Evolution

Aside from one nit picky last project and the fact that I'm paralyzed as to where to hang any pictures, our family room is complete. Yeah!

I managed a somewhat "before" picture, but not before Randal started ripping off the horrible wood paneling.


We started out thinking we were only going to change two things: sheet rock and add lighting. (Yes, there were no lights. None. The previous owners lit the room with lamps only.) The rest of the room's features we thought we would just live with; and then we started realizing just how ugly the crooked log mantle actually was. The notch cut out for a box of matches tipped the scale and the thing had to go.


We knocked out the upper brick to accommodate the tv, painted the 70's-looking bookcases, put in wood flooring and then became stumped as the what to do in place of the missing log.

Here's where my dad came in. He made us a mantle during his visit. How awesome is that?!

And this is why I call this room an evolution:


The mantle at a better view:


Thanks, Dad. We love it!

And thanks, Randal for building such a fantastic room, for fixing the leak and cleaning up the unforeseen mold, for knocking out the brick even though I know you didn't want to at the time, and for just being all-around awesome.