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February 12th, 2009
before & after: serena’s living room


well hello, beautiful built-ins. i always wish we had the space (and budget) to have custom shelves built and d*s reader serena from the farm chicks is currently living with my dream arrangement- floor-to-ceiling storage. we have more books in our home than anything else so the ability to have so much storage like this is such a treat. i love the way serena’s shelves are so functional, but also add tons of tiny spots to create more decorative vignettes. thanks to serena for sharing! (ps: serena has a gorgeous book coming out this april!)



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37 comments
Stephanie said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:10 am

That is gorgeous. Everyone should be given the room for those.

February 12th, 2009 - 9:12 am

These built-ins look amazing — really functional [with nooks for decorative objects, as you pointed out], but also very elegant and well-integrated. Who designed them? Who built them?

Warren said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:13 am

Wow, I agree with you. All of that storage is a dream come true. Someday…

alice said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:43 am

Oh wow it looks great!

molly said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:46 am

Fabulous built-ins! I’d have no excuse but to be orgainzed in a lovely space like that with so much storate!

Chris said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:47 am

We have a library in our Inn to be that needs built ins and these are pretty much the dream–oh yeah. always helpful to see images of beautiful things.

lucky said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:51 am

wow. perfection.

Coco said:
February 12th, 2009 - 9:53 am

Nice! Though if they were mine there’d be no room for knickknacks – those shelves would be stuffed with books in no time.

Jo said:
February 12th, 2009 - 10:03 am

All I can say is thank heavens she got rid of that odd carpeted corner thingy. And Hooray! for amazing storage. I’m jealous.

February 12th, 2009 - 10:03 am

Love it!

Alix said:
February 12th, 2009 - 10:17 am

I. Am. Drooling.

ashley said:
February 12th, 2009 - 10:32 am

wow.

February 12th, 2009 - 10:56 am

Best shelves ever! I am so bookmarking this page for when we add shelving in our living room…

Laura said:
February 12th, 2009 - 11:05 am

its my dream organization set-up! I have floor to ceiling storage in my kitchen…but not enough space for my books!

February 12th, 2009 - 11:18 am

Wow!! It is so beautiful (and I am SO jealous)!!

tara said:
February 12th, 2009 - 11:21 am

A-FREAKING-MAZING! so jealous!

samantha said:
February 12th, 2009 - 11:24 am

Love this, its very neat. A great use of the space.

February 12th, 2009 - 11:24 am

Incredible makeover— built-ins are my achilles heel too!

February 12th, 2009 - 11:32 am

This is my DREAM organization system. Way to go!

carina said:
February 12th, 2009 - 11:36 am

Just gorgeous! The wrap around is a brilliant transition from one area to the next.

February 12th, 2009 - 11:38 am

This transformation is just TOP!!! very good use of the space, sometimes it is hard to image how things will look after but thins one is truly well done.

jessamyn said:
February 12th, 2009 - 12:14 pm

ooh! I have been dreaming about built ins too… lovely.

elizabeth said:
February 12th, 2009 - 12:15 pm

Stunning!
This is an excellent way to put dead space to good use. Serena, did you “design” the storage arrangement yourself?

February 12th, 2009 - 1:11 pm

Oh, man, this is so good. I was really happy with my white Ikea Expedit shelves until I saw this!

Jisun said:
February 12th, 2009 - 2:14 pm

My jaw just dropped to the floor! This is beautiful!

Kristan said:
February 12th, 2009 - 2:26 pm

Oh how I dream of built-ins…

Himlarum said:
February 12th, 2009 - 4:19 pm

Such a difference! Just lovely!

Susana said:
February 12th, 2009 - 4:48 pm

I love how beautifully organized everything is <3

the.mediatrix said:
February 12th, 2009 - 5:09 pm

I’m curious about the vignettes in the cubbies…it seems like a lot of effort to got to just to take shots for d*s…like swapping out the magazine files for the photos. Is one your regular look and the other not? Also, I’d LOVE to see a long shot of this showing more of the room. They really look great.

February 12th, 2009 - 5:38 pm

Thanks so much for such nice comments about my built-in. I am so happy with the way it turned out. My house has a really open lay-out, so I really like how on the living room side, it makes the living room feel like a room of it’s own and then on the kitchen side, it makes a nice transition into that space.
Yes, I did design it and worked with a great local handy-man who built it for me.
The pictures showing the built-in on the living room side are different because they were taken about a month apart. My books, pictures, and whatever else I choose to add in are constantly changing, based on my mood. :)

calypsogirl said:
February 12th, 2009 - 5:59 pm

i love this! and really want to do something similar in my living room. can anyone recommend a company that will do this in manhattan? there are so many, i know, but i thought i’d start with recs. thanks!

josashimi said:
February 16th, 2009 - 12:43 am

I’m in love!!! Love the white, love the pigeon hole shelving, love the cute things on display… oh my heart!

Melissa said:
February 16th, 2009 - 5:57 pm

Wow, this is soooo beautiful. I love built-ins! I just stumbled on The Farm Chicks website last night. Great stuff there.

christina said:
February 17th, 2009 - 11:01 am

what a dream! I love, love, love this! I need this done in my family room! It is just beautiful!

nicoleigh said:
February 17th, 2009 - 1:33 pm

This is great! Every girls dream corner. Thanks for sharing. I love the bright, cheery colors.

Amy said:
February 17th, 2009 - 5:20 pm

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!!!!!
That’s all i can muster up. I have to go wipe the drool off my chin. Just GORGEOUS!!!!

mark said:
February 19th, 2009 - 6:13 pm

How much did this cost? Where are you located? Who is this handy man? Did they build it all from scratch? Or is it ready made pieces that are assembled? I have to know? Please tell us.

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