When a sweet gal Olivia wrote in for some help making changes to their family room, we were more than happy to put our heads together and come up with some fun ideas.
They were looking for something with fun, easy vibes where the entire family could gather. That expressed them. And they were looking for a solution for their TV over the mantel… for something with a streamlined approach.
We always try to find items that are reasonable, but bring a lot of character into the space. We strive to give our clients something they can build on over time, so that even if they change their mind about adding something… they still have a source and a good idea to go by. We know that budgets and situations can change from month to month with homes and families, so we try to keep it all realistic, and remember that this is all a process! We hope they find this board as something that meets your needs so that you an add over time as they wish.
So without further ado, as we always go out of order… their colorful family room design!
And a little furniture placement info to go on…
1. Mantel/TV area
We love the idea of painting the main walls in Sherwin Williams {Their HGTV HOME line available at Lowe’s} in a soft grey – Ghost Pines. And the accent wall in Oxford White. It should make that wall stand out as a really fun accent, as well as lighten the existing walls to open up their space a bit.
As far as the accent wall, we would paint it in stages. First the wall. Then decide how they feel about the fireplace.
We’ve found in the past when lightening up an area, that the brick usually stands out quite boldly if it’s not also toned down, as well. We plan on tackling it ourselves, in our own home, soon. I would also consider lightening up the mantel itself. Whether it’s in repeating the grey paint from the walls on the wood, or wrapping it in an aged wood to up the ante with the timeless feel. It would help to tone down some of the red to balance the space a bit. We hope these are some ideas to help get them started.
As far as the TV, if they hired a professional, it would be a splurge but well worth it. They could even use wireless and drop all the cords behind the wall. {I also included some ideas and how tos for tv frames are here.} Just a few references to get started with. The red piece they have may also be a great storage option for TV pieces, and should blend well with the rest of the space. ;}
Main sofas + Chairs
They were kind of on the fence with replacing their furniture while their children are young. So we decided to offer some options with a lot of diverse shapes and color that play well together to bring interest to the space.
Just so they can see the difference they would make – from personal experience, we brought in our linen sofa when our kids were still very young, and found that they were very easy to keep clean. If they’re scotch guarded, they should be no trouble whatsoever. We simply touch ours up every now and again.
5. We love this grey chesterfield for some major character in the space.
10. The indigo loveseat provides more comfy seating, without overwhelming the space, but brings in a lot of character as well, and almost reads as a beautiful neutral.
11. These wingback chairs are a different tone, and pair nicely with everything. We love their clean, simple lines.
2. Curtains + Pillows
This is where you can really tie all their beautiful pieces together, but it still has that collected-over-time feel.
We love these curtains, with a swag to help offer privacy, but also bring a lot of wow to the space. They bring in a touch of that indigo again. We would hang them at the same height, but wider so that they have enough space to pull back. {See illustration I included for this purpose – living room after}.
We also love these pillows as their main colorful piece, which have tones of grey and golden hues along with the blue. We’d love to see them in a set of two on your chesterfield. Paired with these red stripes. These blue trellis pillows on the armchairs, would pull all the blue together in the space. These pillows on the indigo loveseat would be gorgeous as well.
3. Mirror
A gold mirror over the chesterfield would be a nice, simple lovely piece to add. It would brighten up the space and make it feel larger. We love the idea of bringing this in for a sophisticated, but fun look. We know this one may be a little pricey and basically wanted to include it for the idea – so we would definitely check out this option, here as well. It may help to check out antique malls for a one of a kind piece to add in the mirror department. Anything fairly large would look pretty amazing there. You never know what you can find at an awesome price.
4. + 9. Side tables + Lamps
They mentioned tables, so we would bring in this fun pair – depending on their measurements they may want to switch them out if one is too wide.
The larger table may be on the end, and we like that it has a little storage to offer.
The smaller table from here may sit in the far corner.
We would top them off with two of these lamps {and shades} to bring it all together with a little symmetry.
6. Coffee Table
We realize DIY isn’t for everyone, but we love the simplicity of this coffee table. A DIY route would be a great way to save on your additional pieces, too. This little project is so basic, they may actually enjoy doing it – A round shape keeps the space fluid and open.
7. Chandelier
We couldn’t help ourselves, and love this fun, colorful option. We also love the price for a major statement piece. Chandeliers are a great way to bring in a final polishing touch to a space. Another option would be this one here.
8. Rug
We adore this rug and the price. We would go as large as possible once our other pieces are placed to utilize a soft covering for little feet and knees. It would do a lot to lighten their space and tie all their fun elements together.
12. Gallery Shelving
We love the idea of bringing in their sweet family photos on each side of the wall as shown with some simple shelving, brackets and ikea frames. They could use what they already have hanging in this space, along with a few additions. Original image here. Just a quick mock up to show them how it would look!
We have a simple tutorial for shelves and brackets here.
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We definitely hope they enjoy this space, and that they can build on these ideas to help create something beautiful – we can’t wait to see what they do!
Please note, out of respect for our clients we can no longer share all of our sources here, with the exception of an independent artist or small business {because we love supporting small businesses!} Or something from our own site. We do hope this still inspires you to create, so thank you for your understanding.
If you’re interested in design solutions and sources for your very own space, read more about our e-services here, or if you live locally in Nashville, our in-person services, here. An affordable, great way to work with us. We’d love to hear from you!
Bonnie says
Just beautiful suggestions! It’s not my home but I really do love the chandelier! Just saying 🙂
Anna says
Just beautiful! Love all the color and especially that blue sofa!
Cindy says
What do you mean when you say you “touch up” your linen sofa every now and then? How do you touch it up?
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hey Cindy! My brain is mush, and I just meant spot clean. A little mild soap and water goes a long way in a house full of kiddos. I hope that helps!