The Nate And Jeremiah Home Project - General Discussion

[kirklandia]

"I kept thinking that when he's a teen, that kid is going to be in and out of that window every night!"

I just watched an episode of House Hunters, where a single mom with a teenage son was buying her first house.  Her highest priority was that he have an entire floor - and it had to be a basement - all to himself. She said that he would really love the house with the basement that had big walkout sliding doors. 
I think he will be very popular.

 

[Grrarrggh]

6 hours ago, kirklandia said:

"I kept thinking that when he's a teen, that kid is going to be in and out of that window every night!"

I just watched an episode of House Hunters, where a single mom with a teenage son was buying her first house.  Her highest priority was that he have an entire floor - and it had to be a basement - all to himself. She said that he would really love the house with the basement that had big walkout sliding doors. 
I think he will be very popular.

 

Eh, I did my share of midnight walkabouts in the summer as a teenager and, looking back, I think that's when my friends and I got in the least amount of mischief lol. 

[carrps]

On 3/12/2023 at 2:51 PM, kirklandia said:

"I kept thinking that when he's a teen, that kid is going to be in and out of that window every night!"

I just watched an episode of House Hunters, where a single mom with a teenage son was buying her first house.  Her highest priority was that he have an entire floor - and it had to be a basement - all to himself. She said that he would really love the house with the basement that had big walkout sliding doors. 
I think he will be very popular.

 

I think maybe mom has watched a few too many That Seventies Show episodes.

 

[buttersister]

So I don't keep up with baseball these days and hadn't heard of Pete Alonso. Until tonight. Twice. First with the autographed baseball for that nice kid. And secondly, he's trending on Twitter, but not in any good way. Getting royally dragged during the WBC's team USA game. Yikes. I figured they'd get that kid some memorabilia, but thought it might be team-focused, with multiple signatures on something. Pinstripe wallpaper made me think of the Yankees. What do I know?

Anyway, blue is my favorite color, but I'd hate to live with those shiny teal cabinets--and porous marble everywhere. The family seemed happy with everything, but then, they're experts at making lemonade. Hope they live long and prosper.

Edited March 16, 2023 by buttersister

[iMonrey]

Mirrored backsplash in the kitchen? Who on earth would want that?

Also, why do the boys have their own rooms while the girls have to share? And why did we only see one of the boy's rooms? What about the other one?

Do N&J only do makeovers for families that have had cancer? I'm not objecting it to it, I'm just saying, it seems like an ongoing theme.

[ML89]

37 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Also, why do the boys have their own rooms while the girls have to share?

I am only halfway through watching but that really annoyed me.

I think the other boy's room was spared in the fire so they didn't have to do anything to it.

[katenm]

I've never understood porous marble in a kitchen. It looks pretty, but so do other, more practical countertops. 

I kept expecting the other boy's bedroom to get a "light" refresh as a surprise. 

 

[sheetmoss]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Mirrored backsplash in the kitchen? Who on earth would want that?

Also, why do the boys have their own rooms while the girls have to share? And why did we only see one of the boy's rooms? What about the other one?

 

I assume it's because he's the oldest - not an unusual move in a larger family.

    He leaves oldest girl then gets it

They said the other parts of the house were okay  so that why the other boy didn't get anything, same for the primary bdrm

 

I was wondering why the reno $$ amount was so low - I would have expected more from an insurance payout and from whoever caused the surge

Edited March 16, 2023 by sheetmoss

[buttersister]

1 hour ago, sheetmoss said:

I was wondering why the reno $$ amount was so low - I would have expected more from an insurance payout and from whoever caused the surge

May have been, perhaps with four college educations to pay for, they set a budget. It paid for a lot of marble!

[mlp]

I liked the couple.  Overall, the house looked good but, as above, I wouldn't want to live with all that marble or mirrored surfaces in a kitchen.  You'd be cleaning glass constantly.  The thing I liked least was the marble on the dining room table.  That color wouldn't go with most people's dishes.  

I wonder if Nate and Jeremiah's kids are going to end up really spoiled.  Maybe it's my age but I am bothered that they let them sit on the counters and jump on the beds.  They even encourage what used to be bad behavior - for good reasons.  

[bichonblitz]

9 hours ago, ML89 said:

I think the other boy's room was spared in the fire so they didn't have to do anything to it.

I was wondering about that. I thought maybe the older boy was in college and lived away from home or he lives with his mother.

I kind of like colored kitchen cabinets, just not that color. Maybe just paint the island that bold color and keep the rest an off white. I have no words for the mirrored backsplash in a kitchen. There are so many other great and more practical choices they could have made.  Sometimes I just don't understand the choices these guys make. The home owners seemed to love it so I guess that's all that matters.  

Nate and Jer's kids sitting on the kitchen island. I hope they at least had their shoes off. They are sweet kids but haven't reached the teenage years yet. I hope they are not spoiled, entitled monsters by then. 

Edited March 17, 2023 by bichonblitz

[sheetmoss]

11 hours ago, buttersister said:

May have been, perhaps with four college educations to pay for, they set a budget. It paid for a lot of marble!

My experience

A couple of decades back a tree fell on my house and took the back off -  I had full-replacement coverage, but the insurance company just didn't hand me a check - they took over w/contractor, electrical, tree removal, etc

I did receive some cash  and later another amount to replace furniture, but it was contingent on them releasing $$ upon getting the receipts

BTW - This was an upscale insurance company

[meep.meep]

On 3/16/2023 at 8:41 AM, iMonrey said:

Mirrored backsplash in the kitchen? Who on earth would want that?

Also, why do the boys have their own rooms while the girls have to share? And why did we only see one of the boy's rooms? What about the other one?

Do N&J only do makeovers for families that have had cancer? I'm not objecting it to it, I'm just saying, it seems like an ongoing theme.

The girls are closer in age and got the bigger room. If they start not getting along, the little divider between the beds could easily be extended.  I doubt they are going to sleep head to head.

[buttersister]

Quote

9 hours ago, meep.meep said:

Mirrored backsplash in the kitchen? Who on earth would want that?

 

Nate. Jeremiah. That nice lady—on camera. There’s a large framed antique mirror in my lobby. To think it would be my backsplash is just nuts. But then, marble countertops aren’t a hot idea either. I’d understand on one area, for baking, but for a large active family? Boys, I like your work, but make this make sense.

[bioprof]

Where to begin?

Mirrored backsplash….you’re out of your mind! Not just the cleaning, but it reflects everything, including all the clutter from those oh so “practical” open shelves. And let’s not forget the pure white fabric chairs and stools in the dining room and kitchen. Seating for only four at the island when there are six in the family….a dining room table that can only accommodate six people, no possibility for an extension. Forget about having company over….only the immediate family can fit.

why go to the expense of ripping out the bannister and replacing it with something almost exactly the same?

And for those questioning the budget….I’m sure the a lot of the insurance money was already spent on the structural repairs. So, where did the $135,000  get spent? Figure the kitchen was about 40 - 50,000. Flooring maybe around 20,000. They had no structural expenses other than adding the closets. I’d sure as heck ask for an accounting!

Very disappointed in this one!

[carrps]

1 hour ago, bioprof said:

Where to begin?

Mirrored backsplash….you’re out of your mind! Not just the cleaning, but it reflects everything, including all the clutter from those oh so “practical” open shelves. And let’s not forget the pure white fabric chairs and stools in the dining room and kitchen. Seating for only four at the island when there are six in the family….a dining room table that can only accommodate six people, no possibility for an extension. Forget about having company over….only the immediate family can fit.

why go to the expense of ripping out the bannister and replacing it with something almost exactly the same?

I was really surprised at the bannister and railing, too. It was maybe a slightly different stain. Darker? But I thought they'd do something interesting if they went to the trouble and expense of replacing it.

The entire design of the entryway was weird, too. Why do you need a round table when you have the credenza under the stairs? And the tchotchkes were sad and poorly arranged, as were the shelves in the dining area. In one of their previous shows, I remember them putting a lot more effort into selecting accessories and properly arranging them. They didn't even follow the rule of odd numbers, and it showed!

 

[Chit Chat]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:33 PM, mlp said:

Maybe it's my age but I am bothered that they let them sit on the counters and jump on the beds. 

You're not alone!  Feet and butts on the kitchen island?  No thanks.  It bugs me to see parents set babies on restaurant tables too.  What I think about is their little diapers with all of those lovely bacteria possibly spreading out beneath them.  Ick!  Also, I hate seeing parents let their kids jump on the seats at restaurants too.  It's very rude.  YMMV.

The owners did say they wanted to go bold, but that kitchen was just too bold for me!  The cabinet color was beautiful, but I wouldn't want a kitchen full of it.  And the mirrored walls were a big no-go for me too.  It looked like something from the 70's.  

What's so difficult about redoing a house is that whatever is in style now will probably be out of style in the foreseeable future, and kitchens are such an expense to redo that I'd rather stay on the rather plain, neutral side of things and hopefully have less expense when trying to make some changes in the future.  I don't know if those cabinets can be repainted.  Was it a lacquer finish?  I guess they could be repainted.  And I'm just not a fan of the gold accents.  I don't care how many designers use it (and it is pretty), it's just not for me.  

[luna1122again]

On 2/28/2023 at 3:59 PM, RoxiP said:

It seems to me that Jeremiah looks worse this year and Nate looks better (I think he's lost a few pounds and moved away from the grandpa sweater vests - and I've always thought Nate was adorable from when he first started appearing on Oprah).

 

I love Jeremiah's hair and always want to slide my hands into and grab it. He probably wouldn't care for that. I think he's almost preternaturally beautiful, so all these 'poor Jeremiah looks bad' posts are astonishing me. Nate is and always was cute AF. 

[Chit Chat]

This latest reno turned out nice.  Nothing too bold!  They will have a much better flow of traffic while entertaining.  I grew up with the dining room & kitchen being out of view from the front door, so although I liked the reno, I'm still not used to opening the front door and walking straight into the dining room.   I don't mind seeing the dining room off of the foyer, but I still don't want my kitchen to be in view from the front door.   YMMV.  

[iMonrey]

I agree they did a great job on this last house with the floor plan. Overall it was a little too white for me but the wife did say she wanted that. I'm not sure how practical that is when you have two young children but whatever.

I can't imagine how long it would take to save up $175K.

And hey! Nobody in this family had cancer.

Edited March 23, 2023 by iMonrey

[Chit Chat]

45 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure how practical that is when you have two young children but whatever.

At least the sofa was a darker color!  I liked that they saved that one cabinet door with the messages written on painter's tape!  I'm so glad they didn't put up all of the letters with the corks in them.  One was enough!  

 

[meep.meep]

3 hours ago, luna1122again said:

I love Jeremiah's hair and always want to slide my hands into and grab it. He probably wouldn't care for that. I think he's almost preternaturally beautiful, so all these 'poor Jeremiah looks bad' posts are astonishing me. Nate is and always was cute AF. 

And he's a 49ers fan!

I loved that cabinet door with the tape messages!  Speaks to their sense of humor.

I was surprised that a downstairs bathroom didn't come up as needing renovation or to be put in.  If I had big parties all the time, it would be right after the kitchen renovation on my list.

Edited March 23, 2023 by meep.meep
stupid autocorrect

[carrps]

4 hours ago, meep.meep said:

I was surprised that a downstairs bathroom didn't come up as needing renovation or to be put in.  If I had big parties all the time, it would be right after the kitchen renovation on my list.

However, there was a small room that looked like it was behind the staircase on the floorplan. I only noticed it, because I paused to show my sister who had been out of the room. Maybe that's a powder room?

[buttersister]

I hope so! I agree, we didn't see it, but there had to be at least a powder room on that floor. Maybe it didn't look like crap? Or they could DIY it--or did?

[Chit Chat]

42 minutes ago, buttersister said:

I agree, we didn't see it, but there had to be at least a powder room on that floor. Maybe it didn't look like crap? Or they could DIY it--or did?

They may have run out of money since they had to fix the termite issue.  I don't ask this in a judgmental way, but where I live, a termite bond on a house is a pretty standard thing - even the mortgage company needs a copy.  I wondered if they never had it treated for termites, or if they did but had bad luck and ended up with a termite infestation.  We have to have an annual inspection by the company who has our termite bond.  I'm glad that they were able to fix it though.

[meep.meep]

The little fiends just show up again, especially after 15 years.

 

[carrps]

I'm pretty sure here (California) that you can't sell a house without a termite inspection, but I could be wrong. And, yeah, they're ubiquitous and will show up again.

 

[bichonblitz]

. 

15 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

That was a whole lotta white! 

They could have painted a light shade of cream or even a light taupe on some of the walls. I know Mrs. Homeowner wanted light but they could have come up with something more interesting and still kept the home fresh and bright. Was there even a backsplash in the kitchen? I'm big on backsplashes (except mirrored ones. lol) 

 

Edited March 24, 2023 by bichonblitz

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

The little fiends just show up again, especially after 15 years.

But part of a termite bond is that the company comes out and inspects your home once a year.   Many years ago you could have your yard sprayed with some heavy-duty spray that seeped down into the ground and you didn't need the termite baits, but I don't think they do that anymore.  We have a bait system at our current home, so if termites are found in them, then they send out the guy to spray.  They've shown me what to look for on interior walls:  any bulging out/unevenness of the paint can indicate termites.  

My mom once told me that my dad sprayed DDT (illegal now) around our house in Florida back in the 60's.  They never had a termite bond.  She sold the house last year and we were happy to find out that there was no termite activity (we didn't think there was, but an inspection didn't find any.)  Dad was right.  That stuff worked!  It makes me a little nervous that I grew up playing in the yard with such a lethal pest killer in the ground, but I haven't grown a tail, so maybe I'm okay!  Of course, we also chased the truck spewing the fog to kill mosquitos.  We were naive to those things at the time. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by ChitChat
typo

[kirklandia]

1 hour ago, ChitChat said:

we also chased the truck spewing the fog to kill mosquitos.  We were naive to those things at the time. 

I knew neighborhood kids chased those mosquito-spraying trucks.  They liked to hop on their bicycles and ride back-and-forth through the fog. But my mom kept us busy running around the house to close all the doors and windows. I don't think she knew anything the rest of us didn't, but she was pretty paranoid.
Thanks, Mom!

[Grrarrggh]

2 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

That was a whole lotta white! 

They could have painted a light shade of cream or even a light taupe on some of the walls. I know Mrs. Homeowner wanted light but they could have come up with something more interesting and still kept the home fresh and bright. 

 

White isn't the only thing to make a space bright. In fact, in a lot of rooms a dark colour works better. 

[katenm]

I love Nate & Jeremiah, but I seldom love their design choices. Again they went with white chairs in the dining room with a family that loves to throw boisterous parties. 

Unless I misheard, I got the impression they, Nate and Jeremiah, don't throw parties. Nothing wrong with that, but try to understand the clean-up issues that come with that type of entertaining—just saying.

[ML89]

1 hour ago, katenm said:

I love Nate & Jeremiah, but I seldom love their design choices. Again they went with white chairs in the dining room with a family that loves to throw boisterous parties. 

Unless I misheard, I got the impression they, Nate and Jeremiah, don't throw parties. Nothing wrong with that, but try to understand the clean-up issues that come with that type of entertaining—just saying.

I was just happy they gave those folks quartz and not marble!

[Grrarrggh]

7 hours ago, katenm said:

I love Nate & Jeremiah, but I seldom love their design choices. Again they went with white chairs in the dining room with a family that loves to throw boisterous parties. 

Unless I misheard, I got the impression they, Nate and Jeremiah, don't throw parties. Nothing wrong with that, but try to understand the clean-up issues that come with that type of entertaining—just saying.

They throw parties, they just have staff to worry about everything. 

[txhorns79]

On 3/24/2023 at 3:03 PM, katenm said:

 

Unless I misheard, I got the impression they, Nate and Jeremiah, don't throw parties. Nothing wrong with that, but try to understand the clean-up issues that come with that type of entertaining—just saying.

My impression was they just don't entertain in the way this couple do.

On 3/23/2023 at 6:04 PM, ChitChat said:

I wondered if they never had it treated for termites, or if they did but had bad luck and ended up with a termite infestation.

I was thinking they were so focused on saving to update the house, that they kind of let the place go to absolute crap in the meantime. 

I liked the house, and understand it was what the couple wanted, but it also felt entirely wrong for people who like big casual social gatherings in their home.  I'm just saying, there was too much white space for people who seem to enjoy their red wine.

[Chit Chat]

I thought that the reno for tonight's episode turned out well.  I liked the color of the kitchen cabinets.  It looked like a bluish gray.  Or was it a lighter blue?    I liked that better than the bolder colors they have used.  

The family was lucky that they caught the foundation issues.  Yikes!  That could've been bad.  That really should've been caught by an inspector after the previous work was done.  Usually, a contractor pulls the permits and then has to have his/her work inspected.  Maybe that wasn't the case though.   Other than that, the house looked great for its age!  I love homes like that. 

Again with the cloth dining room seats!  They're pretty but will be difficult to keep clean.  I'm so glad the husband decided not to keep the deer heads!  No offense to anybody who has such trophies on their walls, but I don't think those would've looked good with the remodel.  He needs a den or a man cave to display them in.  

I hope the glass they uncovered on that door was thick.  If it was original, it might be very thin.  I say this because we lived in a house built in the 1960's and it had an original backdoor where the top half was glass, and the rest was wood.  One day I reached up to close it and pushed the glass rather than the wood frame.  My hand & arm went right through it.  A trip to the ER was in order after that!!  The glass company came out the next day and said that the older doors like that usually have glass about 1/8 inch thickness.  Those are not allowed anymore.  Can you imagine the accidents that happened if someone fell into those old windows?  So now whenever I see a home reno and I see doors with glass in them that pre-date the 60's, I cringe!!   

[buttersister]

When the family needed to come up with an additional $20k, I wondered if N&J could’ve put porcelain marble-looking countertops in and knocked $Ks off the bill. But the couple have a few years to put it back in the girls’ college fund, so, ok. But the national average cost for marble countertops is $3k (thanks, Bob Vila) and tonight's was $10k and 🤨

Meanwhile, grateful the animal heads are gone—or at least elsewhere. Kudos to the couple for not showing disagreements on camera. And I think the girls have many reasons to invite pals over now.

 

[Chit Chat]

9 hours ago, buttersister said:

When the family needed to come up with an additional $20k, I wondered if N&J could’ve put porcelain marble-looking countertops in and knocked $Ks off the bill.

I wonder if one shouldn't tell your decorator/reno contractor the top dollar that you're willing to spend.  Let's say they said $150,000 and then see what N&J would come up with.  This couple started out with $185,000, which I thought was a lot for what they got (foundation issues aside.)  If you tell them you've got X amount to spend, then they're going to spend it!!  Again, aside from the foundation problem (which is very expensive to fix), the rest of it didn't look like it should cost what they charged.  Of course, there would be a lot of labor charges involved with removing walls and putting down new flooring.  I'd like to see a line item bill of their expenses.  

[RoxiP]

I'm just shocked they put the bathroom door facing the kitchen...why couldn't it face one of the other rooms (I think there was a wall that faced the dining room).  Just not my choice for sure.  Glad they got a 1st floor bathroom (and a second full bathroom) but who is going to do the run of shame down the stairs to take the shower?

[iMonrey]

I was shocked they didn't do anything to the fireplace except add a mantle. I have never seen N&J leave an old-fashioned brick fireplace like that. Usually they would either tear it out and replace it with something more modern or at least paint it. They didn't even clean up the black smoke/heat stain over the opening (although I'm not sure how well you can do that after years of buildup.)

There was a window A/C unit in the front room which they removed, and they never addressed the A/C issue at all, as far as I recall. Clearly the house did not have central A/C, and with an open floor plan that's going to be even more of an issue.

I'm sure the family is grateful to have an additional bathroom but a pocket door? I know the room is small but it's right off the kitchen. Nobody is going to want to use it if people are in the kitchen. Sound carries. 😐

[carrps]

15 hours ago, ChitChat said:

Can you imagine the accidents that happened if someone fell into those old windows?  So now whenever I see a home reno and I see doors with glass in them that pre-date the 60's, I cringe!!   

I had a friend in high school who walked through a glass slider a few years earlier (so, the accident would have been in the mid-1960s). She still had a lot of scarring and skin discoloration from her injuries. Really scary.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, RoxiP said:

I'm just shocked they put the bathroom door facing the kitchen..

I noticed that too.  I'm not a fan of being able to look into a bathroom from the living room, kitchen, or any main area like that.  I'm just used to certain things being separated in a house, but they were determined to squeeze in that bathroom, esthetics be damned!  lol.  

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

There was a window A/C unit in the front room which they removed, and they never addressed the A/C issue at all, as far as I recall.

I noticed that they had a mini-split unit, which was moved into the dining room.  The vents will turn slightly, so hopefully it will heat/cool the living & dining areas just fine. 

6 minutes ago, carrps said:

I had a friend in high school who walked through a glass slider a few years earlier (so, the accident would have been in the mid-1960s).

Before my little accident, I had no idea that the glass on those older doors & windows was so thin.  The glass repair guy said that those were outlawed due to accidents.  All I did was reach up to push the door closed, but accidentally pushed on the glass (not all that hard either), and next thing I see is my arm sticking through it.  I didn't panic though and very carefully pulled my arm back out without slicing it again!  I'm sorry that your friend sustained such bad injuries.  I have a few scars on my wrist that look like I tried to do myself in.  ;) 

[katenm]

Again with the marble! Other than that, this was my favorite design this season. It felt geared toward the homeowners' actual lives.

Ordinarily, I hate a bathroom off the kitchen, but it gave them a second bathroom which the house needed so good on Nate and Jeremiah for squeezing it in. 

I love this style of house, especially the two front door entryway. It's great in the winter, helps keep some of the wintry bluster at bay. 

[Chit Chat]

21 minutes ago, katenm said:

I love this style of house, especially the two front door entryway. It's great in the winter, helps keep some of the wintry bluster at bay. 

That's why I love a foyer.  It helps so much in the wintertime.

21 minutes ago, katenm said:

Ordinarily, I hate a bathroom off the kitchen, but it gave them a second bathroom which the house needed so good on Nate and Jeremiah for squeezing it in. 

I'm sure the owners are appreciative of it, but it does seem like an awkward space to do your business in!  I wouldn't want to be in there while people are mingling around in the kitchen.   

[carrps]

2 hours ago, ChitChat said:

I'm sorry that your friend sustained such bad injuries. 

Yeah, other than the scars, she had completely recovered and had a really great attitude. I think I'd have been sensitive about it for the rest of my life!

[txhorns79]

23 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I was shocked they didn't do anything to the fireplace except add a mantle. I have never seen N&J leave an old-fashioned brick fireplace like that. Usually they would either tear it out and replace it with something more modern or at least paint it. They didn't even clean up the black smoke/heat stain over the opening (although I'm not sure how well you can do that after years of buildup.)

This surprised me too.  It didn't look awful, but it did feel wrong in the sea of new things.  I wish they had explained their thinking as it really stood out.  

[RoxiP]

I just felt like the mantel was a little small in comparison to the fireplace...in my totally unprofessional opinion it needed to either have more bulk or to have been upgraded to a mantel that matched closer with the new marble surround.

[carrps]

I was sad they got rid of that nice display cabinet (quartersawn oak!) and kept those cheesy cheap lanterns the wife collected. None of them were at all interesting or even had the cool factor of being old. I wasn't a big fan of their console table, either, but it was perfect in the vestibule. Smart!

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, carrps said:

I was sad they got rid of that nice display cabinet (quartersawn oak!) and kept those cheesy cheap lanterns the wife collected.

I don't think that N&J liked it and kind of nudged them away from it.  I have a smaller version of that cabinet that I found in an antique store.  I love the old, curved curio cabinets.  I know it's a little old fashioned, but it houses all of my little collectibles quite nicely.  I'm sure it would get the side-eye from most decorators.  ;)  

1 hour ago, carrps said:

I wasn't a big fan of their console table, either, but it was perfect in the vestibule.

Like you, I wasn't crazy about it, but it ended up looking good in the vestibule.  It also helped not to have so many lanterns on it.  The plants helped too.  

[carrps]

16 minutes ago, ChitChat said:

I don't think that N&J liked it and kind of nudged them away from it.  I have a smaller version of that cabinet that I found in an antique store.  I love the old, curved curio cabinets.  I know it's a little old fashioned, but it houses all of my little collectibles quite nicely.  I'm sure it would get the side-eye from most decorators.  ;)  

Like you, I wasn't crazy about it, but it ended up looking good in the vestibule.  It also helped not to have so many lanterns on it.  The plants helped too.  

Yeah, I was thinking the antique cabinet could have been cool in a bedroom or closet to store hats or purses.

And the console did look 100% better without the lanterns.