Cha-Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

As Knox gets older, it was becoming more and more apparent we needed a change up in our living room.  The living space was too tight, and we didn't have any areas to make "toy areas." I was getting a bit frustrated, and didn't really know where to begin.  One weekend over Christmas break, Stephen mentioned that we could get rid of the entertainment center, move some furniture around (and a TV above the mantle) and maybe, just maybe solve all of the problems.  It didn't take long to get me on board, and I started shuffling through pinterest to get some ideas.  I decided I really wanted to take the doors off of the built-in bookshelves.  There are doors on the top (with glass) and solid doors on the bottom.  Taking these doors off (circa 1968) would mean that I would have to sand down the spots where they were, fill them, and then paint.  

I have had a love affair with blue/gray for some time, so it was a natural choice.  Aside from some small errors (you know, painting latex over oil) I need to redo some of it.  But it's already been such a fresh addition to our house, and I love the storage for all of Knox's toys!

Here's a before to kind of get your bearings:

Ignore Stephen in this shot...not sure why he's there.  This was the first week we moved in...so the cabinets in the kitchen are now white, and the kitchen paint is now light gray.

And this is a shot to remind you what the wall looked like...a huge entertainment center.

And NOW:

A "keeping it real" shot.  The toys take up most of the fireplace until after 7:45pm :)