Family Room: Stage 1

I’m going to change things up on the blog a bit going forward. I’ve always posted very edited and styled photos on my site and feed because who doesn’t like staring at pretty pictures when they open their Instagram app? But I’ve heard from many of you that you’d like to see more of the process and not just my home when it’s completely finished. I’ll take you room by room to show the before, afters ,and all the in-betweens.
First up is my favorite room in the house, our family room. It’s said to be the prior barn of the property adjacent to us dating back to around 1825. As you can see from the photos below, it has all the charm. My favorite aspects of the room have to be the fireplace, exposed beams, and tall ceilings. One of the walls in the room is essentially all windows, so it fills with natural light throughout the day. 

It’s my hope that this room will be the easiest and quickest to complete. Don’t worry I haven’t forgotten to take my time in our forever home, but we spend a lot of time in here and it can’t hurt to have one finished room for now. As I mentioned in a prior blog post, we want to keep this home clutter free and will air on the less is more approach. At this time, I’m only planning to add some throw pillows to the sectional, a coffee table and some wall art. 

When we moved in the the previous owners had left the rug and sectional which gave us a great start. I knew I’d incorporate my gingham club chairs into the space then add some ginger jars and call it a room. The fireplace makes such a statement that I don’t want to take away from it. At some point we will consider changing out the pendant lights, but they do the trick for now. 

So I’ve identified what I’m looking for but now how do I go about finding what pieces I want? I hit the world wide web. Now I know this isn’t how everyone operates and some people are much more hands on and need to see things in person, but I’m sharing in case you’re an online junkie like me. I always start by going over all of my inspiration photos on both Pinterest and my saved Instagram posts. I’m constantly revisiting my saved Instagram posts to check in for inspiration. This helps me determine what direction I want to go in with the room as well as get a visual sense of what color combinations and pieces may or may not work in the room.

As for pillows, my go-to is Etsy. As I mentioned in a prior pillow blog post, I find styles and fabrics I like and if they’re on the more expensive big brand sites I‘ll head over to Etsy to search for better deals. I love throw pillows, but they’re one of those items I have a hard time spending a fortune on because they inevitably get swapped out due to child damage or refresh urges.

Because of our sectional’s shape and size, I knew I’d be searching for a round or square coffee table. And since we already have a good bit of colors in the space, I knew I didn’t want a loud statement table. I’d been on the hunt for a neutral piece that adds practicality and value to the room without stealing the show. Again I spent most of time on places like Chairish and Etsy. Be sure to check back in a few weeks for the coffee table reveal.

Now last but not least, the wall space above the gingham club chairs. I’ll be honest I’m having the hardest time here. I’ve tossed around the idea of a mirror behind the lamp, but don’t love it. I’ve also considered one large piece of art work, again I’m not feeling it. Panels perhaps? At the moment I’m leaning towards 6-8 framed botanical prints, but don’t hold me to it! Keep checking in for family room updates and I’ll share other room plans as we chip away.