When I Need Expert Advice, I Consult Mah Peeps on Teh Internetz
I have a very serious medical condition. It’s called Icantdecorateforsh*t-itis. Please don’t worry, I know you want to help me and luckily FOR YOU, I think you can.
One of the symptoms of Icantdecorateforsh*t-itis is the inability to decorate a large patio door with anything besides UGLY VERTICAL BLINDS. Help! This will eventually will be a door that we will go in and out of frequently, although right now we don’t actually have a yard. In the mornings we need something that blocks the sun’s blinding fury.
I think my dilemma is obvious. Those blinds SCREAM 1990.
Yet another symptom of this very serious disease, is the utter and complete feeling of being overwhelmed when trying to figure out how to decorate this wall…
Please note the monstrosity that is our television, currently fulfilling the role of “focal point.” I’d like to hang some pictures along the wall next to the TV, but I’m afraid it will look terrible. Also, I wonder if I need some sort of table thing to “anchor” the pictures. How would something like this look? Table? No table?
You can help! For just one comment, you can cure me of Icantdecorateforsh*t-itis.
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I had the pleasure of meeting several great bloggers at the Indianapolis area blogger meet-up this past weekend. I would have written about it yesterday, but my thumb and elbow were too sore from bowling. Have I mentioned how much I love Indiana? Well, I DO.
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One last thing, you can check out my new celebrity buzz column over at Blissfully Domestic (among many other far better columns) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday!
Wow, that is one serious wall. My in-laws have walls like that and put a mass of bookshelves and handmade quilts (to cut down on noise, echoing, etc.) up.
I’m hopeless as well.
Mama DB’s last blog post..Nature walk: Temescal Canyon
holy moly that’s a BIG wall. You definitely need a big picture or a couple of pictures to cut it down. A table would be nice there or a cubby/bookcase thingy so you could store toys/books/riff raff from the children.
Good luck. My husband is my decorator I just follow his lead.
Kara’s last blog post..How would that work?
Wow, that is a big wall. You know what it needs? A BIGGER TV, of course! Just go down to Best Buy and purchase the biggest one you can find to hang on the wall-problem solved!
You know, of course, that I am joking. And also could have written this post. Someone asked in a blog post the other day what our “color scheme” is in my house and my reply was-um, faux wood grain?
Oh, and our sliding glass door is covered with a big cream-colored curtain. But we also have a big picture window covered in vertical blinds that I HATE. So do let me know if you get any good suggestions please!
Elizabeth’s last blog post..I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life, and I just learned this
Ok, can’t help you with the sliding door because we have white pottery barn curtains on our sliding doors and while they serve their purpose, I hate them!
As for the wall, I might consider some type of shelves or table or entertainment center type of thing to break up the wall and then put up pictures. I don’t think that pictures would look stupid at all….
OR you could get a flat screen!
Alison’s last blog post..A Letter to My Daughter
Hmmmm. I think that pictures and a table would look nice, but if you did some shelves then you would have more storage space…by which I mean you would have additional surfaces and things a child leve which could then be pulled down and spread about the room. But shelves or a table and pictures would be cute!
You could put a roll down shade on your sliding door - it is not efficient if you are going to be raising it an lowering it frequently, but if you are just going to use it as sun blocker for a period of time each day, then it works pretty well. And as bonus, it makes it a lot harder for small handsto get to the door, open it, and go out….I’m just saying…
Maggie’s last blog post..Happy St Patrick’s Day!
I like the idea of a big wall full of bookcase myself. If you had gobs of money to spare, I would suggest having one of those companies come in and make custom ones that even incorporate your TV.
Not having gobs of money myself, I got a monstrous entertainment center that didn’t cost an arm and a leg and takes up the whole wall of my family room and dwarfs my TV. It’s got shelf towers on either side of the TV part and a bridge on top to pull it all together.
all things bd’s last blog post..Fashion Tuesday
I say ask Emily @ Ellinghouse! She’s an Interior Designer and your new best friend! And I must say how I love your use of such designy-technical terms such as focal point and anchor. Has someone been watching a little too much HGTV?
Sarah @ Ordinary Days’s last blog post..Ahhh St. Paddy’s Day!
Good luck! For our sliding glass door, we put up a drape that we pull to the side to let light in or to go in and out (we put the dog in and out constantly, so during the day, the drape stays open). It’s not a perect solution, but I hate the look of blinds on the door. I put a valance over the drape so there’s one continuous look on the door. It works for us. It’s pretty and functional.
That is a HUGE wall, I’m afraid I have no brilliant ideas for that. Good luck.
Mom24’s last blog post..Meal Plan Monday
I’m of no help to you. *lol* I couldn’t tell you anything. I think balancing whatever you put next to the TV with the fact that there’s a doorway on the other side might be a good idea. But I’m not the expert. Ask Emily
And I haven’t posted about it, either!! But I did love meeting you! I have to say you were exactly as I’d imagined (and yes, that’s a good thing :P)!!
Sadie’s last blog post..Terminology Tuesday
Hmm, I have a touch of that disease as well, but I will try. I don’t think I can help too much with the blinds, other than to suggest simple curtains instead, but the wall, hmm, the wall…
I think that whatever you put up needs to be bigger, or cover more area, than the TV. So if it’s a group of photos, I would go for a few large ones rather than lots of small ones. Or, if you can find one piece of art that is massive, you could go for that instead.
Good luck.
Nell’s last blog post..writing notes - 3/16/08, 7:10 AM
Okay I’ll try…
1. The blinds are good, simply add a valance over them. Go with a solid one, not a loose fabric, but ne that actually nails up there. That way you keep the functionality of the door.
2. The wall…big challenge.
Play with a mixture of pictures, different frame sizes. Maybe add some ledges, narrow shelves to hold photos and knick-knacks. I do think a nice narrow table or shelf would be a good anchor too.
Penelope Anne aka The Mama Bear’s last blog post..Weekly Word Challenge #3
Try shifting the tele just a bit to the left (if you can stand it). As is it looks shoved to the far right of the wall as much as you can and looks maybe awkward? A foot to the left should help. A table would be nice, as would pictures. And paint. That’s a nasty thing to suggest for such a big wall (I’ve been in the land of big walls, I feel your “ugh”), but it should help the whole room.
Don’t worry about hanging the “wrong thing” on the wall. Hangers can be moved. You can’t typically tell if you’ve hung the right or wrong thing until you’ve lived with it for a while, anyways.
We had the same blinds and the same glaring morning sunlight issues in our last house. Dark curtains helped a lot. Lined, if you want the colour to last. Try to get a curtain rod that doesn’t need a center support so that you can shove the curtains allll the way to the side. Otherwise go with the little wall hook thingies (mounted sideways to hold back curtains and such).
Kelly’s last blog post..White Day
LOL, I have the exact same disease! That is one big wall, wow! Looking forward to reading the cure!
Tanya’s last blog post..~Happy St. Patricks Day!~
I have the same blinds on my back door…but I live in an apartment so I can’t really take them down.
If you can find them you can always get some of those panels that make it look like a window…you know they have a picture on them to make it look like the beach or tuscan balcony…I always wanted to get some of those…
AS far as the wall…get some different sized and shaped pictures (they can be family or just paintings/prints) some really big and some smallish and just kinda collage them on the wall. You don’t want to cover up all the white space, but it will keep it from feeling so empty. I have an empty wall (not quite so big though) and just went to walmart.com and had some of my favorite pictures of us printed (you can get anything from wallet sized to poster sized prints for cheap…and you can get them shipped to your house) and just framed them and put them up. I have 10×13s and small wallet sized pictures on my walls just to take up the space…well I did until DH broke some of the frames falling against the wall… LOL
Sandy’s last blog post..Children are NOT mini adults….
no idea on that big wall! I’d do staggered shelves, instead of a table maybe something with storage for toys.
and that door looks just like mine and I am highly offended because I kinda like it! I’ve been thinking about it for 5 years and there’s really nothing else , for a door that we go through OFTEN! The blinds are nice because you can open/close them to control the light and not have a bare door if you don’t want to. But they are annoying because the children won’t stop touching them! If I couldn’t have them, I would put a valance, or take them down and leave the door bare, but since you have a sun problem that might be an issue. The only reason I put mine up was to stop the draft from hitting me in the back in the winter, for that chair in the picture is where I get to sit.
jen’s last blog post..things
I like the shelves/bookcase idea for the big wall. And the person who suggested the case with the baskets for holding toys is brilliant!
We have a roman style fabric shade on half of our sliding glass door. It’s mounted to the wall and the cords to hold the blinds up are easy to use. Since we have a little one, the shade is constantly in the half open position with the cord wound around a hook, but I’m sure there are better options. Since we are tacky, I have a bamboo roll up shade on the other half. Both diffuse the light and roll up easy for quick exits.
Ha! We have that same patio door with the same wicked awesome 90’s blinds. Like you, I thought, “What can we do here?” when we moved in. It’s 21/2 years later, and it still looks like that.
I always thought that a curtain or valance would look nice there, but we never got around to it. Maybe at our next house. That seems to be our mantra lately….”At our NEXT house, we’ll do *insert cool thing to do here*.”
Yes, the wall. We had that at our old house. The idea of the built in shelving - yes. Maybe something to save up for (because it is fracking expensive), but my in-laws did that on their monstrosity of a wall, and it looked so beautiful when complete.
The pictures how you have them drawn would be nice, and yes, the table. Looks good, looks good.
Guess I don’t have anything else. What a waste of a comment space!!
Let’s see what else I can clutter it up with…
Hmmm. Today, I got up and did…blah blah, yadda yadda….hum de dum…..yippie skippie.
Ha ha! Have a good one!!
Mandy’s last blog post..Tender Thoughts Tuesday
Ohhh I love bowling. Last time I got a 63. Wait, that’s not good is it? Dam.
Since you asked, I’d buy a few cool prints or put up some pictures. Something with vibrant color, since that wall is so big. Maybe a table? Not sure. And up the staircase, I’d put up some pics of the kids…like a family wall or something. The blinds have to go….but I’m not sure what else to put there. I’d get some drapes maybe a cool color. No clue really, depends on what you like.
But a new house to decorate sounds fun too me.
Phoenix’s last blog post..My obscure answers
Sorry to hear that you have Icantdecorateforsh*t-itis. I understand that it is curable, however, it can sometimes require lots of HGTV viewing. Unfortunately, I started working at Kirkland’s Home part-time and now my house is undergoing gradual changes. No more blank walls!
I say yes to a piece of furniture. I’d be careful about getting a big heavy piece. I like the idea of a long table, something you can hide your DVD player etc. You can use paint to help out too. A large block of color would look good. As for the sliding-glass door, have you thought of tinting the glass? Then you could use light shear curtains. There are blackout curtains too.
Good luck. Keep us updated with the changes.
Marye~’s last blog post..Two reasons to celebrate
Sorry - I’ve got that same medical condition.
Seriously.
Cathy’s last blog post..Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Oh, my gosh, I have the same disease!! Let me know when you find a cure…or some good meds to help alleviate it. A little alcohol and a gift card to World Market, plus a dash of a local Tex-mex flea market would make an interesting combo…
Rhea’s last blog post..The Truth is out there
You were a trooper for driving down to Indy to meet us and then driving back so late! It was great to meet you.
In terms of decorating, how about no blinds at all for the window? Just lots of natural light?
And I second the big bookcase/TV thing, maybe it white. Pottery Barn has some quasi-reasonably priced “lower end” versions, and so does The Company Store.
Otherwise, consider moving the TV to the middle of the wall and putting smaller shelves around it, then putting a mix of large trellis/wall art stuff up–which you can find at Pier One–and photos.
My friend has a large sliding door like that and she put sections of roman blinds over them. I think it looks better than the vertical blinds of the Devil.
Loralee’s last blog post..Because I’m vain enough to believe this is exactly what you’ve all been dying to read, right?!
I suffer from the same disease. Therefore, I will not be offering advice at this time. I still have big vertical blinds on the huge window in our living room. I don’t know what else to do with them, and I don’t want to spend a load of money on something else. Oh well.
Mommy Daisy’s last blog post..My boys
Oh dear, I do hope you find the cure soon. And yet, I’m busy drooling over your stair railing to notice the empty wall…
Brillig’s last blog post..Post-Patty-Day
Calico Corner could be your friend and make you pretty window treatments that would be functional. The only problems are that they will make you pick a fabric and they will charge a sh#tload of money. It is, however, worth it to have custom-fitted perfect things hanging up.
I eleventy seventeen six the comments to get a big honkin’ piece of furniture for that wall.
Burgh Baby’s Mom’s last blog post..Happy as a (Boiling Hot) Clam
If it’s a sliding glass door, I recommend honeycomb shades– they are nice and unobtrusive when they are up, and nice and blocking when they are down.
If it’s a french door, I recommend you get fitted valances. Also for either, there are nice Roman shades.
As for the wall, I think you need something more arching and grand. Whoever mentioned the quilt (one of the first comments) has the right idea. Quilt, bookcases (built-ins!), anything that reaches a little higher.
Oh, and a plasma tv, mounted to the wall.
Mme. Meow’s last blog post..When Beady Eyes Are Smilin’
I am no help since my home still looks like we just moved in and we’ve lived there for over 2 years.
I think you should be on HGTV
Queen of Shake Shake’s last blog post..My New Years Resolution Has Backfired
I have nothing useful to add because my lower eyeball area twitches just thinking about being responsible for decoration stuff (all bare white walls, all the time - other than a couple of hanging items I insist on hanging that look misplaced). Then I get hives. And pee my pants. It’s not pretty. Thankfully you have other commenter people who can help. I’m just letting you know that you are not alone.
(the other) Maggie’s last blog post..Maggie’s Make Believe Cooking Show
The hanging quilt or shelving sound like a good idea. And the table should be there if you hang pictures. And the blinds? I used to have that same problem, I went with a simple curtain that could be pulled back in the afternoon and anytime the door was used. I am terrible at decorating, ask my MIL, she will tell you I have to have my mom come do it for me. But let her (my MIL) need help and she calls me!
justmylife’s last blog post..I hate doctors! But I love me a truck driver!
Too bad you left Alabama. We have all those monstrous tapestries for sale on the side of the road. It would be a hard choice between Elvis, the Confederate flag, or the poker playing dogs. I’m thinking the dogs would match your neutral decor best.
anneglamore’s last blog post..In Which We Take The Wrong Approach
I hate that about two story walls. I say you get black out drapes for the glass door that easily tie back. I don’t know about the wall. I’m pretty lousy at decorating myself.
Anglophile Football Fanatic’s last blog post..A Blast From the Past
I too have that disease. Thank God my mommy can help me.
Here’s an idea for your patio door. I too have a huge door that I need to put some kind of window treatment on. I bought a honeycomb blind that hung just above the door (when pulled up) and about an each over on each side. The blind is (nearly) the same color as the walls, so when it’s up it blends in and you really don’t see it.
I have twin toddler boys so we only put it down during times when they are sleeping or belted into their booster chairs. This is where I got mine: http://www.smithandnoble.com/sn/product_detail.jsp?sch_cat=Petite%20Cell%20Honeycomb%20Shades&prod_oid=252759&nav_cat=-17994
Kristin’s last blog post..Is that bad?
I dunno. I suck at decorating. My solution is to flip through a pottery barn catalogue and try to replicate the pages…
Your house looks gorgeous!
LifeAsIKnowIt’s last blog post..The Cupcake Lunch
as always you crack me the HELL UP.
caint help ya though,
ive got a severe case of the same affliction (and the only cure is more cowbell)
M.
MizFit’s last blog post..MizFit sighting, sure,
I’m right there with you on the lack of decorating sense. We have a sliding glass door like that with no window covering yet cuz like you I hate the vertical blinds. Couple of ideas:
*Roman shades that you can make (if you’re so inclined) for both sides of the door, My friend did this (her mom made the shades) and she keeps the one side down all day and the other one up during the day, down at night.
*Curtain with big loops on the rod to make it easy to open. I think we might do that whenever I get around to finding one I like
*At Lowes they have these panel type deals that slide behind each other that are interesting. they’re on a track and depending how many u want depends on the width of each panel. I tried to find a pic at Lowes but no luck…my neighbor has this and I can take a pic if you are interested.
For that big wall I’m no help. Maybe some shelves from Ikea?
Carrie’s last blog post..We have a new addition
Okay - assuming you’re not going to rearrange the furniture I would do one of several things…
Pottery Barn has some great wall units with bookshelves, a place for the tv, glass-doored cabinets, etc…I would look at those online at least for the ideas.
Have you thought of painting the wall? Or if not, a series of wonderfully framed photographs…or a couple of huge paintings….or once I was in a house and she had an antique paned window up on her wall.
I even knew a woman who lived in Hawaii and had her old surfboard mounted on a big wall….
Good luck!!
Jen M’s last blog post..Touche
I think putting the tv in a large beautiful armoire would fill up the wall nicely. I think that’s what we are going to do when we move. We will have that same wall problem. Hey, and the armoire can be a nice piece of furniture that you can invest in and have forever. I have a curio that is my prized possession that I will cherish forever.
ok, since I’m the “professional” here (thanks Sarah and Sadie)….I should come up with something witty to solve all your design problems here…..
the vertical blinds….might want to consider taking them down and just purchasing some drapes from target or something (do you get alot of direct sunlight there?)….
The TV area…hmmmmm I have a good shelving solution that I’ll email you a link to. Not very expensive and very functional. got it in my house in fact.
new houses are so fun yet make me need a nap at the same time.
ellinghouse’s last blog post..Bingo! - Babyjamz style
Ikea has a great shelving unit that should fit that tv nicely. It even comes in white.
Dude. I can offer no advice but I was thinking of posting about the EXACT same thing. Freaky…
Good luck with that. That’s one BIG ASS wall.
Maybe I do have advice. I’d say go for the table. Definitely a table. Or something cabinet-ish. But something. Definitely something.
Was that helpful?
AMomTwoBoys’s last blog post..Contests, Contests, Contests & Why I Hate My Feet
HI! REMEMBER ME? The 26 year old WITH BACHELOR PAD FURNITURE?
I’ll be keeping my opinions to myself thank you very much.
moosh in indy.’s last blog post..All the blotch without the breath.
rip the verticals down now. Go do it. I’ll wait.
as for the biggest effing wall i’ve ever seen? I’d suck it up till I could afford a monstrous tv cabinet with bookcases and stuff.
but this is why i have a 3000 walnut hutch in my dining room and the rest of the house is filled with gawd awful bachelor furniture - I deal with the fug till I can get exactly. what. i. want.
Dawn’s last blog post..Conversation between siblings
Since my decorating style consists of Early Childhood Clutter, I’ll keep my opinions to myself.
Jenni’s last blog post..Welcome Home
I would sign up for the Better Homes and Gardens decorating e-mails. i always get good ideas from them. You can search their sight for decorating ideas too- like search decorate large wall or decorate tall ceiling.
We replaced our vert. blinds with full length drapes from Pier 1 for our sliding door. Then, we replaced the sliding door with French doors that have blinds built into the glass to keep out the glaring sunlight. You can also buy- online- some pieces that fit onto your sliding door that make it look like it has panes and then you could put drapes over it.
As far as the wall goes, my cousin had that problem and had a decorater do a pretty paint finish over the entire wall which really warmed it up. It’s hard to describe without it sounding tacy. I think it was pretty expensive though. then she put up about 3 large pieces on the wall. Try to mix some shapes and heights- like maybe a large round clock or mirror, a long wall shelf, and then a family portrait on the shelf alone or with some tall vases. think proportion when it comes to the wall.
For cheap deco. “books” I save junk mail catalogs and ads from Ethan Allen, PB, even JCPenney’s home ad that comes out and i tear out ideas I like.
Also, I don’t decorate a room until I run into or see ONE piece that I know fits in that room, and then I center things around that. Just remember, you JUST moved in there. Take your time and don’t waste money on things that you arent’ going to be happy with in a couple of years.
I’ve seen these cool bamboo type shades that they make in that really big size… they drawstring upwards. I don’t know if that will work, really, but they always look so pretty and natural to me, and it would be a change for the better over those vertical thingies, right? I think the challenge is you want it to look pretty, but functional as a high traffic area, hm. That is difficult!
As for the wall, I’m thinking you get buckets ot paint in all different color and start flinging. Damn, that’d be fun, and what a groovy decorating job. No?
I’d go for a “collage” type photo collection. I like when things are mixed up (rather than all the same). So, like, all different types, sizes, and colors of frames, and work them into a collage. But that’s just my taste….
WAIT, I KNOW.
You cover that WHOLE wall wint VELCRO.
Then you buy the kids velcro suits. When they piss you off (like you told Carson), you just put them in their suit, and fling them at the wall.
Maybe I’m not the best person to ask.
Sarcastic Mom’s last blog post..That’s what I get for letting him watch tv before age 3.
Jumping on the huge wall unit bandwagon. Unless you know someone who creates art on HUGE canvasses.
I have no ideas about the blinds, we have them too but I always leave them open so I can pretend they don’t exist.
Jerseygirl89’s last blog post..Yep, I’m a Bitch
Totally hate those kind of blinds. You have gotten some good suggestions, so I don’t have anything to add.
My favorite thing to do on a mongo wall like that is to do a photo wall using all black frames, some with white mats, some not. I also use ledges or those wall sconces…in black as well. If you have a mix match of frames now, spray paint works wonders. I started adding one or two here and there and have finally filled the wall. I have a variety of sizes. Some in black and white and some in color.
tommie’s last blog post..Manic Monday
What about a low line entertainment unit that is long and takes up most of that wall. It’d give you added storage, and on each end you could put photos or ornaments.
As far as the blinds, I’d ditch them and get curtains.
theotherbear’s last blog post..Brief Hiatus
Have you considered a giant, decorative wrap around entertainment center which encases the television while taking about the tv-ness of it? I think they’re so fabulous.
amanda’s last blog post..Mommy-Watch:Please Don’t Ash In His Soft Spot
i know that i could help you. but it is hard with just a photo. i need to see the whole space. we have those vertical blinds too. i have a love/hate relationship with them, and since we are renting, i don’t bother to do anything about them. they do have sort of a modernist, sleek sensibility, but i take it that is not the look you are going for?
i like the idea of textiles (a quilt, something woven?) on the big wall, to soften the space. but i think the tv should be elsewhere, if possible. i always want the tv to be positioned in a room so as NOT to be the center of attention. i hate that the TV has become the hearth in our homes. that said, i have rarely managed to find a way around it.
i tagged you. out of curiosity, i guess. you can see details at:
http://whistlingleafblower.blogspot.com/
cake’s last blog post..six word memoir
I think a series of shelves (staggered) along that wall would look great. There’s some cute ones here: http://www.zgallerie.com/pc-4286-25-nairobi-wall-shelves.aspx. I’m thinking all the way across the wall, like a mantle look. I envision them even going past the door that leads into the other room.
And on the shelves, you could rest bright colored artwork (no need to hang, just have them hang art gallery style against the wall). Here’s some: http://www.zgallerie.com/c-41-abstract.aspx
Then intersperse with cool lanterns, mirrors, etc. (on the shelves).
On the floor, to the right of the TV, a funky storage unity thing, like:
http://www.zgallerie.com/pc-4704-61-aberdeen-cabinet.aspx
except not that because it’s 800 million dollars.
On the windows, I’m thinking roman shades (http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/ProductsHOM.aspx?DeptID=28538&CatID=28538&Grptyp=SIZ&ItemId=132770e&cmRef=http://www.jcpenney.com/products/C028538.jsp) in a cool print.
Wow, I got way into that.
I should probably go now…
Deb
Deb’s last blog post..Preschool Follies
Dude, I have nothing. I’m afraid I suffer from the same debilitating illness - and my house is a third of the size of yours so a wall that size is totally foreign to me.
andi’s last blog post..Crutch
[...] When I Need Expert Advice, I Consult Mah Peeps on Teh Internetz [...]
so there’s not much i know about, but my profession is actually interior design. ! so without seeing any more of your house it is kind-of ridiculous to make suggestions. but for your sliding doors, what about something like panels from ikea? (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/range/10374/10702/) they are mod and can be used in various combinations, and mounted on the walls to either side of the doors so the doors are still functional. You mount them with this rail (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80079363). And the good news is that an Ikea just opened in Cincinnati! Within driving distance! A great road trip.
The wall is tougher, obviously. You need to cut the height or accentuate it. You can cut it by installing crown molding at a regular ceiling height, like 8′ or so, all the way around, and then some big art. Or the best bet would be some built-in shelving, going up to 8′ or so, maybe with the wall color showing behind. You would have to remove the french doors and do this built-in across the whole wall to make it work. Another option, if you don’t have a fireplace already in the room, is to put a gas log in with a real-looking surround that goes all the way up to the ceiling. Then, to the right of the french doors and at the bottom of the stairs, hang something long and vertical like a quilt or panel of awesome fabric, to balance the fireplace height. You would have to mount a flat screen above the fireplace with this option. Or, here’s a great idea: what’s on the other side of the wall? Could you punch a clerestory window out at the top? It’d be really cool. Finally, consider adding faux beams in the room, parallel to the wall in question. It will really bring that celing back to normal proportions.
OR. You could just hire me; I’m about an hour from Indianapolis and v. reasonably priced.
And I bet you’re fun to hang out with. 
(If you want images of some of these options, I could scan them in and send them to you. I keep big binders of room imagery.)
Sus’s last blog post..Hide & Seek
the internet is great for that.
My suggestion would be an entertainment center - one of the ones that will slide over or next to the massive tv.
Is there a reason that it’s not centered on the wall? Leaving room for a pathway behind the couch? With the entertainment center, you could fill up the cubbies with misc entertainment equip & such, then put decorative stuff on top so the ceiling doesn’t look so tall.