I’ve made a lot of progress in the family room lately, and I finally have it cleaned up enough to show you! I went with a neutral family room color scheme because I really wanted it to be a calm and soothing space. First, let’s take a walk down memory lane.
Here was the room right before we moved in:
And soon after we moved in:
And here it is NOW:
First, I whitewashed the brick fireplace, and I recently switched out the cabinet hardware with new knobs. I tried to pull the room together using things we already had. Eventually I’d love a less “kid friendly” (ie scratched and damaged) ottoman, but for now this one has storage and is practical. I’m also using our outdoor garden chairs in front of the fireplace for now until I come up with a more comfortable solution.
I painted the walls with Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray to lighten the room up a little. I fished the black and white pillows out of storage in the basement — they originally came from Home Goods a few years ago. I also added the frames and bucket planters to the mantel thanks to your feedback on social media! (Thank you.) The buckets came from the Target dollar spot a while back, and I made the moss balls using this post from The Yellow Cape Cod as inspiration. The rug came from Target — we bought it shortly after we moved in.
Chris spray painted this tray for me — it was a reddish color but the white goes perfectly with this room. The hydrangeas came from our front yard, unfortunately there are only a few left.
I added a gallery wall around the TV using photos I’ve taken on family vacations. I used brown craft paper
to trace the frames and create templates to tape on the wall so I could line them up exactly how I wanted them, then I stuck the frames to the wall with Command picture hanging strips. (No nail holes!) Most of the frames were courtesy of Michaels Stores — they were kind enough to send me a gift card and I ordered the frames online. (Did you know you can shop online at Michaels now?)
I’d like to add something colorful on this wall – I’ll probably bring more mossy green shades into the room.
The green pillow came from Home Goods and the lamp was a Craigslist find a few years ago.
And here’s a little comparison of before and after.
And below is a list of sources/tutorials for a few things you might recognize on the shelves.
1. Framed Family Sign 2. Silhouette Portrait Art 3. Antique Typewriter 4. Vintage Camera 5. Grandmother’s Wooden BoxThis room is feeling a lot more cozy now! It just needs a few finishing touches and I’ll call it “done.” (Or at least as done as it gets around here — no room is ever really done, is it?)
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What an amazing transformation Erin! Love this 🙂
Thank you, Abbey!
Love the whitewashed fireplace! It really changes the feel of the room.
Thanks Andrea! It definitely brightened up the space and made it feel less gloomy. 🙂
Looks great! I love that you said no room is ever done. That is exactly how I live. I am always changing things up! It would be fun to decorate an entire new space though! Great job!
Thank you Lindsay! I change my mind all the time, so I don’t think I’ll ever truly “finish” a room. 🙂
It looks so welcoming 🙂 What a transformation to the fireplace wall! Rooms that evolve over time are always my favorite looks. Great job! Bwg~~~
Thanks so much!
Beautiful!!!!!!!!!! I wish I had your talent.
Thank you, Myrna! I had a lot of fun with this room.
Very pretty! You did a wonderful job. I love the built in bookshelves!
Thanks Rebecca!
Erin, you are so talented. The room is beautiful!
Aww thanks Pammy!
It looks amazing Erin, I love your style!
Thank you, Pauline!
Love your transformation! The brick looks fantastic and the warmth you rwood floor still allows that
coziness we all love in our family rooms. I love your idea of family vacation photos—-a quick glimpse from time to time takes us all back to wonderful family memories! Great job!
Kathleen
Thanks so much, Kathleen!
I love this look! I will be remodeling my fireplace soon so thanks for the inspiration. On a different note, where did you get the rug. I love it!
Thank you! The rug is from Target. 🙂
I love your living room! Mine has the same neutral color palette, and I am looking everywhere for a couch like that (low height, beige, modern..etc) Could you tell me where you got it?
Thanks!
Lisa
Thank you Lisa! We got the couch at Bassett Furniture several years ago. I love Bassett because you can customize your own furniture (choose arm style, length, fabric, type of cushions, etc). We spent a little more on our couch than the other furniture in our home because we wanted it to last for several years in a house with a bunch of wild little boys, and so far it has held up well. We chose a beige polyester chenille fabric because we were told that polyester based fabrics are easiest to clean, and that has also proven true. We also opted to have a pull-out sofa bed.