Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 496 Comments

Furnishing Our Living Room With Our Ikea Sofa

So… the living room. First it looked like this:

Liv Before

Then it looked like this:

Living Room Phase1

Then it looked like this:

Living Room Moved In

And now it looks like this:

Living Room Phase3

Although the salmon pink walls, orange-brown bricks, and all of that dark wood trim & paneling is a far cry from our vision for this room down the line (we keep changing our minds, but today we’re dreaming of something like this for the brick, coffered ceilings like this, and this for the paneling someday) it definitely feels a lot homier already. You know, with a couch to sit on instead of a pile of non-sit-on-able furniture.

Oh and we shared this picture on Instagram/FB a few nights back, but don’t you think salmon is Burger’s color? That is one good lookin’ chihuahua. Not that I’m biased or anything.

Burger Living Room

As for our sectional shrinkage (I’ll pause while you titter) we needed a giant sofa for our last house’s giant 25′ long living room. Pictures truly didn’t do that room’s colossal size justice, but the sectional was thirteen feet long and almost that deep (the average sofa is usually around seven feet long for comparison).

Living Room Done

And while some folks love giant rooms and giant sofas, our first house‘s cozy den was the room we missed the most…

Final Den Take 2

… so we pretty much thought it was fate when we saw our new house and the living room reminded us of that cozy room. I think they’re cousins. Here’s the before shot of our first house’s den to compare with the first picture in this post.

Final Den Before 1

Anyway, our Karlstad sectional from Ikea (Karl for short) came in four switch-around-able pieces, so we decided that keeping the sofa + the chaise (and losing the loveseat and corner seat that made it into a giant U-shaped couch) made the most sense for our new living room.

Putting Karl Together

So without buying any additional pieces we were able to just connect the exterior arm that used to live on the end of the sectional to the sofa part and remove the extra stuff in the middle (corner piece and loveseat). Only took about fifteen minutes. And as for the unused two pieces that we removed, we stuck those up in the unfinished storage room with a plastic drop cloth around them. Why didn’t we craigslist them? We just figured selling the corner and loveseat to a sofa that’s incomplete without another end piece that someone would have to purchase might fetch us $20 tops, and it’s worth more just to hold onto them in case we get a new living room couch in a decade or so and decide to use Karl up in the bunkroom/movie room when we finish that space down the line.

We also built the console behind the sofa two years ago, which we made in three interlockable pieces. And the cool thing is that we realized that if we left out the middle piece it almost fit perfectly behind the freshly shrunk sofa. Almost is the key word since it’s still about 6″ too long (over on the fireplace side there’s some overhang) but it works for now, and we’re planning to shorten it so it’s completely fitted for this room.

Living Room Side

After a few years of living with a big padded storage ottoman instead of a coffee table and a console that spans the width of the sofa, we’ve just learned that it’s really functional for our family to have the console (for things like tea at night) and an ottoman (for hiding toys and for Clara to lounge on during the day).

Living Room Straight

Oh and you might notice that the second hole in the brick fireplace wall, which was meant for firewood back in the day, has been covered by a leaning frame. It just felt like a big dark hole whenever I glanced at it from the sofa, and since this fireplace is no longer functional (we’d love to slip a gas insert into it down the line) we didn’t need it staring at us while we gasped over the last four minutes of last week’s Game Of Thrones episode. Seriously, I audibly gasped at least a dozen times in that span of about four minutes.

Living Room Tv Side

As for the other side of the room, we’re keeping the 80’s wet bar closed off with doors for now (we’d love to expand the doorway to the kitchen into that area down the line since we don’t really have a use for it) but I did have some fun putting things on the built-ins in the corner.

Living Room Other Side

Yup, it turns out when my house is full of freshly deposited moving chaos, I like to putter around with books and ceramic animals. So while it looked like this on moving day…

Shelf1

… within 24 hours it looked like this.

Shelf2

The rest of the house still looked completely trashed, but this little corner was happy. #smallvictories

Oh and we took down a bunch of doors on the first floor that blocked off spaces that we prefer to be left open for better flow (the doors on the right block the foyer from the kitchen and the doors on the left block the kitchen from the living room).

Doors On

Now we can peek in on Clara in the living room while we cook in the kitchen, and there’s a nice view of the big bay of windows in the back of the kitchen from the foyer instead of staring at two dark and heavy doors about ten feet from the entryway. Clearly there’s still some crazy color going on when you catch a few rooms in one view, but you gotta start somewhere…

Doorways Open

We also took down the doors that blocked off the kitchen from the dining room. It’s amazing how much breezier it feels – even with a bunch of rooms full of dark blue trim, wood paneling, and a boatload of wallpaper (there are at least five different types of wallpaper going on in our house). Speaking of wallpaper, that’s pretty high on my attack list. I think I’m going to test out a bunch of different techniques for you guys and rate them all (should be fun to see which are urban DIY legends and which ones work the best). And… that’s the kind of thing that gets me excited. Yup. I’m grinning at the computer right now. Get a hold of yourself Petersik.

Comments

  1. Christine says

    It’s so refreshing to see pictures of your new house like this. We’re moving in about a month into our first home and the thought of all the work and projects we want to tackle and what is currently looks like has me a tad overwhelmed. Like, who would want to sit in our living room with the current puke-green wall paint color? Probably no one, but if we don’t get to it until a couple of weeks after we move in, that’s okay. We have a whole lifetime to improve our home! *deep breaths*

    Reply

  2. Kim a. says

    Ohhhhh! You just answered my fireplace conundrum that I have been wracking my brain on how to fix!! We have the same orange, standard brick and I didn’t want to necessarily paint it a solid paint but have been trying to figure out how to tone it down and make it match our coastal/cottage style decor! Duh, whitewash it!, but now how the heck do I get it to look like your inspiration pic?? Have you already found any links how to achieve that finish by any chance??

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Looks like it’s paint either halved with water or with two parts water to each one part paint. Sounds pretty simple if you google around for a tutorial!

      xo
      s

  4. Dawn says

    Our second house was visited by the wallpaper fairy before we moved in. We had borders on the wallpaper too – it was like a step back into 1986. The only thing that worked for me was liquid fabric softener diluted in warm water + a plastic putty knife. My cat kept trying to eat the pieces after they were removed…I guess the old glue smell was appealing to him.

    Reply

  5. From London says

    Hi There,

    I’m really curious to know how you go about looking for inspiration for things like the brick wall, ceiling and panelling. Do you individually look at these areas or do you look at a particular style?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think we just keep an eye out anytime we see something that makes us stop and say “we love that!” – so whether it’s a restaurant or hotel we’re in, or a magazine image, or something I scroll by on Pinterest … over time we have a nice little “mental folder” (sometimes I pin everything or save it to a desktop folder or tear it from a magazine and put it into a binder) to reference!

      xo
      s

  6. Erin @ E So Sweet says

    Removing wallpaper is awful! I am so so sorry! We only had it in our kitchen, but I will never buy a house with it again, if I can help it.

    I tried the fabric softener and water trick and it worked about the same as just plain water. I picked a smell I love, lavender and vanilla, but now anytime that I smell that scent I get a little weirded it out. You could smell it outside of our house!

    Reply

  7. Alison says

    I see you have mentioned painting rooms white and adding every color under the rainbow. Emily Henderson shows her living room (recent post) and that is what it is. White with pops of color.

    Reply

  8. Kelly {the Centsible Life} says

    I don’t know if this has been mentioned in the bajillion comments, but we have our TV across from a window in our family room as well (though it’s not super light because it’s on the ‘dark’ side of our house).

    We found that having light blocking curtains was a necessity for daytime viewing. I hope to add some blinds in the future (so I can leave the curtains open instead), but it’s a giant window, so I’m saving up for custom-sized ones.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Our windows look out into our sunroom, so it’s like a big 15′ awning (no glare on the TV). Custom sized window coverings sound awesome though!

      xo
      s

  9. Catherine Wood says

    It’s shaping up beautifully! Taking down those doors was a fantastic idea…it completely changes how the space feels and looks! Well, from what I can see in the pictures :)

    Reply

  10. Lisamarie says

    I love the globe that looks like its being held up by a seal. Where did you purchase that? If you don’t mind sharing, I would love to know!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks! That’s a wooden whale base with a globe on it. Found it at a thrift store and LOVE it so much. It was supposed to be for Clara but I might play with it more than she does…

      xo
      s

  11. Rishia O'Neill says

    Ahhhh, YOUNG LOVE…carries you two a long way!

    I am so appreciative of the HIGH STANDARDS you have set for yourselves in all ways, specifically regarding your Blog…You two go the whole nine yards in doing everything, and most appreciated is your detailed explanations and photos when you two are rolling down the DIY Hwy.

    Now, the wallpaper… I am really looking forward to you my dear YOUNG one .. truly discovering fact and fiction on all the supposed ‘best ways’ to get that horrific job done. I know you will, and you will let us all know…The good, bad and ugly of all of it..

    THAT is what defines your Blog from the masses. You follow through, publish failures and WOWZA success as well.
    I love ALL proposed ideas re: brick and the ceilings. I am just curious, not a peep about knocking down a wall. ANY wall.

    That is a joke…as most reno’s start out with ripping something out. Not everyone starts with blue trim, alllll those doors, sprayer or not, daunting task. I learned timely needed info from that post.

    You function daily as a family, your Blog is not just DIY, it is a FAMILY DIY. Yet wisely, privacy is guarded. Realistic goals, realistic work, family first. You, this Blog,..ARE REAL and we all soooo LOVE you for it.

    Take CARE, stay safe, and God Bless and Protect Your Family.
    Sincerely … Big Mouth…Rishia … a devoted YOUNGLOVE Groupie.

    P.S. aka Patricia O’Neill @ the big P .. you two really inspired me when you pinned somethings off Crafty Stuff I pinned there. That is how I found your Blog… and was/am truly inspired to tackle what is on my plate. I just zip in here via my YOUNGLOVE daily dose posting on my home page.

    I won’t post to you guys much.. because one sentence …well I type as fast as I talk…annoying to your readers at the least…sorry(:

    Reply

  12. Kristen says

    Hi guys, I have removed a ton of wallpaper and found that hot water, a large sponge ( we used a grout sponge) and scrapers worked best. Soak the paper, wait 5 minutes and you should be able to pull of large sheets. A scraper/putty knife helps get the rest off. You can even add fabric softener to the water which helps break down the glue, and smells AWESOME.

    Don’t forget to have a contest to see who can peal the largest piece. Haha.

    Reply

  13. Juliet says

    I have a few removed doors myself, so I am hoping you do something interesting with them.I’m stuck on table and desk projects, but I feel like there’s a higher purpose for them!

    Reply

  14. Sunshine and Paint Pots says

    I love this house – it reminds me a little of the house we left behind in Pennsylvania when we moved back to Australia. Its going to look amazing when you guys work your magic (and elbow grease).

    My fave photo above is the last one – it shows the history of the home and acts as a confused mood board all at the same time! Love what you’ve done with this room so far.

    Cheers, Col

    Reply

  15. Rachel says

    Ew, wallpaper. We just removed some off our kitchen walls. It’s just not an easy process! We ended up spraying a mixture of water and Dr. Bronner’s peppermint castile soap on the wallpaper and peeling it off. Good luck! It was not my favorite thing to do but so satisfying to have all that wallpaper gone!

    Reply

  19. Bridey says

    The house we just purchased has a very similar layout in the family–including the dark wall of 1970s brick which I am planning to white wash very very lightly and would love I get more of a tan undertone out of. Can’t wait to see how you do it and it all turns out! Thanks to a baby due in a couple of months here, I have a feeling you guys will beat me to it! Thanks for putting a smile on my face everyday. My sister and I are both love your blog.

    Reply

  20. Jamie B. says

    I have the three-seater couch (/sofa … is that a regional thing? heh) of your Karlstad and I loooove it. Put some throw pillows on that thing and it is so comfy. Almost too comfy, I fall asleep on it on the reg.

    I am kind of digging some of that dark wood … some of it. Am I crazy? I’m probably crazy.

    Reply

  21. Carrie Lea says

    I want to pack up my dogs and head straight to your house RGHT NOW and paint those salmon walls. Even if it is just temporary white. They hurt my eyes! So much bright!
    And while I am there we can rip out that wet bar and the whole wall between the living room and kitchen and just open that baby up.
    Also I am relieved Karl is a transformer couch.

    So, every house you’ve lived in has had a non functioning fireplace so here come questions that are probably dumb. What makes it non functioning? I guess I am oblivious to how a fireplace becomes non functioning…. In your second house I assumed you taking the firebox out is why you called it non functioning because I know there was a picture of it you posted before you bought it with the a fire going. Is it chimney issue? Why am I so curious about this? :) Why don’t I just google?
    I hope you do the gas line thing. I have thought about it since I love my fireplace but HATE the mess of burning wood in the living room.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, they all work with gas inserts, they just don’t work for wood burning (cracks in the chimney, lining issues, etc). So to rebuild/reline them is a lot more than just putting gas in there. And we know we actually use gas, since we did a lot in our first house – we never used the working wood burning chimney there once, but the gas one was always on in the cold months!

      xo
      s

    • Carrie Lea says

      Thanks! I’ve been hesitant on the gas thing because I like to know I could heat my house in the winter if the power went out, which with ice storms and stuff happens more than I like, but truth is I just don’t like to build fires. And tromp out to get wood. And clean up the wood. And I’m lazy. So gas would actually get used.

      All the uses of the words wood and gas are making me laugh like a 12 year old.

  22. Susan says

    I really really love/appreciate that you decorate a room even though you are CLEARLY not finished with it, just so that it feels homey. I can’t WAIT to see what you do with this house! I’m so excited for you guys. Well done!

    Reply

  23. Carrie Lea says

    I typed a long comment and it disappeared. Sad face.
    So in short my dogs and I are coming to visit and rid you of that salmon and the wall between the kitchen and the living room. We will be there in a little while.
    Also, I am happy about Karl being a transformer couch.

    This is where there were a bunch of fireplace questions that pretty much amounted to how is a fireplace non functioning? Chimney? Your second house fireplace was non functioning because you took the box out right?
    I hope you do the gas line. I’ve been thinking of doing that because I hate the mess of burning wood in the living room. And now that I am single I am the only one to take care of all of it. No turn taking. Which means no fire building. Cause I’m lazy that way.

    Reply

  24. Jen says

    I’ve tried several methods of wallpaper removal- my go to method is a bucket of HOT (as hot as you can handle) water with some fabric softener (doesnt need to be a specific brand- I use target brand), and sponge it onto the paper, let it soak for a few min and then take a scraper and it literally peels off. I use a pair of rubber dish gloves to save my hands. Don’t bother paying for that solution at the big box stores- overpriced and this method will beat that solution any day….good luck

    Reply

  26. Eri says

    That’s already looking pretty good, and I love the switch of the rugs between the living and the master bed. Oh and am looking forward to your wallpaper attack report. Our 50s colonial had stinky painted-over wallpaper (is it too much to ask to please remove wallpaper before you paint?!?!), which was, pardon my french, nasty b**ch. They’d painted thick over it, and it didn’t allow water/chemicals to penetrate, so it took a FAR LOT of muscle job (scrape, scrape, and scrape…). But oh what a satisfying moment to see freshly painted plaster wall! Good luck with your wallpaper battle :)

    Reply

  28. Sara says

    We removed wallpaper from 3 rooms in our house. We tried Dapand fabric softener, but what actually worked best for us was a combo of equal parts got water and white vinegar. I sprayed it on to get it good and wet, then just started scraping/pulling at the seams to remove the top layer. Then doused it again and scraped away at the glue. Then sprayed the wall good again to scape any remaining residue, then wiped the whole thing fown with warm water and a giant sponge. Oh, and it turns out the best tool was a $.99 plastic scraper from Sherwin Williams. Then there’s wall mudding and wet sanding… My least fave part. Good luck!

    Reply

  30. Kelli says

    Ok, maybe you’re wearing off on me because I fell in love with your white ceramic horse head on your built ins. I’m not sure how I hadn’t noticed before but I hadn’t. Where did you find it/what is it? I love the modern look. I looked back and found the yellow spray painted ones (so cute) but couldn’t find a source for whitey.

    Thanks and can’t wait to see what you all do next!

    Reply

  32. Alexis says

    Hey guys – First let me say, you two must have the patience of a saint. I guess I’ve never really read through the comments before today and people seem to feel very strongly about what you should and should not do with YOUR house and your responses are always very kind and well thought out. Mine would be less so ;)

    Quick question: Where is the chair in the living room from? (the one that was in the kitchen at your old house) I checked the source list and couldn’t find it. Apologies if I overlooked it somewhere on the site. Thanks!

    Reply

  33. Kaitie says

    I have sofa envy. I have a voluminous leather sofa that somehow has no room for pillows since all the depth is taken up by the giant squishy back, and any pillows that I do venture to put there just end up sliding around and looking stupid. Alas.

    Just curious, I love that this house needs so much refreshing and there’s lots of room to experiment, but are there any rooms that you’re thinking of straight-up copying from the old place? I loved the dark teal of the old guest room, and I note you took those curtains with you. But I’d also love to see everything reworked with new wall colour. So yeah, just an idle question. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think we’re just going to see where we end up! If a room is calling out for that dark teal we don’t feel like we have to choose something else for the blog (if we love it, we love it) – but it’ll be interesting to see where we end up as we live in this house and check out the lighting situations and how we use/feel about each room :)

      xo
      s

    • Kirsten says

      I once lived as an exchange student with a family in Burgundy, France. Their home had been designed by an architect who lived with them for a year so he could understand how they felt about light, how they liked to use their rooms, who they were as people in that space, etc. I always thought that was _so cool_! …I remember
      wondering how I felt about the light in the guest room, lol.

  34. RVALALA says

    We just bought a very similar colonial on the south side of RVA as well. Our kitchens are nearly twins and the other rooms are cousins. I’ve read your blog for years, but now I am so excited to be able to use it as direct inspiration! Already making plans to whitewash our den’s fireplace… ~ LB

    Reply

  35. Yvonne @ Dress This Nest says

    I am so excited for you guys in your new place, but I am exhausted just thinking about all the work that is ahead of you. Perhaps because we just moved into our own “fixer” in December and STILL have so much we’d like to do, but I’m sure you guys will be inspiring me to get moving in no time!

    Reply

  36. Mo says

    We moved into a house with a wet bar as a kid. It didn’t get removed until AFTER “the water fight incident.” You want to make sure to remove it before Clara reaches that stage. Just sayin.

    Reply

  37. Nat says

    When I saw “wallpaper” I had to give my unsolicited advice on the topic. I have tackled my parent’s house over the past decade during summer and holiday breaks whenever I’m home from school or work to get rid off all the wallpaper. It was a weird 1980s floral and pastel navajo print fiesta that the last owner seemed to enjoy. It was very strange. Most rooms had two different types of wallpaper and one of the bathrooms had a total of 4 different types. My parents were living in a vinyl nightmare, but as of April of this year the wallpaper is finally gone! And so sweet victory and I have become a sort of weird paper removing expert in our house.
    Okay, onto the advice. If your paper is plastic based (like ours were) skip that tool they recommend at home improvement stores that scores the paper for the liquid to penetrate. They are not worth the trouble. You’ll spend more time fixing the little nooks and grooves than the convenience it affords you. So instead, peel away. Pull up a corner and peel off the top vinyl layer to reveal a nicotine yellowish layer of paper beneath it. After all the plastic is off, make your paper removing mixture. 1 part fabric softener to 10 parts hot water. Most people recommend a spray bottle, but it’s not worth it. Make that stuff in a bucket and wet the wall with a sponge or rag. You want the wall near drenched for this, and you want it to sit for a about 30 to 60 seconds. Just make sure the paper doesn’t go dry on you, then take a wall scraper and shimmy it into a corner and scrap away. It should come off super quick and in big chunks if you’re lucky.
    I know you guys have tackled wallpaper removal in your first house, but that was a few years ago and I needed to spread my mildly useless knowledge with some.

    Happy peeling!

    Reply

  38. Julie Curtis says

    I have a huge fireplace wall like that. Dying to see what you do with it. First I want to paint it. Then I want to cut it on either side of the firebox and have built-in shelves with doors at the bottom on the left and right. Oh – and gas logs before next winter. I refuse to haul firewood another winter.

    Reply

  39. Emily Reel says

    We MUST have a psychic link! We just moved to a new home in Charlotte, that reminds me so much of the new house ya’ll just bought. Once we’re done working on it, I will send photos. There’s lots of stuff that’s inspired by your blog/book. AND we also bought the Karl in the same huge U configuration for our last house. AND at the new house, it’s too big, so we used the 3/2 configuration to turn it into an L shape sofa. Then we took the stand alone chaise seating and put it into the sunroom. FYI, IKEA used to sell a stand alone cover for the chaise (which has now been discontinued) but you can find them on e-bay for cheap or on BEMZ if you want something more fancy. We used to have the same sofa cover, but I changed it in the new house to the lighter gray “suit” material. Do you think you will change the color of yours at any point in the future? We also bought new mid-century modern style legs from etsy. I am now in love with Karl again!

    Reply

  40. Lisa says

    $herdog,
    I am SO looking forward to your wallpaper post. I just bought a 1925 colonial, and the 3 bedrooms have wallpaper. The master alone has 4 layers and 2 (that were painted over) on the ceiling!!! So far, I’ve just gone at it with the trowel I used to tile the shower (what? I hadn’t fully moved in yet… Gotta work with what you’ve got, amiright?), and managed to do quite a bit of damage. I’ve heard using dollar store fabric softener (like, the cheapest you can find) mixed with water and sprayed on with a spray bottle works like a dream, but I haven’t tried it yet (I was killin it with the trowel, obviously…).
    Side note: You guys rock. I’ve been reading your blog since house #1 and I’m so happy to finally have a house of my own AND get to remodel/update along with you guys!

    Reply

  41. Darcy says

    You guys accomplish so much – so quickly! I’m in awe. I am looking forward to all your transformations (material for a second book?) on your new place.

    Particularly to see how you deal with the brick surrounding the fireplace. Our fireplace brick is wonky. The actual surround is not proportional to the fireplace itself (it extends several feet to the right, but not the left!) and it’s a pale brick, with a dark mortar. It’s an old Ranch style house from the 50’s and I’d give just about anything to quiz the original home builder and ask “WHY?!”

    Reply

  42. Jenny says

    After seeing all your before-after photos, I am sure those rooms will go through a series or changes and overhauling as days go by :P
    As it is, it is pretty cosy already!

    Reply

  43. Ann says

    OMG $herdog—I LOVE the link you posted for the brick fireplace wall. I think LOVE might be an understatement. I’ve pinned that 3 times!!! I will be holding my breath waiting for that. And can I just say–I adore your new place.

    Reply

  44. Chez says

    Way to go! You are sprucing it up already. We are about to follow in your footsteps with a move in a few days. It’s so overwhelming, and I’m always in such a hurry to unpack and “make it feel like home.” The in-between stages of chaos kind of freak me out. :) Love your new home – so excited to follow along.

    Reply

  45. Nicole says

    It looks like you guys probably have a ton of natural moulding in that house. Do you plan to paint all of it? Paint some, but leave some in the normal wood tone? My husband and I just bought our first home and I am trying to decide if that’s something I should tackle. I would prefer all the moulding to be white, but it seems like a lot to paint all of it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      In the past we have preferred to paint it white, and if you go one room at a time it’s not too bad. Our approach here will be to live with it for a while to be sure we’re 100% gung ho with painting it before we do (it’s a hard thing to undo!) and then we’ll just take it room by room and project by project when/if we want to tackle it. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  46. Lisa says

    Don’t feel badly about getting one room somewhat finished – even down to shelves that really don’t serve an immediate function or need. You have to have a place to go and sit down and say “Whew!” when you’re in the moving/redecorating process. For us, it was the master bedroom, as it was the only room without ugly 80s wallpaper.

    Speaking of wallpaper, we had really good luck with hot vinegar and water (half and half) in an old spray bottle and a plain old flat paint spatula. Get the seams good and soaked and work your way around! And to me, vinegar = clean house smell, so it was a double bonus!

    Wishing you luck in your new digs
    Lisa

    Reply

  47. ZaneRutledge says

    Hi,
    Really awesome collection of furniture. Living room furniture is really impressive. I also have passions in redecorating and internal design and your selection motivated me a lot.
    Thanks.

    Reply

  48. Kelly says

    How great that you can adjust your couch and console to fit such a differently sized room! When you get to the wallpaper, I had great success with a commercial grade wallpaper steamer/remover that I borrowed from a contractor friend. It worked so much better than using a hot sponge, or the chemicals you buy at Home Depot! Be careful though, it does get hot and drips very hot water, so keep Clara and Burger away, but the wallpaper literally fell off, and took most of the glue with it. I just followed up with a rag (mainly to dry the wall) and it took it all right off. If you can rent one, or somehow get your hands on one, it would be well worth it IMHO! (My wallpaper was only 10-15 years old and I know that the glue has changed a bit from the old stuff you have. I’ll be interested to see what you end up doing because I have some old 1970’s wallpaper in my current house, too.) Good luck!

    Reply

  49. Xochi says

    I’m really excited to see what you do with the brick fire place. I love the look of the white washed brick in your inspiration pic and would love to see how it’s done.

    Reply

  50. Carla says

    Okay, serious question. I love that you have taken down the doors and the curtains but I have to ask how this affects heating and cooling your house? I’m an Aussie, living in Victoria (down the bottom of Down Under) and we have to work hard to keep the house at an even temp all year round. Doors to block off spaces we’re not using (such as a foyer, for example…if we had one ;) )are a must, as are cutains and blinds, both to keep heat out in summer and in during winter. If we didn’t block off rooms in our house, our heating / cooling bills would be through the roof (they are already on the scary side if you ask me!). So, I’d love to hear how you guys heat and cool your house without the aid of doors and curtains (this could well be one of the most mundane questions ever asked but it’s eating away at me, swear!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The curtains we removed never covered the windows, they were just swagged and pinned around the molding sort of like streamers, so they didn’t truly insulate anything. We are planning to hang proper curtains and blinds as we go (they’re a large expense to get to all at once, but thankfully a solid brick house with good windows is already nicely insulated, and the climate in Richmond isn’t too drastic like someone in the high north or deep south). And as for the doors, a few heating/cooling experts have said the better your house’s flow, the more easily heated and cooled air circulates, so keeping doors off in living areas helps things distribute, which seems to work with our mild-ish climate. As for how we heat/cool the house, we have gas heat and typical air conditioning set to a thermostat, so it only kicks on when it’s especially hot or cold :)

      xo
      s

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *