Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

If marriage is the equivalent of selling yourself into slavery, women with self respect should reject the offer.

The willow is too close to the house.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

đŸŽ¶ Those boots were made for mockin’ đŸŽ”

Never forget that he train is barreling down on Trump, even as he dances on the tracks.

Russia bombs Ukraine’s maternity hospitals; Republicans in the House can’t sort out supporting Ukraine.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

The lights are all blinking red.

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Reality always lies in wait for 
 Democrats.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Dining Room Is Finished

Dining Room Is Finished

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ABC hung new curtains, redid the seats on the chairs, and made the place pretty- if you look, you will notice we repainted the room darker. The curtains need to be steamed, but I will get that done some day. I am, however, responsible for the A-MAZING photos, so she doesn’t get all the credit.

Check out the paws on tubby:

Being shaved, his paws look twice as big.

Now I need some seating and end tables in the living room, some surround sound for the tv, and the house will be done. I’m so broke I should hold off on the surround sound, but I hate watching tv with just the sound from the television (#FIRSTWORLDPROBLEMS). I also hate the sound of SONOS (and the price), but I think maybe the Bose soundtouch might be an option (though that is super expensive, too).

Reader Interactions

84Comments

  1. 1.

    japa21

    Damn, Cole. Looking very fine. ABC knows what she is doing, at least in terms of decorating.

  3. 3.

    Garbo

    Have we told you enough how enjoyable this vicarious house remodel has been? Or how pleased we all are for you. Cuz, yep.

  4. 4.

    BlueDWarrior

    There should be some relatively inexpensive ‘sound bar’ options (where it’s 2/4 speakers + subwoofer), but I don’t know if the sound quality would be up to your standard.

  9. 9.

    patroclus

    Ossoff at 61% – 4% of precincts in. (That cat sure is fat, but, uh, she looks so skinny without the fur).

  12. 12.

    Olivia

    The house looks absolutely beautiful and so is the cat and you are truly an amazing photographer!

  15. 15.

    geg6

    That would be the dining room, John. But it really is lovely. Love the sideboard. Perfect for the house. ABC has really upped your style quotient. She’s a keeper.

  19. 19.

    Yarrow

    @JPL: Well, I know his house isn’t a studio apartment or a loft with a completely open floor plan. Must be a WV thing.

  22. 22.

    Larryb

    Jon, You don’t need surround sound. Just route your tv sound through your existing stereo (you do have a stereo, right?).

  24. 24.

    frosty

    It’s gorgeous, John. I can’t believe you redid the house so fast. And good decisions on all the rooms, including the woodwork and paint. Kudos!

  26. 26.

    Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn

    Lookin’ good! But that overstuffed chair screams, “confirmed bachelor!”, no?

  27. 27.

    Quinerly

    Bose Sound Touch is excellent. Actually cheaper and better than Sonos. Easy set up. Have had Bose products since 1979. You can’t go wrong. Can catch some deals on Amazon from time to time.

  28. 28.

    lurker dean

    nice dining room, definitely doesn’t look like a bachelor pad, lol. i agree about surround sound. before i got it i was worried it would be too loud for the neighbors, but the reality is it can be played at a lower level because it’s a higher quality sound coming from multiple sources.

  32. 32.

    Raoul

    @patroclus: I am slightly nauseous with anticipation re: GA-06.

    John, your dining room is lookin’ really amazing! Well done, and nice to see ABC’s genteel touches.

  33. 33.

    amygdala

    Amazing. Thank you for letting us in on the process, and congrats on a job excellently done. I like the curtains a little wrinkly… it’s got that shabby chic thing going.

    Oh, and some cat! *sneezes*

  35. 35.

    lahke

    What is in/on the windows? Are those blinds? Paint? Reflections?

    Is the living room the same color, or does it just have different lighting?
    We only ask because we care.

  38. 38.

    SgrAstar

    THe house looks beautiful! Congratulations to all. Not an expert at all, but I do like my little Bose player. YMMV. Steve is just beyond cute…he’s reached a whole new level of cuddle-ability.

  39. 39.

    dmsilev

    Bose is way overpriced for what you get. Get a set of bookshelf speakers from, for example, Polk Audio and pair it with a subwoofer. Drive with a 5.1 or 7.1 receiver that doesn’t need too many bells and whistles, and you’re done.

  40. 40.

    lurker dean

    @raven: yikes, i could see how that could happen. i think it was hurt locker i was watching where the bass and surround was a bit unnerving…

  41. 41.

    Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn

    Also, speaking of comfy furniture that insists upon itself, did anyone catch that short “Ode to Sectional Couches” SNL film with Louis CK from a few weeks back, also? It is a priceless thing to behold. (And I speak as one toying with the idea of starting a La-Z-Boy fund for my pamperfied middlin’-age bones.)

  44. 44.

    Yarrow

    I love getting to see Thurston as well. He’s looking for someone. Is he still missing ABC’s kids?

    The house really does look gorgeous. You’ve done an amazing job.

  45. 45.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @patroclus:

    Ha! I was just coming here to report those numbers!!

    Spent the entire day poll-watching at four different locations, one of which I went to twice. And then towards the end of the afternoon someone from the GA Dem boiler room called and asked me if I would go to a voting location that had problems this morning and opened late (thus, were under court order to stay open late) and would I report back on any remaining issues. Which I did, of course, but man am I exhausted.

    Sure hope Ossoff can pull out the 50%+1 today, if for no other reason than that I don’t want to go through another super-long day of poll-watching in two months for a runoff election (because electoral outcomes are, naturally, all about me and how tired I am). Seriously, there’s an incredible amount of interest in this race — one location where I spent several hours had both network and local TV, an AP photographer, and probably others I didn’t catch.

    The fact that Trump is tweeting so insanely about this race tells me he is VERRRRY worried

  50. 50.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    Nice reno & great decor there, Cole. How does Steve like his summer shave? How’s Thurston coping with the absence of his new buds?

    When can we see some new pictures of the pink room? ::ducks and runs::

  51. 51.

    SiubhanDuinne

    John, I love everything about that room. The wall colour is terrific, and I agree with Schrodinger’s Cat, the rug is perfect in that space.

    Also, Steve.

  52. 52.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    @Jim:

    I know, something kind of unnerving about it.

    I don’t come here to read about placid domestic bliss and stable careers.

    Wait, I think I just name checked two of The Three Tenors.

  56. 56.

    schrodingers_cat

    Is Steve a jumper? I am having nightmares that he somehow gets to the top of the corner cabinet and sends all those beautiful vases flying down. Bosscat was quite a jumper when he was younger.

    ETA: Bosskitteh could have easily jumped from the drop leaf table to the top of the corner cabinet. He could still do it, but has become somewhat of a lazy ass in his middle age.

  57. 57.

    Shana

    @lahke: Perhaps they’re the blinds that can be lowered from the top or raised from the bottom. We have one of those in our master bathroom and routinely have it halfway up from the bottom.

  59. 59.

    phein55

    @raven: I’ve owned 301’s, 501’s, and 901’s, and the more you pay, the muddier the sound. Pushing too much air. Even the Soundwave radio my wife received as a present when she was hooded a few year’s back sounds like it’s in the next room.

  61. 61.

    Vhh

    Remember the song from My Fair Lady:
    “She’ll redecorate your home,
    From the cellar to the dome,
    Then go onto the enthralling
    Task of overhauling You.”
    Without women, men are bears with furniture.

  66. 66.

    Peter Moore

    I’d look at Vizio. If I didn’t have an amp already, I’d get their 2.1 for ~$170: its enough to liven up the source. Or if you want rear surround, you can look at their 5.1 with wireless sub-woofer for $280 (saves you from running cables to the rear speakers). Wirecutter has a nice summary. Or if you want 5.1 but don’t mind wires, Monoprice has a reasonable 5.1 system for ~$180.

  68. 68.

    Ruckus

    @raven:
    Roommate has a Vizio bar, we had to take back the first one it was crap. It’s not their high end but it’s not horrible. Friend has a Bose system in his place and it does sound OK. Me I’m old school, got JBL studio monitors, weigh about 50 lbs each and a real nice amp. It sounds grand all the way to 11. I believe it can break windows.

  69. 69.

    Elie

    Beautiful, John! Doesn’t it feel great!? I love the colors and designs which are rich but relaxing. My hidden vice is dĂ©cor…I love designing environments — beautiful colors and textures. You had the wonderful experience of building it from almost nothing so its immensely satisfying. Enjoy!

    And Steve’s big feet are a hoot. Also.

  73. 73.

    mai naem mobile

    Gawd,JC,your house looks awesome. ABC has good taste. Are the drapes pin pleated or regular drapes? They look like pin pleated by the rod doesn’t look like a pin pleat rod whatever it’s called. I am really impressed. Oh,on the Boss stuff, I don’t know shit about sound bars but Bose the founder of Bode died not that long ago and donated a ton of his money in his will. IIRC he was an MIT guy. Maybe Tom Levenson knew him or of him.

  74. 74.

    debit

    @dmsilev: That’s my set up. Sony bookshelf speakers and center in front, with Polk subwoofer and rear speakers all routed through my receiver. Very satisfying.

    I do like Bose. I have the new Soundlink Resolve paired up with an Echo dot in the living room; nice room filling sound from a speaker slightly larger than a beer can.

    John, the house is looking great. I love that rug.

  76. 76.

    opiejeanne

    @mai naem mobile: Do you mean pinch pleat drapes? I’d say they are because the pinches are pretty even. I have them in my bedroom on a similar rod. The pins have a big hook that fits over the top of the rod and you slide them by hand rather than with a cord or a wand.

  78. 78.

    seaboogie

    @raven: My friend and former boo who turned me on to BJ is an audiophile, and I do remember his admonition that friends don’t let friends buy Bose. I’ll ask him to chime in.

  79. 79.

    mai naem mobile

    @opiejeanne: duh,you’re right pinch pleated not pin pleated. I have the ones with the cord where you have the pin/hook on the curtain that hooks onto the plastic piece on the rod. I think it’s called a traverse rod. IMHO I think the drapes end up staying cleaner when you’re using the cord rather than your hands to open the drapes.

  80. 80.

    Steeplejack

    @John Cole:

    Hooking up the TV to your stereo is probably the optimal solution, but you may want something less involved, more practical (e.g., TV and stereo not close to each other) or quicker.

    I got a good deal on a refurbished Vizio sound base a couple of months ago. I’m very satisfied with it, although my needs are simple (small apartment). It goes under the TV’s base, so it takes up minimal space. You could look at related units higher up the food chain. Might be a good transitional solution until you find something perfect down the road.

  81. 81.

    NotMax

    Perfectly satisfied with the significantly less expensive iLive sound bar (which includes built-in FM reception, modest yet robust subwoofer and Bluetooth).

    Be aware (to avoid a second trek to the store) that most soundbars connect via an optical cable, which more often than not is NOT included in the box.

    Specs on the one used at the abode.

  83. 83.

    ArchPundit

    Late to this, but I think part of Cole’s preferences were confused

    Now I need some seating and end tables in the living room, some surround sound for the tv, and the house will be done. I’m so broke I should hold off on the surround sound, but I hate watching tv with just the sound from the television (#FIRSTWORLDPROBLEMS). I also hate the sound of SONOS (and the price), but I think maybe the Bose soundtouch might be an option (though that is super expensive, too)

    So it sounds like he wants a surround sound system and a networked speaker system?

    My other guess is that something about Sonos’ acoustics bothers him. I agree wholeheartedly that Bose is a bad option no matter what as it is overpriced and sounds like crap. You can do better at a lower cost. That said, is it that Sonos does high end too much for his ears? Often times Bose are attractive to those where high end noise bothers them for whatever reason. The Bose do slightly better for those folks because it avoids the shrillness they may be hearing. The solution then is to try something else cheaper than Bose, but without the price. Make sense? I’d try something like what this proposes

    http://www.androidcentral.com/using-google-chromecast-audio-whole-house-audio-alternative-sonos

    The other option would be to do some inexpensive bluetooth speakers

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016PATXSI/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=362TC7HAD8QKN&coliid=I2NJC64V403HNS

    Is one I like. Edifer offers them for more or less depending on what you want.

  84. 84.

    Cogitari Safari

    BOSE – The one speaker you will never find in a professional music studio. Their “direct/reflecting” approach is flawed. Even their top of the line 901s will sound like crap if the overall room acoustics are bad. A traditional speaker is less susceptible to less-than-optimum acoustics. The vast majority of pro studios I’ve been in (back when) used JBLs. I have JBLs and ADS. Others have suggested Cerwin Vega and they’re not bad. I’ve heard some excellent Polk speakers as well. If you’re moving into a dorm and your parents give you a pair of 201s, fine. Otherwise, avoid Bose.

    I’d suggest you go to an actual sound room in a Best Buy or such. While their acoustics won’t match your home, it will allow you to do a comparative analysis between different speakers and brands. All the stats, dollars, and reviews don’t count for nearly as much as your own ears, and everyone’s ears are different. Take a range of your own music with you and a movie or two for the comparisons too. Best to compare with source material familiar to you.

    Also, what amp/receiver are you using? The idea of a “soundbar” sounds like a half-step that you’ll toss when you get around to buying real speakers, but if space is tight it may be a reasonable solution. You could get a good pair of speakers now, then as money allows, add a subwoofer, then the surrounds. I’ve done this myself and it’s like getting a whole new sound system after each addition – good, better, great.

    Good luck and have fun!

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