there but it would only be for rare occasions so it's fine with me. I think I'm going to repaint the walls. They are a very pale gray but I think they'll look better the same color as the ceiling and soffits. There are too many planes in there to have different colors going on, even subtle ones. Oh, also, I skim coated the sand textured walls (except for the vertical parts of the soffits) by rolling on thinned joint compound with a paint roller (!) and squeegeeing it smooth with a Magic Trowel (!!!!). It worked amazingly well and was much easier than the conventional skim coating method! It took only 2 coats. I also bought a drywall sander Shop-vac attachment for $25 on Amazon--WAY worth it to not have to drape the doorways and clean up dust off everything for weeks afterward. It vacuumed literally all the dust as I sanded. I didn't even wear a mask. Amazing. Overhead light only LED lighting only from the other end of the room looking at the opposite side - 24"W fridge goes in the first tall empty space and the end unit is a 24" wide pullout pantry...See More70's split facelift...help...please!
Comments (34)Okay, I didn't take time but to scan the replies, but didn't see that anyone mentioned screening in the covered porch on the left. It would be quite easy to do so using the ScreenTight system. Just frame above the bricks with two by fours then add the system linked below. We did this to our front porch and it's the best thing we ever did. Not only does it work great for humans, but our pets love having access to the "outside" world while still being kept safe from all that's outdoors. I also want to add my vote to NOT paint the brick, keep shutters and if your garage doors are in good working condition I'd check and see the arches are removable before buying a new garage door. There are faux techniques to change the look further too. Here is a link that might be useful: ScreenTight...See MoreHelp my groovy 70's kitchen
Comments (25)Great ideas everyone, this is really helping! Palimpsest, Yes the modern maid has been quite the conversation piece over the years. The little old lady we bought the house from saved the original paperwork that came with the "Cook n Clean" and you should see how happy and liberated our Â70 career gal looks while cooking and cleaning. Laxsupermom, No offense taken at all...these are the kind of ideas IÂm looking for. I love the No-mo-oak revamp. Really, really neat and something to look at closer and think about. I had concerns about the layout when I first moved in, but after cooking in it, I thought it was great. And IÂm saying this as a person with food allergies who cooks most every blasted thing I eat from scratch without a microwave (which reminds me I need to make space for a built-in microwave). I frequently have every burner going and I do lots of canning in the summer and have never had a problem with this layout. I donÂt pre-rinse my dishes so I hadnÂt thought about the drippies between the sink and dishwasher (and nobody is allowed to stack dishes in the sink...if theyÂre too lazy or pressed for time to wash them or bend over to put them in the dishwasher, then they are to stack them on the Modern Maid until I have time to do it for them). :-) But, all that said, at one time I had thought about moving the dishwasher over to the right, sliding the fridge in the hole left by the Modern Maid, and then centering the oven and building counter on either side. Does the oven placement or the spaces around the oven in the 3rd picture from the top bother anyone (food falls down there all the time)? It doesn't really have a built-in look and may seem cramped as Laxsupermom pointed out. Whatcha think? Those who suggested flipping doors around or adding trim, IÂm not sure I can explain this and I may just have to take a picture, but the edges are rounded (beveled may be the correct word???) and they look like "B" below, so unfortunately I canÂt do either, though itÂs a great idea. http://www.jdktools.com/images/Diamond-Tools/Router-Bits-Shape.jpg IÂm going to try to put together a rendition or two of what has been suggested with BHG design software and post them. Right now I still have grass growing in the kitchen, so it may be a day or so....See More70s rock wall HELP!!
Comments (4)The stucco appears to be really yellow for for the rest of the house. Its especially noticable from the street side of the garage. I would try one of the darker colors from your stone, and when you try it, try it, on the street side of the garage. Then take another picture, exactly like the one you just posted so the whole house can be viewed. You could also use some really nice colorful landscaping on that front view side of your garage too. Its an odd place for the stone, although, I do like the stone. The stucco, just needs to blend in with it colorwise, to look good. Congratulatons on your new home. It looks to be a nice house....See More- 5 years ago
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I know this is a weird way to do it, but the lower right windows on the front of the house are the windows into that room. They are large and practically floor to ceiling.
5 years agoI would want to get rid of part of the protruding hearth:
I would prefer to get rid of all of it and have the fireplace flush with the wall and then a flat hearth on the floor. You would need to find someone who can match your existing flooring, but that should still be possible.
The dark beams make the ceiling feel lower, and so painting them white would help, or you could possibly remove them, if the ceiling really is too low.
francokimberly thanked Lars- 5 years ago
PRO5 years agoWow! Congratulations! This is a cool era that you can pull from some Mid-Century vibes as well as current trends! If you are open-minded this will be a fun transformation for you! If you just want to get moved in without a lot of elbow grease, painting is always the best way to make an immediate impact without breaking the bank and consuming a ton of time. The cabinets...paint a neutral or go bold with a color... Also, maybe consider painting the beams to match the ceiling color or even the dark wall. Personally Again be bold...take risks and happy decorating!
Belgian Chic in a 1970's Ranch · More Info
Paris VI · More Infofrancokimberly thanked Layla Weiss Designs- 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
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hollybar, lol for the Elvis reference!
Painting wall - To 'meet up to' huge beams and much wood, maybe another floral in large scale of rug.... white chairs, bit of chrome...
United Weavers Cristall Snow Blossom Rug, Grey (580-11872), 7'10" x 10'6" · More Info
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GDF Studio Acantha Mid Century Modern Retro Contour Chair, Muted Dark Gray · More Info - 5 years ago
To me, painting the wall gives more freedom for fresh color in room:
INK+IVY Newport Lounger, Green · More Info
[https://www.houzz.com/products/madison-park-newport-polyester-and-wood-chair-yellow-multi-prvw-vr~76207978[(https://www.houzz.com/products/madison-park-newport-polyester-and-wood-chair-yellow-multi-prvw-vr~76207978) - 5 years ago
Brown/ light neutral -- In 70's I had either pants or skirt like this, so I love it. :)
Brown Knit Chevron Fabric · More Info
[https://www.houzz.com/products/brown-knit-chevron-fabric-prvw-vr~10859731[(https://www.houzz.com/products/brown-knit-chevron-fabric-prvw-vr~10859731) - 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
1 more - if you placed a bench, etc. on window side, from long view, sorta covers the hunk of white at right.
Return Bench, Walnut · More Info
[https://www.houzz.com/products/return-bench-walnut-prvw-vr~61217728[(https://www.houzz.com/products/return-bench-walnut-prvw-vr~61217728) - 5 years ago
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This ‘rock’ idea just got me thinking.. any guesses as to an easy installation of something similar to this that’s backsplash but gives the stone look.
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If keeping the massive hearth, then get it symmetrical.
Like Larson posted above.
Or extending the whole wall.
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PRO5 years agolast modified: 5 years agohold off painting the beams. they aren't your problem. What I would paint is all the dark baseboard and door/window trim. painting that a bright white will help immensely.
Next, Address the lighting in the room. The beams aren't making the room dark. lack of lighting and the brown wood and flooring is. This is the look you want from your rooms. all of these have the dark beams.
I don't mind the arch or the hearth itself, but that white tile has to go!
i love the look of black. So, what if you lightened the wood behind the FP. stripped it and take it back to natural, or maybe stain a walnut. Then redo the fireplace w/black brick, or black stone or tile and extend the hearth w/a natural, solid piece of some type of stone.
imagine a lighter wall and the arch done like this. take out that oak cab monstrosity, and paint the walls a bright white.
bring in furniture like this, w/blacks/whites, some camel leather, some color w/pillows or art
if you don't want to strip that vertical wood, lightly sand and stain it ebony. a rich dark black dye. with a black stone fireplace, white hearth, paint the baseboards,,maybe do a T&G cedar wood in between the beams...hang some vintage lighting. hello?!
an example of what the arch would look like if you had it redone w/brick, along w/the hearth.
francokimberly thanked Beth H. :
5 years agoI would whitewash the fireplace wall (sand off stain first), remove the built ins, then stop. Then if it's still too dark, paint the beams. Then if it's still too dark, paint the wood completely white. That dark wall will never allow you to have the light bright feel to the room you desire. And you're the one that has to live there. But I bet if the wall wasn't such a strong focal, you'd like the beams.
Obviously minus the shiplap, but this room is much enhanced by it's beams despite the low ceilings.
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Beth H. :