This post is sponsored by Walmart
When we looked at this home for the first time, I liked SO MUCH about it, but we couldn’t get over the entry leading right into this double story, open room. The previous owners were using it as a dining space, but I was struggling with what we would do with it. It was so tall and open and we decided that maybe this house wasn’t for us. We looked at several more, but none other compared to the lot of this one and we loved the layout besides this, very centered, space. We went back to the house to see if we could come up with a solution before making an offer. (Hahaha, it was literally a deal breaker!) We decided right then that we would extend the ceiling from the hallway over and make a bonus space upstairs and wall in this room a bit to allow it to be a more intimate space. We even gave it a purpose–our music room.
Here’s how it’s looking now! With a 9ft ceiling and large arched opening to the room. The far door is now gone and halfway into becoming an arched passthrough. The large window on the right will be identical. We knew the music room would house our piano; it’s passed down from Chris’s great grandma and Chris plays beautifully and our two oldest are currently learning. Then we have a djembe (again, Chris) and guitars, (Chris!) and a ukulele that Greta got for Christmas a couple years ago that she’s learning to play.
The vision grew when we added in the idea of a puzzle table in this space (dreams come true) and moody walls (wallpaper? no one’s surprised) and a record player was the icing on the cake! Earlier this year, Chris and I took a trip with our best friends to Nashville where we played tourists for a long weekend. Our Airbnb had a record player and a slew of records that we would take turns choosing and playing all the way through. It was such a cool, fun addition to the place and a chill activity that’s so much more enjoyable then telling Alexa to play a song. A record player was officially on our wish list for our home. That was confirmed once again when we gifted one to our nephew, Jordan, for his birthday shortly after returning and he is smitten with it.
Turns out, record players make an amazing gift for others and yourself. Maybe a fun house warming gift, too! I don’t know why I had this idea in my head that record players were $250-$500+, we got ours (above) for $99 from Walmart! Isn’t it so snazzy? Walmart has a huge selection of record players at really affordable prices. I linked a few favorites below starting at just $44! 
We had the most fun breaking in the music room with a few vinyls we also bought through Walmart (their selection is enormous!). Queen’s Greatest Hits, Frank Sinatra, The Greatest Showman Soundtrack (the girls went craaazzzzzyyyyyy), Tony Bennett Duets–incredible album, The Beatles Abbey Road!
This is our first record player so our vinyl collection is only pushing a dozen, but Chris already said, “I can see why people collect records, this is so much fun!” So, we’d love to hear if there are any must-have albums we should add! And if you don’t have a record player yet (just us?), what an incredible, charming addition to a home. I can already tell this room is going to be special for our family.
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My husband works for a record label and their biggest physical seller (obvs digital platform stuff is highest grossing) is records!! Tapes are making a comeback too, which is so funny to me :)
Oh my gosh I love this! Growing up we loved it when our parents played the “looney Tunes” record. A collection of really, well, Looney songs. From Witch Doctor to Rubber Ducky, we always bounced around when they played that record.
Alice’s Restaurant, is another one I remember – a long story like song that I was probably too young to hear but it is warped and I love it. And now I live a few miles from Alice’s Restaurant… and the railroad tracks.
I can’t stop laughing. The next thing you know, you will be teaching your children how to use a land line telephone or a typewriter – all of the relics of the past!
Fleetwood Mac – Tango in the Night!!! I had this album as a little girl and basically wore it out from listening to it so so many times. There’s nothing a record!
AJA by Steely Dan, Disraeli Gears by Cream, Who’s Next by The Who, Blue by Joni Mitchell, Blood in the Tracks by Bob Dylan.
These are the five my long time audiophile husband recommends off the top of his head. BTW he’s NEVER not had vinyl!
Best wishes as you explore this new world.