Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Visually simplifying our decor with built ins

I am not crazy about  large plasma screens being  the focal point of a room. When we built our home in Normandy Park we created a 4 panel screen that covered the TV above our beautiful stone mantle. I also love hinging framed prints of the same style and size. You can put them on piano hinges and they fold back beautifully. I especially liked this tv cabinet. Made from reclaimed woods with  just a waxed finish.

A room can feel more calm when everything has a place and there are not too many things sitting around. I love using built ins with hand blown glass and reclaimed woods like this piece here.

This color gray is divine with this reclaimed floor. I can never have enough storage space, especially for linens.


I especially adore this built in bookcase. Using a window as the doors makes this a major  focal point of this European kitchen. . The hardware is especially fabulous. I love being able to have a special place in the kitchen for cookbooks.

Keeping open storage spaces with no doors is also a great look.

Another fabulous example of reclaimed woods. Most reclaimed woods can cost 5 times what regular wood will. Also, they are very difficult to find. I would suggest getting #1 common oak to work with. It has a beautiful grain to open up and the number one common will have more knots and things in it.  Here's a little secret! We  open up the grain of woods by sandblasting them! Just be sure and wear great eye and head gear. Then you can wax the piece and give it an aged look. If you want to have great looking counter tops with reclaimed woods. I suggest antiqued zinc. You can go to www.amyhowardathome.com and order our antique zinc kit. It is a fabulous look on a budget.


For many more ideas and uses of reclaimed woods in interiors from this post, check out Beta-Plus series on 100 Projects using Reclaimed Woods. We are getting ready for our Rescue Restore and Redecorate tm workshop this Saturday. We have 2 spaces left. We are having the workshop at the studio. It is a big class size and you get to finish your own piece by the end of the day. We are introducing our new Parisian Furniture Paint. Sure to be a big hit! You can contact the store at 901 682 2558 if you are interested.

9 comments:

  1. I love built-ins too but have one in our dining room I can’t stand. It isn’t original to our home and to be honest makes the room to formal for our home. The husband is now using reclaimed wood from our previous renovation to make tall slender doors for our hutch and I couldn’t be more excited. It’ll give the room a more European relaxed feel and I’ll simply wax the doors rather then paint. I’ll post when the project is done. Love your fireplace mantel and the doors above it. I’m with you a TV should not be a focal point.

    XX
    Debra~

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  2. Debra send me photos and share! I cannot wait to see your home.

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  3. Love the four panel screen to cover the tv. Our wall unit is in the corner beside the fireplace. I have upper and lower cabinet doors that hide all the DVD players, DVR box, but the large tv is still exposed. I would love to rework the cabinet doors somehow to also cover the tv screen. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  4. Beautiful examples, Amy. I love the kitchen cupboard made from a window with those fabulous cremone bolts. Thanks also for the tip on making oak look aged. Zinc counters would look great with a reclaimed wood look.

    All the best...Victoria

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  5. I love how there are candles all over. This makes the house so much more romantic.

    -Zane of ontario honey

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  6. The cabinet over the mantel/fireplace....

    what type of hinges are those? They look like they are 8 inches tall....where can one get these...

    Woodworker TPN

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  7. amy, I just found your link through a facebook group called Mountain Brook Trading (a Birmingham trading group). I am an ex designer turned artists from Atlanta. Also a fellow meag blogger. I really, really LOVE what you are doing. I don't tell people that very often as I'm pretty hard to please! If you come to Scott Antique Market (I'm sure you know of it) please look me up! I am in the South Building in the new Scott Art Gallery. L-11. I also show every year in Collierville at the St. George's Academy Art Show in November. Would really love to meet you. Again, I am really, really impressed! Please look up my blog as well! May want you to be a guest blogger if you're interested!!!
    thanks!
    www.kendallboggsfinearts.blogspot.com
    kendall boggs

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  8. I absolutely love the gray built ins. Would you mind telling me what the color is? It's not easy finding the perfect gray. Thanks!

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