My Decorating Dilemma is a Work in Progress

One Day a 60" Wide-Screen monstrosity magically appeared in the middle of my once elegant living room. The Husband fell in love at the electronics store! Since he had Blown the Bank on the TV, there were no funds left for built-in cabinets. The layout of the room demanded that the TV be raised off the floor and placed in a corner for maximum viewing pleasure.

I started with a modern black lacquer cabinet that had doors with brass handles. Sadly, the doors were removed to house the components. Hopefully, the next time the Husband "falls in love" at the electronics store smaller components will catch his eye! I want to put the doors back on the cabinet.

To make the top bigger, I painted a piece of wood black. Once the TV and speakers were in place, I had a void to fill along the top of the TV. I had damaged pieces of garden edging in the garage. The stakes that you push into the ground had broken off these pieces. (My yard is full of rocks, but that is another story....) I wired the fence pieces to a large pole of bamboo and hung it from the ceiling. I cut bamboo pole "sides" to create the illusion of a structure. I plan to use my Dremel tool to cut bamboo to hide the edge of the new wood top, but until then, I painted the edge gold to match the gold detail on the cabinet.

The old ceiling fan obstructed the view, so it had to go. I found the current ceiling fixture at a garage sale. It is very heavy and made of stained glass. I think it is either old or from a pizza parlor! Somehow the whole thing works for me.

This end of the living room was also rather dark, even after I hid an up-light behind the TV. So I decided to solve my lighting problem by filling the void on each side of the TV with a big light fixture on the "Cheap". I went to World Market in search of paper shades that I could put together to create 2 large light fixtures. As I walked though the store, I noticed the pair of sheepskin shades that now flank the TV. They were made to sit on the floor with the points up. They were covered with dust and on clearance! I added chain to the feet of the fixtures and inverted them to create huge hanging pendents on ceiling hooks. My guests always assume they are stained glass.

I know this look may not be for everyone, but it works for me. If you have a Husband, chances are you have a Big Screen TV to work into your decor. As you know, it can be a challenge. First, you must come to terms with the fact that you are never going to be able to hide it completely! Even behind cabinets, it will take up valuable floor space! So embrace it and dare to be different. I am still working to turn the "Monstrosity" into a nice vignette in my eclectic home.