Come and take a tour of our family room. It’s become our favorite place to kick back and relax. Its classic style makes for such a perfectly timeless space.
Well Hello! It’s been a quick second since I’ve shared a glimpse into my home here on the blog. Once again, time has gotten away from me. We chose to return to homeschooling Charlie and it took a few weeks to get back into the swing of things. I had to put my blog on the back burner for a bit, but I have a number of exciting things to share with you all this fall. The first one on the list is a look into our family room/den. Last year I shared a couple of photos of the Christmas tree in this room and ever since I’ve had readers asking if I could share the room in it’s entirety. Although it isn’t quite finished, I thought I’d share a progress post.
It’s hard to believe that we purchased our home 7 years ago this December. This room has taken me a little longer to put together than the others. Deciding on a direction for a space doesn’t always happen right away. Once you find your stride it takes time for a room to feel complete, especially if you prefer a collected and layered look like I do. This room, much like our kitchen, is a work horse for our family. We find ourselves spending a lot of time here and our friends and family always seem to gravitate to it as well.
It’s not quite complete, but I thought it would be fun to share the progress we’ve made in the last 7 years, ha! I like to tell myself that all good things take time and I think that’s truly the case with this room. Let’s get to it! Here’s a reminder of what the room looked like the day we purchased our house.
The Before
Here’s where we are almost 7 years later –
The After
We’ve painted, scraped the ceiling, built a wall of built-ins and created a cozy place to watch movies and kick back. Please note that all sources for this room, including paint colors, furniture and decor will be at the bottom of this post.
Let’s talk details! We kept the pretty wainscoting and painted the top half in a dusty black. Black isn’t usually the first color that comes to mind for a family room, but after living with this color for a number of years, I can honestly say I 100% approve. I also think that a navy blue or chocolate brown would be a beautiful choice to get the same cozy effect. For the trim and built-ins we used a creamy white that we’ve used on the rest of the trim in our home to keep things consistent.
The built-ins were super easy and affordable. We purchased 5 Billy bookcase from Ikea in different sizes and built them in place. We still have holes and seams to fill, but we’ve been super pleased with them so far. I would have loved to have built custom built-ins here, but at the time we were stretched with other costly renovations. These got the job done and gave us much needed storage. Not to mention, they’ve shockingly held up beautifully to young kids!
The baskets hold all those pesky video game controllers, cords and random electronic items that need to be reached easily. The rest of the open shelves house cherished family photos. I’m sure some books will end up here over time once we run out of space on our other bookshelves. As for the hardware, I purchased real brass knobs with an un-lacqured finish (AKA living finish). We used similar hardware in our kitchen and I’ve loved the patina that the brass has taken on over time. The quality hardware really elevates these shelves.
You may recognize this antique chest that was once in our living room. This spring we began turning the back corner of our living room into a butler’s pantry, so this lovely piece found it’s new home in our den. It fit between the two windows perfectly. In the drawers we store, puzzles, play-doh and Charlie’s school and art books.
I’ve linked the tutorial for making pleated lamp shades below as well. I did make this particular shade a bit differently than the shade in my how-to. I used one large piece of fabric, folding my plates as I went, instead of strips of fabric. Both methods were very easy.
Just a few mementoes from our summer trip to Nantucket…
The shelves hold lots of black and white family photos. The metal frames have been collected over time. The mini ginger jar was a souvenir from our trip to Newport this past June. I love that everything has a story and memory. Just the perks to being collected over time.
The artwork is all vintage art that I purchased from thrift stores or antique markets. I’m sure some would say the hunter green English hunt prints are 90’s and date, but I don’t care. I love that they frame the doorway so well and the rich colors add to the warmth in the room. There’s nothing really trendy about this room and I’m good with it. I stuck to only this things I really love.
I’m currently waiting on two coordinating pleated lampshades for this room. For now there’s a hodge-podge of shades. That’s okay though. Good things take time!
All of the pillow linens in this room were purchased in previous years. I did source them below, however just know they’re no longer available. I did try to find similar pillows where I could. I’m all about the warm tones this time of the year. The warmer linen colors will hang around until spring, I suppose. Ambers, browns, and warm creams are always my go-to’s for autumn.
We went with all slipcovered furniture. The sofa & gliding chairs were all purchased from the Front Gate & Grandin Road outlet store. I’ve also linked them below. Slipcovered upholstery is just the most practical for our family currently. I’m all about throwing the covers in the washer when they get grubby. Having that option has been such a life saver for us. If you have children, pets, or are just clumsy like myself, I couldn’t recommend slipcovered furniture enough.
I still have a few things to add to this room, such as window shades, and more artwork for the walls, including a plate or five, ha! The wall that the sofa is on is a long wall and will need a few more things to feel balanced, but I’m taking my time looking for the perfect pieces. Eventually I’d love to get the French doors that we have stored in our basement installed in the doorway. I just keep adding to Josh’s honey do list. Poor guy! I can already envision them installed and with sweetest little curtains over the window panes. I don’t know about you, but our den isn’t always this tidy. Sometimes you just need to close the door on it.
This lived-in family room is quickly becoming one of our favorite rooms and I’m so glad that I finally took a few photos of it to share with you. The before photo really shows that with a little time and energy anything is possible. This room went from a half painted room with the previous owners unwanted items to a cozy and welcoming den that we love to spend time in. I hope you enjoyed the tour and here’s to a beautiful autumn friends!
Room Sources:
Wall Color – Carbonized by Sherwin Williams
Trim & Cabinet Color – Simply White by Benjamin Moore
Gate Leg Accent Table – Cotton Mill Exchange Antique Store
Antique Trunk – Handed down from Josh’s grandmother
Antique Dresser/Chest – Cotton Mill Exchange Antique Store
White Ceramic Table Lamp – Homegoods (Ralph Lauren brand)
Brass Table Lamp – Thrift Store
Pleated Fabric Lampshade – DIY Tutorial
Area Rug – Pottery Barn (The Brandon Rug has been discontinued. Similar Rug, Similar Rug
Knitted Pillow Covers – Homegoods – Similar Pillow, Similar Pillow
Block Print Pillow Covers – JSH Home Essentials – Discontinued
Shelf Baskets – Homegoods
Vintage Framed Wall Art – Thrift Store & Cobb Antique Mall
Autumn Floral Arrangement – DIY Tutorial
Mini Bamboo Easel – Antique Market
Antique Plates – Antique Markets
Picture Frames -Homegoods & Thrift Stores
I can’t imagine anyone coming into your beautiful home and saying something is “dated”….I have similar prints on a gallery wall and I love them too! I love it when you share your house and seeing how you and your husband have a vision that you are bringing to life…I agree that it takes time to truly make a house a home, and the hunt is the best part!
My thoughts exactly. The prints aren’t dated, they’re classics. I have similar sciences on black glass that were my mother’s from the 40s or 50s. This is such an inviting family space and the French doors with curtains sounds like a perfect solution to late sleepy nights clutter. The dark color feels so like a library and quiets the space.
Thank you Pamela! It’s been a while ago, but I had someone tell me they were dated and that I should use something else. I’ve always found it strange that people will say rude things online as if they’re just talking to a bot and not a real person. My mom always told my brother and I, if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all, so I just keep scrolling if I don’t like something. Off my soap box I climb, ha! I would absolutely use black glass if I had it as well. That fact that it was your mothers makes it a treasure. As for the French doors, I’m still trying to convince Josh it’s a good idea. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Thank you so much Judy! I love that you have similar prints. Great minds think alike! I learned from sharing our home decor and design online for almost 10 years that I really have to stick with what I truly love and not worry if others disagree. I’m with you on the hunt. It’s half the fun!
Thank you for sharing your family room with us. We have just purchased a home that has bookshelves and I was thinking they needed cabinets built on the lower halves. Now I have a picture to show the cabinet maker! Everything looks so warm and comforting in this room. I decorate over time with collected furniture and items too and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for sharing with us.
Thanks Lynne! I’m so glad my photos could help. I’m a very visual person, so sometime a photo really helps me visualize it better. I’ve learned to be patient when decorating. That wasn’t always the case, but after rushing things and having to change it shortly after, I realized I just need to slow down and take my time. I’ve never regretted it. I hope you have a wonderful fall season!
I believe our homes should reflect our lives. Your home is one of my favorites! It’s warm and welcoming and demonstrates your style beautifully. Your family room is great. I also gain incentive from you to be patient when I’m searching for something for my home. 😊❤
Thank you for the source list.
Karen B.
Thank you so much Karen! That means a lot to me and I completely agree. Too many homes look the same these days. They really lack personality. Learning to slow down and be more patient has been so hard for me. I’m not naturally a patient person, but I’m so much happier with the results when I take my time. Thank you so much for stopping by and have a great fall!
Inspiring presentation.
Thank you so much Cyndy!
What a lovely home! It is so welcoming that it makes me want to come in and share a hot cup of cocoa with you! Thank you for sharing 🥰
Thank you so much Mary! You’re welcome any time 🙂 Hot cocoa sounds pretty delicious right now! I hope you have a wonderful fall season!
The little brass duck sitting atop a stack of books made me smile. I have an identical one somewhere – a happy thrifting find from years ago. I think it’s time for him to make a reappearance. Also, the room is lovely. I hope you and your family will spend many happy hours there.
I love that Barbara! I found mine on one of my thrifting trips as well. I thought he was too cute to pass up. Thank you so much for your kind comments. We are really loving this room. It turned out even more cozy than I thought it would be.
I am so thrilled to have your site now saved and i am enrolled. I of course am thrilled with your den and the color is yummy. I love the lamp shades and the tutorials you share. Thank you both and I have forever loved English and French homes. My grandparents had an antique shop so I got to work in it summers when I was growing up. Mom and Dad loved Antiques and My mom never missed an Estate sale or Antiques store stop.
I’m so glad you found my little corner of blog land, Jeeny! Those summers in your grandparents antique shop sound magical! I’ve also always loved antiques and the English style. I love the character and the story that old items have. You just can’t beat it! I hope you have a great week and holiday season!
Beautiful room that doesn’t look like all the cookie cutter rooms out there! Would you mind telling me what size the wicker lampshade is? It is so different, I love it!
Thank you so much, Carol! There’s a link for the lamp shade at the bottom of the blog post, under room sources. 🙂 Have a great week!
Your home is simply gorgeous and definitely not trendy…which btw will be out of date, but yours exudes warmth and long lasting and feels like it just wrap’s its arms around you.
I found your blog on a home tour and love seeing the transformation. When you said you love English country, you had my heart. I subscribe to English Country Home…I love how they aren’t so trendy as in America. I too have a hunting print over my mantle. I’ve owned it since the ‘80’s and will not part with it. So good for you for hanging what you love. So many homes are all white and neutrals. I love how you use color and also those darling pleated shades…just like in English homes. Thanks for sharing your process and style.