Thank you to the 600+ people who commented on my first post! (Except for the 100+ people who commented about how it looked like a slice of brie – that was not helpful, and it made me hungry.)
Wanted to provide a in-progress update:
I will not be tearing it out – though I have permission to do so if I feel so inclined, it is not in my budget currently, and it is not a priority for my uncle. There are no kids here to run into it, it does not impede in any walkways, and has never been a safety hazard. So while it is ugly and misshapen, and generally a dumb design, it will be staying.
I've started the process of citra-strip-ing the hearth section (see the 4th picture) and the colors of the stones matches the colors and tones of the floor, so I'm extremely hopeful that the hearth will blend in more once I strip the whole thing (although it is taking forever to get everything off – there's definitely a primer under the paint, and the rough/uneven surface is a fun thing to work around).
– And yes, I've tried a different product that works faster, but the smell was so toxic, I couldn't be in my own space.
– And no I will not be renting a sandblaster to do it – I would screw that up in a heartbeat, and it's also not in the budget.
- I moved the furniture back from being right up next to the hearth (although the couch is currently angled a bit to help hold the rug back from the hearth while I strip it) and I switched the chairs and the couch. And the footrest is currently along the wall behind the sofa, but will probably be moving to the entryway/office.
– I tried a couple other layouts, but this one made the most sense. My Uncle plans to fix/replace the fireplace soon, and once I remove the paint from the hearth, and bulk up the mantle shelf, the fireplace will be the focal point of the room, so I don't want the couch to have it's back to the fireplace.
- I also plan to add more bookshelves to the left side to balance that out visually and anchor the space. (I might adjust the bookshelves on the right and end up moving two of them to the left, and then add closed cupboard space underneath for more hidden storage options.
– I would like to get some large, 70's speakers to put on the left side of the space too, because that's now my record player's home.
– I think I will also be moving the writing desk to my office room and getting rid of the boring basic/contemporary/modern black one that's currently in there. And the shelf with all my crafting supplies will probably go away once I do cabinets (fingers-crossed I can find some at ReStore or Facebook Marketplace) because that stuff should all fit in cabinets under the bookshelves.
I moved my plants from the sump-pump cover box (oh the joys of living in a New England basement) to the hearth, and am trying to determine if I need to get a grow light. They are all plants that thrive in indirect light, so I'm going to wait and see how they do in this new spot before I invest in one.
And because several people asked what that other wall looks like (that used to be behind the red chairs but now is behind the couch), I included a couple pictures (pre-furniture move).
Lastly, there is not a TV in this room and there will not be a TV in this room – this is a screen-free room. The TV lives in the den. I cannot be creative in this room when there is a big black screen sucking all the energy out of the space.
Thank you all again for the advice! Much appreciated!
by ElizabethMaeStuart