For this Metamorphosis Monday, we're going for another ride in the time machine...back again to 1991, just before we actually purchased and moved into our house.
This time our time machine is taking us back to the upstairs family room/bonus room. I know some of you have seen this room before, since I posted about it last year, but this the first time I've posted the "before" pics.
The future "upstairs family room" prior to our moving in, was actually decorated in a "cute" way...I think it may have been a little girls room in a former life. Cute as it was, the decor just wasn't fitting into my plans for an upstairs family room/occasional guest room. Take a look at the following pictures and you'll see what I mean.
The walls down inside the dormers were covered with a blue pinstriped wall paper...
And the main walls of this large upstairs room were wallpapered with a blue wallpaper covered with little white butterflies...very cute, but not the look I wanted for an upstairs family room.
The dormers had coordinating fabric that matched the butterfly wall paper. Just so you don't feel too bad about my demolition of the butterfly wallpaper...the fabric in all three window seats was badly faded and the "white" part of the pinstriped wallpaper was looking rather dingy.
Here's another "before" pic of one of the dormer windows. Remember the orange carpeting you've seen in previous Met Mondays...yep, it was in here, too. But at least this room didn't have gold trim...so that was a plus! :-)
Those are the only before pics I have available to share. So, just try to envision blue wallpaper with white butterflies on all the walls and orange carpeting...EVERYWHERE!Now for some "after" pics...
This room is fairly large: 16 feet wide (not counting the two dormers) by 24 feet long. The ceiling is 8 feet high down the middle, slanting down to 6'4" at the lowest point. This room is completely different from my downstairs family room. It's very bright so I decorated it in a totally different way.
I furnished the room primarily with Swedish antique pine pieces, inspired by an article in Traditional Home magazine. Notice the clock on the front of the magazine...more on that later.
Sofa and two plaid chairs are by Highland House...carpet is a cream Karastan carpet. This is one of the three remaining rooms in my home that doesn't have hardwood floors...yet.
Wallpaper is gone and the walls are painted a soft yellow called Tea Biscuit...it's a Duron color. I really wanted to keep this room casual so I chose a heavy denim fabric for the sofa. I also used the denim on all three window seats.
The armoire is an antique...I had shelves added prior to purchasing it...it holds a t.v. and lots of books. In this pic, you can sort of see both the dormers on either side of the armoire.
The chairs are not old...they were stained to compliment the antique pieces.
This room has mostly a "beach" theme...but one day I was out antiquing and came across this adorable painted, bunny window. It didn't fit in with the beachy theme, but I thought it would look great with the blue/yellow plaid fabric of the chairs...plus, I just loved it. :-) I tend to buy what I love and don't worry too much about "messing up a theme."
The cushion in the window seat is covered in the same denim that was used for the sofa. I found more of the plaid fabric at Calico Corners and had lots of little pillows made to go on all the window seats. The window seat is filled to the top with board games and puzzles...this was one of my son's favorite places to hang out with his friends...still is...when he's home.
A close-up of Mr. Bunny...
I wanted this room to serve multiple functions...the sofa is a sofa-sleeper for over-flow from the guest bedroom. The linens and pillows are stored in the trunk for easy access.
This spatterware or spongeware pitcher is an old piece...I think that is what it's called...does anyone know?
The light house watercolors you see above the sofa, and on either side of the armoire, were done by artist, Donna Elias.
Her website is available by clicking HERE.
Plate rack is an antique...holds a collection of old Flow Blue and Blue Willow...
I found this large flow blue platter in an antique shop on a skiing trip in Bend, Oregon. Fortunately, it survived the plane trip back home. :-)
Made a sleeve for the hanging wire out of the same plaid fabric you see on the chairs...
The mirror that hangs above this antique chest is an old family piece.
Danish Bornholm clock, made in 1830...similar to the one on the cover of the Traditional Homes magazine.
Sorry the pics are a little crooked...the clock really does sit straight...despite the photos. :-)
One of the dormer windows filled with my son's old teddy bears... Wish I could shrink him little again...just for a day. :-)
The other dormer window in the bonus.
With the shutters open...that's a Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) tree...just outside the window.
A book called The Nook Book...tucked down inside this little nook. Why is it we like little nooks...those cozy little spots? We even seek them out sometimes. I think it must be a comfort thing...a feeling of being safe. :-) What do you think? Do you like cozy nooks?
hanks for stopping by for the metamorphosis of my Upstairs Family room...let's go check out all the other Before and Afters for this Met Monday!
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