Happy almost-December, everyone.

While the Christmas season certainly means more to me than gratuitous consumerism, I must admit I got swept up in the Black Friday holiday hoopla this year.
Armed with a day off and hellbent intent to give our living room a facelift, Matty and I set out on an adventure that involved a UHaul (to pick up free hand-me-down couches from my friend Courtney) and a few hours (yep, hours) at Best Buy.

After never giving in to the flat-TV need for years, I was finally ready to toss our old tube television out on the sidewalk and get rid of the old brown couches we'd been working with since we moved in--one of which Ozzie had nearly destroyed by gnawing at a small hole in the cushion daily until it became a nearly two-foot rip. Thanks, dawg.

But anyway.
We emerged victorious with a 50" flat screen, two microfiber red couches, and a new gray shag rug. But, upon returning home, it became increasingly clear that mounting the TV over the fireplace mantle as I'd envisioned would be an issue. The guys searched for studs, but came up blank. After some drilling, it became clear that the dry wall over the mantle was just covering the brick chimney behind it. We toyed with keeping a TV stand or choosing a different wall, but Matt knew just how badly I wanted the room laid out. He went down to the wood shop in the basement and got to work.




Knowing that we couldn't trust the strength of the wall, Matt found the sturdiest wood he could, oak, and made an H-shaped brace to go on the wall between the mantle and the ceiling.

To further reinforce the center beam, he drilled six holes in the end of this piece, and then drilled corresponding holes in the vertical pieces. Using nails without heads on them, he hammered them into the center beam holes, and then slid the two vertical pieces on to the nails like a puzzle. I am sure I am making this sound a lot more simple than it actually was; I assure you there was a lot of precise measuring and pencil marking on this brace. It is also worth noting that this brace was then supported on the bottom by our mantle-- if you do not have a mantle or built-in, sturdy shelving, this can still be achieved, however your vertical braces should probably go all the way from the floor to the ceiling. Please feel free to reach out to me (aka Matt) if you intend to recreate this for further guidance.




Anyway. Next step.
L-braces were placed on the top of each vertical beam to connect the brace to the ceiling. This was to ensure the brace would not tip forward. Also, for renters, it's worth noting patching holes in the ceiling is a lot easier than a ton of holes in the wall, especially if you have (god awful) wallpaper like us.



After we finally got the TV mounted, I already knew what I wanted to do with the space.

Project specs:

• Material of your choice for curtains
• Fusible bonding web - explained below
• Eye hooks 
• Coated picture hanging wire

As I mentioned, I hate our wallpaper, and wanted the option to somewhat hide the TV during the day and when not in use. After a visit to my friend Jaime's a few days prior, where she enlightened me that she had made her own curtains sans sewing machine (!), I had the confidence I could execute my vision with some fabric, an iron, and some red wine (natch). I headed to Sewfisticated Fabrics in Dorchester (who were beyond helpful with my questions), Home Depot for hanging hardware, Liquor Land (of course), and back to our place to get to work.



The secret was this stuff, which essentially bonds fabric using just a wet cloth and hot iron. I purchased a lot of fabric because I wanted it to bunch and not pull completely tight when closed. I would up with about 15 yards of light, chiffon-y (technical terms 'round here) polyester fabric and cut into four panels that would run from floor to ceiling (with a little fabric to spare). I also picked up a heavy red patterned fabric to go behind the TV and hide the brace we had made. But first, the curtains--

Using the bonding web, we folded over the top of the fabric and bonded it to itself with a 2" or so opening, allowing us to slip the curtains onto the coated wire.

We mapped out where the curtains should run and screwed four eye hooks into the ceiling. From there, it was a simple matter of attaching the wire to the each eye hook. We used the little left over fabric to cover the wire and create a little flourish in the corners.





To cover the TV brace, we actually just staple gunned the patterned fabric to the ceiling (don't tell our landlord?) and slit a hole in the back the size of the bracket for it to fall around the TV accordingly. He also took this fabric all the way down to the mantle shelf with the staple gun to somewhat mask the beams, trimming with an exacto knife where necessary.
 





For a finishing touch, I used the same fabric and bonding web to create tie-backs for the curtains. I took a two-foot piece of fabric and folded it in three to make the edges appear finished. Easy, easy.





The final result, in my humble opinion of course, is totally stunning. Especially when compared with our former dorm-room-looking living room. The curtains aren't finished on the edges, which could easily be remedied, but I don't think that matters all that much. We also used the red patterned fabric to essentially create a "sleeve" for all of our TV cables to hide them (not pictured--and I am currently in Chicago--so deal with it!)

The result warms up our new favorite appliance and makes the whole room appear put together. I am so, so pleased.





Did you do any Black Friday splurging?!