Steve emailed us a good question: I've been looking for a long time for a decorative piece to hang in the large open space above my TV/media center (shown above). I'd like something rustic or natural to contrast the sleek tv and speakers and have recently been looking for a nice large piece of driftwood.
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Only problem is I can't seem to find a source for decorative driftwood. I've found a place online (Nettleton Hollow) that has an amazing selection of natural branches/wood, but shipping is expensive and I really would like to pick the piece of wood out myself. Do you know of someplace in the Chicagoland area that carries unique pieces of driftwood? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
We made a call to a local expert, Jeff at Fresh or Faux on Armitage, hoping that he carried driftwood in his shop. He does not, but had the brilliant suggestion of trying an aquarium supply shop. They often sell driftwood, and most likely the costs would be lower than a place that specifically sells it for decor purposes. We called the Old Town Aquarium on Wells, and they said that they do sell driftwood, although the sizes available can vary.
Any other resources or suggestions for Steve? Please let us know in the comments below...
(Thanks, Jeff!)
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I love your model boats... are they cris craft?
...couldn't you just get some from the beach? I feel like you're asking for a source for sand. I'm sure the city beaches are groomed but do you ever take trips north, or have friends that live near the water?
very beautiful credenza you have there. really beautiful. dare i ask where it's from?
I guess I'm a bit confused. You want to hang something above the t.v.? That would be a too much in my opinion. You are asking a lot of that wall.
Compositionally speaking, it's not bad as far as media walls go, but you are right in your assessment of it being a bit harsh. The boats are very cool and I love the credenza they are sitting on. I would suggest you relocate one of the boats (they might make more of an impact alone anyway), find this elusive driftwood and along with another object and place it all on the credenza. It will keep it more to a livable scale.
Dahlia, not all beaches have driftwood, and furthermore, Steve lives in Chicago.
i agree with dusty. in fact i'd try to find a different location for the boats to feature them more....
I think you should mount your boats above the TV, maybe on those invisible bookshelves that are everywhere.
Steve, perhaps some rough-cut board ends/sides leftover from the furniture-making process? I'm thinking of the guys who make the gorgeous hand-crafted stuff from large slabs. Seems like they might have some trimmings you could piece together? This may be too complicated, but if you're interested I may be able to scout some out for you.
Love the boats, btw. I'd keep them low so you can see the insides.
The credenza looks similar to Room & Board's linear media cabinet.
Try www.aquariumdriftwood.com. I have several friends who order from them regularly for their fishtanks, and they have always been pleased with the shapes and quality of the wood.
Drive 5-6 hours north in Michigan and walk the beach. Quick, before all the tourists take it all!
Thanks for all the comments/suggestions!
I'm actually having some built-ins constructed on an adjacent wall which will house the boats perminently... I agree its a bit much having both of them under the tv (in additon to whatever i end up mounting above the tv).
The media cabinet is a custom linear series from room and board... I didn't like the large handles that came on the Linear cabinet standard, so I ordered it without handles and put in a spare part order for the handles off one of their other lines, and attached those. worked out well, i think.
I'll let yall know how the driftwood search comes along...
I've found driftwood in Northern Wisconsin before. It was mid-afternoon, so the pieces were small...maybe the larger ones are more common in the morning before people scavenge them? I'm not sure...
Drive just one hour north to Waukegan. Park near the pier. Walk just north of the pier along the train tracks and you'll discover several sandbars brimming with driftwood from a uniquely local source.
I just Do Not get the TV Altar thing.
Steve,
Most Pier 1 Import stores have lots of driftwood - the big chunks are $15 each. Dark brown, satin finish.
They're real, not resin :-)
I would paint the wall a warmer color. The TV jumps out at you with the white wall behind it. I don't think I would put anything above the TV, too busy. Love the media cabinet!
Although I think you don't need anything above your TV, consider the jumbo paint brush on sale now at Pottery Barn Kids. It is six feet long and really good quality--real wood, metal, and giant bristles. I hung mine in that weird space above sliding glass doors (in an organic modern living room, not in a kids' room), and I love it!
Steve,
This isn't driftwood, but it would definitely look amazing with your boats and credenza.
http://www.marotte.fr/french/index.asp?indexid=433
Pick up some mdf or an inexpensive piece of pine and start carving! Pine would be considerably softer and easier to work with. Buy a rectangular board, do some gouging, carving or scraping, sand it smooth, then stain and urethane.
Think I'll try this myself too.
Suzy
I live in Michigan and get large nice pieces of driftwood everytime I go to lake Michigan. Some are up to 4 or 5 ft long and quite sculptural. Just go to the lakeshore after a storm has blown through- there will be a ton of crud washed up.
i really like your credenza..who is it by?
the picture is from my phone... so the wall color doesn't come out, its a medium grey, "stonington grey" I beleive its called.
Phauxtoe- the TV isn't quite as alter-like as it appears, as that wall is quite long and shared with the dining area... so its not quite the center of attention in the room. On the other hand, I take no shame in having a large and prominent media system... I'm a movie buff, and a tech nut, and my job is centered around created content for TV... so it reflects me.
I'll post some pictures when I can.
I like the setup a lot, I probably wouldn't add anything else to that wall though, as others have said, if I were in the same situation.
I'm a media geek myself, so I definitely appreciate the clean, subdued install.
I definitely want to see more pictures.