Zen Lounge Blue

I truly believe folks are craving a calm/peaceful environment to “escape” at home more than ever these days. Welcome to the “Zen Lounge Blue”- a soothing, safe, and comfortable family space adjacent to our kitchen. This room has transformed many times over the years, but I think we finally nailed it. I hope you enjoy the journey through it’s many transformations, and get inspired to set up your very own “Zen Lounge”.

What is a “Zen Lounge”?

Let me explain 😊. A couple years ago we were visiting my sister in NY and she had recently gone through some big changes in her life. While we were sitting in her living room just chillin’, we began to discuss how we could help her “fix up” the space to cheer her spirits.

After a few minutes, I began to move furniture around (something that cheers me up 😆), and my sister seemed to really enjoy the ideas I was presenting to her. By the end of the night, we had transformed her entire living room (with things she already had) and she was so happy. I remember trying to be funny, and saying we could call the room her “Zen Lounge”. It was a soothing, safe, and comfortable space and the word ZEN just seemed spot on.

Now, on to our “Zen Lounge”…a place where you can definitely CHILL. By chill, I don’t mean get cold 🥶, I mean get comfortable.

The History of Our Zen Lounge

Our Zen Lounge didn’t come about as easily, but I sure am happy we eventually got there. When we moved in 11 years ago we made this room that is directly on the other side of our kitchen, the dining room which was rarely used. Our beloved dog, Dude, actually got the most out of it ❤️ when he was with us. It was his “safe zone” as a very anxious dog. Poor guy, we should have learned from him then.

I finally got wise and transformed the dining room into my personal office space. It was great for my blog work, but eventually I ended up right back where I was use to writing-at the kitchen table (where I am right now). The office was once again, never used and was lonely as can be. Aww…Dude love it.

Boom, lightening struck again, and I finally realized that this room would be best utilized as a family room (and basically still is just with a cute name now).

I ended up having a little fun with the decorating and wanted the kids to really enjoy it. I added a fun rug, a cool mirror, and big screen television. Before this, I had actually made our kitchen a “Coffee Lounge”. If you’re a subscriber you may remember. If not, check it out here: DIY Coffee Lounge.

A Closer Look at the Zen Lounge Blue

Speaking of a coffee lounge ☕️ …I knew the beautiful area by the big windows with that view of the water could be a sweet spot for my husband and I to enjoy our breakfast with the many wildlife friends we have. After all, we are both working from home over the winter so this would be an ideal place to pretend we were “out”. No masks required.

This is the same view we have from our deck in the warm months, so it really makes us feel like we are outdoors. I ordered the chairs, and the table (see sources below) and had the blue & green marble resin table top custom made to glue on top for a unique look. This table gets used by the kiddos, too. Hey, it even makes a great backdrop for my food photos because the lighting is so fantastic.

My husband calls this nook, “Cita’s Cafe” 😆😆😆. My nick name is “Cita”.

What is that Gorgeous Dark Paint Color?

Are you looking for a fabulous dark blue/grey paint color for the interior or exterior of your home? You came to the right place.

Although you would think painting these 2 walls this dark shade of blue/grey would make the room appear darker, it actually does the opposite. By painting the main wall behind the sofa, and the wall that would be to my back when I enter the room-a dark color, the light stemming from the windows makes everything POP against the dark hue. Just look at how the dark brown leather sofa stands out now. Isn’t that cool? The blue in the chair, and the rug shine more, too (by the way this rug is my favorite rug in the house because it’s so plush-source below). There’s also the way the beautiful wood tones show up 🤭 (read below for more on our new sliding barn door).

It was quickly apparent that painting the 2 walls dark really added to the soothing vibe of this room. It screamed (or whispered), “Calm down Julie, sit and relax for a while.” It also gave the room a more modern, rustic feel. I feel 10 years younger in here 😆.

If you’re interested in this dark blue/grey paint color, it’s actually the same color we used on the exterior of our home last fall (although our painter obviously had them do an interior formula). I give all of the information on this custom color that we developed, and I can mail you a fresh paint sample (there is no formal name). Click here for more information: Best House Paint Colors.

Wood Sliding Double Barn Door

Now, on to the other star of the “Zen Lounge Blue”…our new wood sliding double barn door. I’ve always wanted a sliding door in the house and this one is a dream come true. Now, although we did not build this door DIY style, we did help design it (virtually) with a local crafter because it is a very large awkward door frame. My husband also installed it onto the wall with the hardware that we also purchased from the very talented local crafter.

The four of us are home 24/7 right now. Well, if you include the cats, that makes 7 of us. Our grown kiddos are doing college on line, I obviously work on line and in the home, and my husband is also working from home during the pandemic.

With this being said, we have had to figure out ways to not get on each other’s nerves (if you know what I mean 😉). So, one afternoon I searched and searched old doors on Facebook Marketplace. I was hoping my husband and I could possibly hang one to cover this doorway to help with several things such as privacy, noise, and even the cold air that accumulates in this room in the winter due to all of the windows.

Well, it was definitely my lucky day, because I came across a local crafter who custom makes wood sliding barn doors, and the price was extremely reasonable (plus I couldn’t find a door big enough for this very large opening without paying a fortune). So remember, Facebook Marketplace is a great source for local small businesses that can help with your home improvement needs.

I decided on a double door that opens in the middle because I didn’t want a huge door to cover the entire wall in that room when it was open. This way, the door only slides over 1/2 way on each side. I also decided on glass windows because I wanted to have some fun (making funny faces to my kids) possibly with faux stained glass. For now, I like that they are clear, and I can wave to my peeps 😊. I chose the stain color, the hardware, and the wood pattern. It turned out so pretty, and is a nice addition to our stained wood filled kitchen (stay tuned for my Christmas tour coming up on December 2nd that shows how I used these doors to enhance Christmas decorating.

All 7 of us enjoy the “Zen Lounge Blue” tremendously. We play soft music at night, light the candles, and everyone get’s their “work” done if necessary, or we just chill here. The best part for me is having breakfast with my husband every morning, or chatting with our kiddos about their school work or just life in general.

I hope you enjoyed the “Zen Lounge Blue” tour….please check out my source list below for more detailed information.

*** Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.  Read full disclosure policy here.

CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

BLUE/GREY PAINT COLOR INFORMATION

BLUE AREA RUG

LIGHT FIXTURE

WOOD SLIDING DOUBLE BARN DOOR -LOCAL CRAFTER HERE IN MICHIGAN

STUMP TABLE

LEATHER SOFA-(10 yrs. old local store has closed)

WINDOWPANE MIRROR

ALOE PLANT (buy a small one and let it grow in indirect light)

INDUSTRIAL COFFEE TABLE

BLUE CURTAIN PANELS

BLUE PILLOWS

BLUE & GOLD MARBLEIZED PILLOWS -ETSY

GREY FLUFFY BLANKET

BLACK CANDLE

COFFEE CUPS (IN STAND)

FIG LEAF PLANT- WAYFAIR

LAMPS-HOMEGOODS (3 years ago)

RESIN TABLETOP: ETSY (we glued this to top of table below with THIS GLUE)

EIFFEL TABLE FOR 2

SIMILAR MODERN DINING CHAIRS

Gypsy Ruffled Curtains

DIY Coffee Lounge