Is there anything better than a beautiful, functional, and DIY-ed piece of furniture? Arguably yes (a free car full of money?), but not much. So we loved getting Kim & Scott’s email about the built-in media wall that they constructed with a couple of friends. Not only was it custom built to perfectly fit the space, it saved them at least $450 (many similar units go for $750+ and theirs was $252 to build). Here’s Kim and Scott’s letter:
We started out with a very green accent wall, and over time we began to layer in a few new pieces to the living room (a shaggy rug, a Craigslist coffee table, etc). After said changes, we grew weary of the bold wall and figured that if we were going to change the wall color – what the heck! – we should just create a whole new media wall. Of course, right?
So with the help of some friends in another state, our road-tripping wall made it’s way back to Chicago where she was finished up, styled, and enjoyed. We have a tiny city condo, and the media center, although much larger than our last one, actually saves space, looks built in, and completes our room. Thank you for continuing to inspire with your many projects – large and small! -xx, Kim & Scott
Isn’t that awesome? We love the flip-down wood drawers and the perfectly customized shelves (and you know Sherry’s sweating that yellow ceramic horse – that’s a jersey term that she taught me by the way). Thanks for sharing Kim and Scott! For more photos or to learn more about the process of creating their built-in, check out their blog. This is just the kick in the butt that we need to upgrade our own media cabinet situation. As soon as we get a bit more accomplished in our counter-less kitchen…
Kristin says
Looks great! Love their shelves and use of color! :-)
Melanie @ MailboxJourney.Com says
Very inspirational; Thanks for sharing! :)
Lea says
what an awesome little nook!
Clare says
Love it! I sweat the whole wall so hard. Sherry – I grew up in MD but we used to use the term sweat/sweating all the time. Especially when it came to boys!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I totally sweated a boy named Kevin Deppa throughout middle school. I would have gone to the moon and back for him.
xo,
s
julie says
I’m from MD too and I totally sweat YHL. The best thing about YHL is Sherry doesn’t mind that we’re all sweating her style. =)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I sweat you guys right back. So much Thanksgiving love in the air!
xo,
s
Jenn says
I’m from Maryland too and I was going to comment the same thing: it’s not just a NJ thing!
I actually live in St. Louis now with my husband and he continually makes fun of me that I made “sweating” up so thanks for the sweet vindication! ;)
kristin blake says
NICE JOB!!
Alexis says
It looks so good, though I loved the green wall too. This is the first time that I’ve seen a reader redesign of a blog I already read! Makes me feel all up with the times, ha! That won’t last long. :)
Quality Stair Rods says
That looks really cool, love the hidden storage and symetrical design!! lovely stuff
Jordan says
wow, that is fabulous!
(I would love to know where the little orange elephant came from–in the before pic!)
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s hoping they drop in with that info!
xo,
s
Kim at Yellow Brick Home says
Hi Jordan, the elephant came from a flea market in Michigan, and sadly, there are no marks on it anywhere to indicate any designer or artist!
Amanda says
Hey Jordan! It was a flea market find a few years back.
Yea, I’m an every day follower (or as much as they post) of Yellow Brick Home.
Here’s the link for you http://www.yellowbrickhome.com/2009/06/17/gobble-gobble/
Sorry Kim & Scott to answer your questions, but I thought I’d help :)
Jordan says
Hah! You guys are awesome, thank you! Bummer, it figures that it was a flea market…But that must be why it has such great character!
Bob says
The universe almost exploded when I read “sweating.” Time travel back to 1992!
Jennifer says
What an awesome idea to build their own custom built-in unit for their TV. We have a 15 month old who was getting a bit to handsy with our TV and we too recently were trying to figure out what media console/center might work well for a toddler and a small-ish home. We finally decided on a buffet from the Pottery Barn Outlet. We didn’t feel we could build something with all of the features we were hoping to have, so we saved and bit the bullet last week. We love the piece we purchased, but sure wish it cost $450 instead of $700. Oh well, it’s a well built piece that can serve many purposes in the future. (Get it? Serve…because it’s a buffet! Sorry, I had to.) Thanks for sharing this. It’s great inspiration for future TV dilemmas.
Tiffany says
We ‘sweat’ things over here in New York too!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- love it! People look at me like I have five heads when I say that in VA!
xo,
s
Leigh Anne says
I’m in KY, and we definitely used “sweating” too. I remember saying it in high school circa 1998…
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Is that a bunny in the picture on the top right? There’s nothing cuter than a bunny butt (except maybe the other half of a bunny).
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo,
s
Kim at Yellow Brick Home says
Hi Devon, that bunny butt is actually our tail-less kitty, Libby! She’s like a bunny to us, so it’s still appropriate. More on that here:
http://www.yellowbrickhome.com/2011/03/14/call-us-crazy/
Rad Designing says
Oh i love it! Mid century pieces are some of my favorites. So clean and simple. I would also pay money to go through their record collection!
Amanda says
I’m lovin’ the retro-meets-modern look!
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
Love Kim and Scott! They’ve got such great ideas, and this entertainment center is no exception! Glad to see it featured here. :)
Amy L. says
Sweating something is totally Jersey! :)
Traci @ yellowWISHBONE says
i love the orange elephant in the “before” picture! i hope that guy stuck around for the “after”! :)
tina says
those are great ideas!!
Allyn says
I’m swooning over the yellow horse (that’s how we southerners do it)!
I love a built in center like this. So clean and fun! If we ever ditch our giant dinosaur of a tv and get a fancy one like that, I see a definite project in our future.
Natalie says
I have that yellow horse…except that mine is red. It’s one of my all time favorite decor items. And I got it at Home Goods for less than $10!
Natalie says
Oh, just kidding. Just looked at their site, and my red horse is decidedly a knock off of the yellow one. But I still love it :)
Janelle D says
Wow. This looks fantastic! My favorite part is the middle drawer with the retro “basket-weave” texture. And the wood & white combo strikes again! It’s nice to also see a Reader Redesign that could work in an apartment too. :) Thanks for sharing Kim, Scott, John & Sherry!
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
The animal pictures up top are awesome!!!
Christina says
That is AMAZEBALLZ! It’s not often I click over from my reader to comment but this is just gorg. So well done. Thanks for sharing.
Justine says
I love a good built-in fake-out. Great post!
~Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One
Whitney Dupuis says
Oh my goodness! That is EXACTLY what I need to do in my living room. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner! Thanks for sharing.
Audrey says
I had never heard ‘sweat’ until college – I had a roommate from MD who said it :)
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
This is awesome – and I agree that those flip drawers are very cool. I’m always so inspired by people building things for their homes. I think it’s about time I try something!!
Christin says
LOVE IT!! Wow. It really looks like it was built in. Well done!
Sam/LeavetheNestuptoMe says
Looks great! Love the wood doors hiding all the tech stuff. Wall color is great too.
Alice says
My brother is always saying “don’t sweat the small stuff” and we’re in Arizona! It must be a semi-universal term with the exception of Virginia, I guess.
I’d love to see what albums comprise that collection on the bottom row of the media cabinet. I’ve only kept my brother’s old Beatles and Beach Boys albums and some of my sister’s and my albums from our high school and college days in the 1970’s.
Liz says
I think the link to their blog is broken. Sweet post though.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw man, maybe it’s the increased traffic? Here’s hoping it comes back soon!
xo,
s
Jessica says
It has been easily 8 years since I’ve sweated something. I blame leaving Jersey for college. I think it’s time to bring it back.
Jersey Pride!
YoungHouseLove says
Bring it back! Bring it back!
xo,
s
Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old House says
Love this! The natural wood doors remind me of my grandparents’ old record player cabinet. :)
Heather Joy says
Oops, I thought the green accent wall was the finished product! Actually, I like the before picture just as much as the after. Both are bright, cheerful rooms.
YoungHouseLove says
Amen! We think it was an awesome room to begin with- and love the function that they were able to add!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Wasn’t so sure about it from the first picture, but the second picture (the straight-on shot) sold me 110%. I LOVE the symmetry, the style, and of course the dogs on top. It’s basically perfect :)
Tiffany says
Egads! I L-O-V-E this house!! John & Sherry, I definitely think you need to crash this house, I want to see the whole thing.
YoungHouseLove says
Agreed! We’d love to!
xo,
s
Kim @ Yellow Brick Home says
Good gracious, I about fell off my chair when I saw my living room on your blog today! Okay, will totally have to go through and answer any questions as soon as I get home.
You guys made my day. No, week! Month!
Also, in response to Tiffany, we’d love for you to crash our house, too! :)
ShellyP says
I thought perchance you may have used the term “sweating” inappropriately in this post in conveying Sherry’s obsession with the yellow ceramic horse. Methinks “jonesing” would have been a better, more precise selection. However, after referencing the Urban Dictionary, “sweating” is indeed the right usage. Well played John.
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, Sherry is up on her slang.
-John
Laurie says
First of all, they have RECORDS and a TURNTABLE! What isn’t to love? Secondly, I have a similar horse in turquoise wearing a fancy orange saddle. I snagged him on clearance from Target years ago when they used to do their Global Bazaar each Spring. I have mad love for that horse. He was my inspiration for my latest color palette in my living room which is now accented in turquoise and orange. Bold? Yes. Daring? Absolutely. Fabulous? You betcha!
ShellyP says
Snap! I was thinking the same thing. I bet they have great dance parties.
kathy says
I am SWEATING those wood cabinets! I love how the grains go two different directions.
I live in Jersey and I still say “sweating” at least once a month. Actually, I say i everyday in my office but not in the correct vernacular (it’s a freaking sauna in here!)
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Wow, I’d love to be brave enough to attempt a project like that! It looks great!
Carrie says
Love all the albums! That green was fun, but the soft tone works so well with the built-in. Great work.
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
Thanks for sharing!!! That is an awesome entertainment center now. Good job to Kim & Scott & their friends!!!
Carolyn says
Ha. That’s so funny … “sweating…” I grew up in Jersey (although now I’m miles away) and people definitely used the term all the time. I had no idea it was a Jersey thing!
Cranky Zebra says
Perfect example of using vertical space to it’s best potential. I learned the concept from Nate Berkus and I am dying to have my own house to make these “built in”-looking changes to. They did a great job!
Penny says
HAPPY SWEATSGIVING EVERYONE!!
Miranda says
I have been following Kim & Scott’s blog for months; they’re FANTASTIC people!
Kim also has a little business on the side where she paints pet portraits at The Pet Shop. I was lucky enough to purchase two, one of my cat Philip and another of my Norwegian Elkhound Ally. She does an absolutely phenomenal job and there will never be a day that I don’t thank her and praise her for the wonderful job that she did capturing such important members of my family. Maybe that’s something you should look into for Burger! She’s full up on Christmastime orders and will be releasing Gift Certificates soon, and will be participating in Chicago’s Renegade fair the first weekend of December. I promise you, if you decide to get a cutesy 4×4 wood block painting of Burger, you will NOT be disappointed! It’d look fantastic on your gallery wall!! Or your desk…or your dresser…or in Clara’s room..or geeze, who am I kidding? It’ll look great in your home. Period!
http://distilleryimage4.s3.amazonaws.com/f59f7a98098e11e180c9123138016265_7.jpg“>Here is a link to the photo of both of my pieces from Kim on my own gallery wall. Absolutely love them, like they were there all along!
YoungHouseLove says
I love her work!!! Amazing.
xo,
s
Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says
Wow, that looks fantastic! I love how it’s so much bigger than the original, but visually, it seems to take up less space because it’s so well integrated into that wall. And I generally don’t like heavy wood grain, but in this case, it just “makes” this piece. Love how the grain continues without interruption from one door to the next. Very nice!
cc says
Mmm…WANT, and am bookmarking for after the holidays. Thanks for the inspiration.
Emma says
Bang up job they did. I love the yellowbrickhome blog.
Andrea B says
Awwwwww! I enjoy Yellow Brick Home so much! I’m with Alexis. It makes me feel like an insider to recognize this reader redesign.
Oh, and I’m sure Kim and/or Scott will chime in here and help me out, but according to their source list the orange elephant was a flea market find in 2009 that they named Henry:
http://www.yellowbrickhome.com/2009/06/17/gobble-gobble/
and the yellow horse is another flea market find:
http://www.yellowbrickhome.com/2010/06/02/a-horse-of-course/
Just sharin’ the <3 for their blog. :)
Danielle says
Wow! I’m so in love with all of your projects – you’re so inspiring! The hidden entertainment center is beautiful! I also noticed that you have an entire section on green projects – my obsession – and I didn’t know if you knew about the cool rebates that are going on right now? It’s not exactly DIY, but the government is finances different energy efficiency upgrades. Basically, you get a $6000 solar water heater for less than $1000. And that saves you about 30% of your energy bill. Again, I’m not sure if you’re interested at all, but I’m a total green freak and the rebates run out before the end of the year. I think solar is crucial to helping arizona, so I wanted to let you (and hopefully your readers) all about it. I’m getting a solar water heater right now through a really lovely company. They have a financing program so that I don’t have to pay for an entire year – and i get the rebates when i file in spring. So it’s a no brainer. If you’re at all interested please check it out so we can run AZ on renewables! The company I’m going through is called Entirely Pure (480.776.5883) if you want to talk to them about it! Again I’m a huge fan – your blog has SO many wonderful ideas. Hopefully, I’m adding to that! Green AZ!
YoungHouseLove says
So great to know! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Miranda says
Wow, Danielle, thanks for tipping us off.. We’re in Nebraska and just purchased our first home earlier this year. If we can get in on this rebate, heck yes! GO GREEN!