My Childhood Home, Furnished by Craigslist: The Family Room

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The family room is where the music happens. It's where marathon hours of video games are played. It's really more my husband's room. I mainly use it to watch Jeopardy because it's easier to get ABC reception in that room. Sometimes I play Jeopardy on Playstation, too.

This room has had the most transformations in the 7 months we've lived here. First, it was the video game and Netflix room, back when we had the most massive beast of an old-school TV you've ever seen.

When my brother moved in, we sold most of the furniture in the room, gave away The Beast and moved in my office furniture. About a month later, our other roommate moved out, and I got my office back.

Without The Beast taking up a quarter of the room, furnishing the family room was pretty simple.



We started with the $20 over-sized love seat from Craigslist. It's in great condition and is super deep, comfy and perfect for napping.

We picked up the like-new 32" TV/DVD player combo off Craigslist for $80. Having the flat screen allowed us to turn this $10 Ikea bookshelf (CL) into an entertainment center. We simply removed the panels on the sides (leaving panels in middle for support) so the game consoles could breathe.



Behind the TV, our cat perches in his tower -- another Craigslist freebie. I paid $30 via CL for the exercise bike, which I actually did use at the old house.

I also paid $30 total for the three 84" long thermal curtain panels from Kohl's. (Normally $29.99 a panel; On sale 50% off + $10 off Kohl's coupon + 20% off for opening credit card.)

We already had the black stand that's next to the couch. It was free, of course. We just spray painted it. It works well to hold Aaron's music notebooks and baskets of stuff. The rug is a Craigslist purchase from the old house.



In the corner of the room next to the kitchen sits my china cabinet, which was a very generous housewarming present I picked out on Craigslist.




With the guitar wall hooks, I finally fulfilled my long held dream that someday I would be free to move about and vacuum without occupied guitar stands in my way at every turn. I paid about $12 on Amazon for all of them.

The little round table on the floor was actually my Gramma's drum in her old-lady kitchen band, The Henson Hunnies. Gramma knew how to keep a beat.

The vintage Go-Go's poster (eBay) and frame (Aaron Brothers) were belated Christmas presents to myself, using the spending cash that came with my Christmas Go-Go's tickets.



All said, we spent about $200 on a sofa, three thermal curtain panels, curtain rod, entertainment center, flat screen TV, guitar wall hooks, vintage rock poster and new frame.


(Not pictured, we also have a food pantry at the very edge of the room and the large snake cage against the kitchen counter bar space. Aesthetically, they are not the best, but they are functional and were free.)

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Family Room Upgrade
My Childhood Home, Furnished by Craigslist: The Living Room

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