Our Family Room

Just like my underwear I am constantly changing, (I may occasionally pee them a little while laughing or sneezing, I’ve had 4 kids what can I say?) so is the family room constantly changing.   I love my white slip covered furniture, I really do.  Even though most days it looks like this with dog prints and kid marks, no not skid marks, kid marks.

With my kitchen looking so lovely after painting the cabinets, it was time to get this puppy done!

 

The last time I updated on this room was last March after I painted the Gray Owl, a good start but I didn’t love it.

After living with it in a state of like but not loving, I stole the black bookcase from the entryway, put the octagonal table up for sale on CL and brought the black trunk and green chair down from our bedroom.  I then played around with the mantel until I really was happy with it, in case you don’t already know, I hate decorating the mantel.  The federal mirror was a thrift store find for $4.  A little rub n buff turned it gold, it was originally bronze.  The mirror was free from my neighbor.  The rest of the mantel finds are clearance from Target and Kohls.

After studying my living room board on Pinterest I know some things I like in my living room now and one of them is bold window treatments aka curtains.  I found the black and white ones in the family room at Target on clearance for $5 for 2 panels or $10 total for all 4.

I love gold/brass whatever you want to call it and, I don’t care if it goes out of style, I love it!   The same for black, I really like touches of it here and there.  Classic black.

gold white ektorp gray living room

ektorp couch white gray living room black gold

If it isn’t kids, the dogs feel a need to be in the photo shoot as well.  Good thing they are cute!

Here’s a little before and after so you can see how far this room has come.  This was from the fall of 2011 so we had only been in our home for a few months and I was trying to use what we had until I could figure out what I wanted, the trim had yet to be painted and it was beige all over!

lrcollage2

The room is furnished with CL finds, thrift store treasures, Target clearance and items I’ve transformed with spray paint and Rub N’ Buff.  I am cheap and don’t like to spend a lot of money.  Our current tv stand is a dresser from CL that I painted and once used as a buffet in our dining room.  My hubby removed the top drawer, fitted the area with plywood that I painted black, drilled some holes for cables and voila, a tv stand.   The coffee table was another CL find for $20, it’s been in our bedroom, the formal living room and it’s found a new home here in the family room.   The lamp on the side table was another thrift store purchase for $5 and the black reading lamp in the corner was a target clearance for $11, originally $40.   One of the only things besides my couch and chairs that I paid full price for, is the starburst mirror by Martha Stewart at Home Depot.  It makes me happy.   The horse picture in the corner above the chair was from my mother-in-law.  She had it in her bedroom as a child and knew I was a vintage kind of girl so she passed it on to me After a year of finding things and taking my time, I finally have a room that I am proud of!!!!

Future plans for this room include building bookshelves around the fireplace and stone over the tile surround, replacing the carpeting with wood floors and I would love to cover up the popcorn ceiling with planking and get
rid of the eyeball lighting.  Until I win the lottery or a makeover from HGTV, I think this room will be staying like this for a while.  I have many other rooms and projects waiting for me!

Linking up here:



Comments

  1. Rachelle says

    I like all the changes you’ve made. It’s been fun to see the progress on Instagram then see it all come together here. Love it!

  2. says

    I love the new arrangement…it looks so cozy now. I think the white lamp blends in too much with the white furniture. Perhaps painting it a blue/teal to pop against the black & white in the room.

    I’m constantly changing around my living room furniture…I just can’t get a look I love long term.

  3. Lisa@before meets after says

    Love it! The black and the pops of gold and teal are my fave! Now I must need you down here to help me with a room ;)

  4. says

    Ange!!! You totally nailed the lighting on those photos {third photo to last!} They are stunning! Remember when you took the photos? Write down what time a day you took those photos and remember that the next time you take photos. Sorry, I’m sure you’re more interested in what I think about the items actually IN the photos…lol. First of all, the STEAL on those drapes at Target is AWESOME! I LOVE a deal like that one! You GO girl! {I so need some good drapes in my living room…still don’t have any good ones since my sewing failure.} You also did a FABULOUS job on your MANTEL! I have become accustomed to your lack of desire for decorating your mantel since I’ve been reading your blog. Cracks me up because it is my favorite thing to decorate in my home. ;) I love the window because it gives you good height to fill up the big wall space over your mantel. You should ALWAYS decorate in whatever colors YOU enjoy because it is YOUR HOME. Black really pops I have found and use it quite a bit in my home as well. Ahhhh…you know just how to place everything in your home. It has come together beautifully.

    I’m having a real hard time in my home right now. You know I’m in the middle of a closet overhaul. Took 8 bags to Goodwill today. Yet, I look around and seems like there is still so much stuff…ugh…I’m a recovering pack rat from my Mom. I so wish you could come hang out with me for a week and help me…sigh. Love ya!

  5. says

    This room is gorgeous! Can’t believe you got such a steal on the curtains….and I love the contrast the black gives!!
    And if course–those two pups are adorable!!

  6. says

    Hi, Ange. I just found your blog through another one. Love your style!! I saw your anxiety post and just had to comment. I, too, have a terrible awful fear of dentists. When I was a child, we went to a dentist who didn’t deaden before drilling and I will never forgot steeling myself in that chair for the inevitable sharp jolts whenever he hit a nerve. It was awful and thankfully we didn’t go to him very long. But to this day the sound of a dental drill just sends me into panic mode. I neglected my teeth for years, only going in when I had a serious issue, and recently made a vow to get things in order. I searched for a sedation dentist who would put me to sleep to do the work and found a wonderful one. We talked about my anxiety at the first visit and he wanted to try without using full sedation and see how I did. I’ve spent several thousand dollars but my mouth is now in perfect order WITHOUT the need for sedation. I just takes the right person to calm those fears.

  7. says

    Love it. It’s simply gorgeous. What a great deal on those drapes! Love them! Especially love the Schnauzer though. So cute! and I also know about the peeing on oneself when laughing or sneezing. I never thought it would happen to me after all, I really am not that old, lol. Have a fantastic day!

  8. Jan says

    Your doggies are color-coordinated with your room! Truly, it’s a great transformation. I’m with you on decorating the mantle/mantel — it’s like torture for me, but I’m ever-so-slowly (teensy-weensy baby steps) sorta kinda getting the hang of it. My problem was trying to do what I saw on the internet, rather than finally sitting down and figuring out what it was I liked in each of those mantles/mantels I was tryjng to imitate. While imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, working it out on your own is the BEST feeling when you get it right for you.

  9. says

    well this looks amazing! like you, i’m loving gold and black these days, but i’m not going to change out all of my silver accents. are those the same curtains in the way before photo? they look even better with the room now. how funny those didn’t need to be changed out!

  10. says

    OOooh! So pretty! I love the mirror on the window!

    I’d love if you’d link this up to my link party going on now! We just started partyin’ and we’d love to have you! I feature my favorites each week!

    XOXO, Mallory @ Classy Clutter

  11. says

    Love, love your room! I couldn’t agree more on the love for brass and black! I especially love your mantel, the horse painting, the curtains and coffee table. Well done!

    Angela

  12. says

    I LOVE your family room, Ange. I’m always re-arranging too. lol You did a beautiful job. Love every accent, your attention to detail and those adorable dogs!

  13. says

    I love everything. Where did you get the white slipcovers? I have a similar chair and the color is not going to work with my master bedroom redo.

  14. joy says

    i can’t even see the room all i can see is that horse picture! where did you find that! i grew up with one just like it on our wall!

  15. says

    Lovely room, but I’ll admit, the first thing that caught my eye was that horse painting.

    My mom had that (and it hung in my own room as a teenager). There were two, that one and one other. I haven’t seen one in years.

  16. says

    OH, Ange!
    It is so cozy now!
    Where did you get those bird pillows? I love them.
    I so enjoyed our chat today.
    Check you email for my cell #.
    Love and hugs!
    ~me

  17. says

    Love the color combo. Those curtains sure were a steal and put it all together. Love the doggies too. Mine does the same head tilt when I talk to her. I swear she understands me when she does that!

  18. says

    Ange,
    This room is absolutely beautiful! It looks like a magazine photo shoot and has just the right elements in every aspect to pull the room together and make it look perfect {well as perfect as a room can be}.
    Cheers to a great makeover!
    xo,
    Jennifer

  19. says

    came from TDC – what a great Target find with those curtains! At first look, I wouldn’t like that leaf pattern, but it totally works!! I wish I had an eye for design

Leave a Reply to Heart and Haven Cancel reply