My ideal family room would look something like this:
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| image from Pottery Barn |
I have collected our family room furniture gradually and piece by piece; which is probably similar to the way many families have furnished their homes. But, my style and preferences have changed over the years. As well, I have made a few unfortunate decorating decisions, and the result is that the room doesn't feel 'pulled together'.
As tempting as it would be to sell everything on Craigslist and start fresh, not only is that not in the budget, it's also not necessary because the furniture is in good shape. (I think the green corduroy on the sofas must be made of kryptonite it's so durable!)
Instead, my plan is to identify the areas in the family room that irritate me the most and then make some changes- all on a teeny, tiny budget.
The family room has a fairly awkward floor plan. The room is about 11 ft x 17 ft. There is a doorway that leads to the kitchen and another doorway that goes to the hall. We have a north facing window that doesn't let in a large amount of natural light, so the room tends to be dark.
We need to arrange the furniture so that five people can watch t.v. at once. I really like the sofas, and I would like to add some more pillows to be extra comfy and to lighten the overall look.
Next, I think the area carpet is too dark and too small for the look I'm hoping for. The big problem is that my husband thinks it's fine. He's in 'Decorating Denial'.
I would love to throw caution to the wind and buy a light area carpet, but that would be very impractical since the dog hasn't learned how to tip-toe around the carpet when he has muddy paws.
I blame pregnancy hormones for my decision to hire an electrician to install one single wall sconce on the wall to the left of the sofa. I went through an anti-symmetry phase about 10 years ago- it's something I truly regret.
I'm working on some ideas to balance the areas to the left and right of the sofa.
The family room has a floor to ceiling corner field-stone fireplace which completely overpowers the room. I think there should be a law against corner fireplaces. On the positive side, though, a real wood fire is very enjoyable on cold winter nights.
The blue wing chair is in excellent condition. We originally had two wing chairs, but I sold one.... it was a casualty of my anti-symmetry phase. The chair would look fine in the room if it was a different color, but right now it looks out of place.
I'm going to pull together a more attractive mantel display. I think I'll look for some white accessories... possibly a small green plant. I'll also repaint to further freshen up the room.
We like to sprawl and relax in the family room, have snacks, watch t.v., play board games or use the wii. I think a coffee table of some sort would be very convenient; somewhere we can set down a bowl of popcorn and drinks.
I have wanted to update the family room for a long time now, so I'm really excited to get started!
Job one in the mini-makeover is painting. I'll keep you posted on the other changes as they happen.
Wish me luck!
