Amy’s Design Dilemma
When Amy wrote to us asking for some family room CPR, we jumped at the chance to add function and style to the large living space that her family desperately needs to maximize on a strict budget. Here’s her letter:
A co-worker of mine shared your blog with me a week ago after she found it on www.cvillestyle.com and I recalled seeing the article in R. Home and wanted to seek your advice on making over our family room. My husband and I bought our 1950s cape-style home six years ago… a few short years later and we’ve added three to our family (a schnoodle dog, a three-year-old son and an 18 month old daughter) and are in dire need of more communal space. We have a great space but it just needs some design help to make it comfortable and cozy for the whole family. We’d love assistance with a color palate and the layout. It’s a strangely shaped room (“L” shape) and the furniture we have now is sparse. We don’t have a huge budget to work with, so any help you can give us using what we have (while adding a few affordable pieces) would be great. We like the rug and the picture above the fireplace and would love to use those in the design, but we aren’t wedded to anything. Thanks so much for your time and thought. I love your blog and very much look forward to your response. -Amy
We think Amy’s L-shaped space is bursting with the potential for a few distinct areas for tons of family function & fun. So here comes our handy dandy mood board to break it all down:
Here’s the mood board breakdown.
1. A fresh new palette will work wonders on this space, so we’d suggest painting the paneled walls (and that dark brown ceiling trim) a pale green hue (try Glidden’s Pine Scent) for a calm and refreshing feel. We also think that painting the entire brick fireplace a crisp white (along with the doors, door frames, window frames, and even the brick hearth) will add a completely current feel to the room. The brighter green color will serve as our accent color (along with a tiny splash of eggplant for contrast) and the neutral tan tone represents the color we’d like to see on the couch (in the form of an easy-clean slipcover that Amy can grab at Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, or Linens N’ Things on the cheap). So although the mood board appears very white and stark, the big tan couch and the green walls will add color while the light wood furniture will keeps things casual and cool.
2. This adorable and über affordable children’s table and chair set from Ikea will definitely work with our small budget to introduce a reading/drawing/work area for Amy’s children. We’ll get to where it goes in a minute.
3. We’d love to see two of these discounted accent pillows on the tan slipcovered couch- and since they’re eco-friendly and budget friendly they’re truly the perfect choice.
4. This bookcase represents the one that the couple currently has along the wall in the second photo, and we think that they can definitely rework it by placing it along the back wall (in place of the small table and chair arrangement). We’re willing to bet that no one really uses that seating area anyway, and we think the bookcase would add function to that unused wall (plus they can add baskets to the bottom shelf for toy storage). Moving the bookcase frees up space for the children’s table and chair set, which we think would look great against the left wall with the colorful striped rug beneath it to define the kids-only area. Lastly, painting the wooden hutch on the opposite wall a pale tan or a pure white color will definitely allow it to stylishly coexist with all the lighter woods in the space (and make it appear less bulky to boot).
5. We couldn’t resist this adorable rocking chair (in our accent color no less) to sit on the striped rug in the children’s zone. And at $9.99 (!) it’s a fun and frugal addition to the space.
6. We think that simplifying the mantle will allow the artwork above it to really shine (which is one of Amy’s favorite things in the room), so by removing all the objects and replacing them with two natural and serene accents, we think the mantle will feel lighter and effortlessly stylish. The first item we’d suggest would be a simple $16 piece of faux coral that could replace all the objects on the right side of the mantle. Stay tuned for the second object for the left side…
7. This woven basket can stand on a table or be hung on a wall, and we think hanging a series of three of them horizontally on the wall above the kids table will add stylish storage that also serves as wall art. Heck, at $6.99 each, Amy could even introduce a few more above the adult desk area for added storage as well.
8. One piece that we definitely tried to work with was the existing chair and ottoman in the living area, but we just couldn’t make the darker wood tone and the retro shape work. So we did the next best thing by searching high and low until we found a clean and current looking arm chair (that matches our light wood) tones and won’t break the bank). Where else can you find a $149 arm chair that rocks (both literally and figuratively)? And by painting Amy’s round pedestal table white (which we displaced by moving the bookcase to the back wall) it can serve as a side table next to her fab new arm chair (since the current side table is a tad too dark). The seating area as a whole will look less awkward after relocating the striped rug to the kids zone, since it seemed to accentuate the diagonal placement of the couch. Bringing in two simple square ottomans (from Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, or Linens N Things) in place of a coffee table will also add storage and seating to the space while warming it up even more.
9. And now for the second accent piece for the mantle, which could replace everything on the left side. This stunning faux orchid is so believable (and maintenance free) that we couldn’t resist. And since green’s complement is purple (they’re across from each other on the color wheel) it’ll really pop.
10. And last but not least we have the office area, which we think would look great in tones of white to balance out the white armoire on the other side of the fireplace. Switching out the current desk and the bookcase divider for this super affordable Target desk and fabulously cheap Ikea chair will make the office seem cleaner and more updated while adding the perfect pop of white to balance that big white armoire.
So there it is, Amy’s fresh and fun family room makeover. We think just repainting will make all the difference in the world, and we’re certain that adding a children’s zone will add function and purpose to the space. What do you guys think? Any ideas to add to the mix?
Update: We sadly can no longer find the time to take on client commissioned mood boards (we now whip up general inspiration boards instead) but if we ever reinstate them we’ll make a big announcement!
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I love the green accent colors. I agree that repainting the walls the light green will make a world of difference.
Do you think they need a rug in front of the couch to anchor that space as well? If the striped rug becomes the children’s area rug, what kind of rug (patterned, striped, sisal, plain) do you recommend for the couch area?
Hey Jani,
We actually opted to move the rug because we thought any rug placed diagonally in that area would look very, well, diagonal to us. Since it enforces the less than ideal angle (and gets very close to the hearth of the fireplace) we thought leaving the space open in front of the couch would create a more natural path (so people wouldn’t be walking over parts of the slanted rug) and the fireplace would become more of a focal point while the couch, walls and floor become serene and neutral supporting actors in the space. Of course, details like that are totally subjective, so if Amy finds that she prefers a rug there (or you have a similar set-up that looks great with a rug) of course we always believe in doing what works for you!
And just in case you’re wondering in general what rug we’d add to the room (if the diagonal placement weren’t an issue) we’d probably suggest a neutral toned flokati or shag since they’d be great for snuggling by the fire. It’s all about keeping the focus on that fab feature and not on the rectangle on the floor, so we’re usually drawn to more plain/neutral rugs for the most part. But we do love that fun striped rug for the kid’s zone! Hope that helps:)
xo,
Sherry
Amy’s got a tough space … but not too tough for Sherry & John! My only comment was going to be about the height of Amy’s mantle, but the more I look at it and envision that wall white, maybe it doesn’t make a hill o’ beans difference. I suppose lowering the mantle for a squatty/wide fireplace could visually lengthen that wall even more, but it’s hard to tell if that section of the “L” room needs elongating …..
There’s probably a handy formula for the height of a mantle based upon its width …. and if there is, now I feel compelled to know it!
Youngsters-
You did a great job with suggestions for Amy’s space! I’m her co-worker who introduced her to your blog and new obsession. I think the white brick fireplace will really open up the space and love the chair you picked out! I know Amy’s crafty enough to pull an awesome redo off!
I’m no designer but knowing Amy and her kids’ need for play I would probably add a couple of things to the room… some large baskets or low hinged bench for toy storage (lots o’ Thomas trains!). And I think a smattering of kid pictures in big (8 x 10) bold frames in empty spaces on the book shelves, mantle, etc. would make the space really homey.
I love the fake coral for $16 but my link didn’t work. Where’s that from? I want some for me!
Emily,
Sorry the link wasn’t working! The coral is actually from zgallerie.com and their site has been down for a bit but it should be up any minute now. So strange. As for your suggestions, I love ‘em. We’re huuuge fans of storage anywhere and everywhere, so baskets and hinged benches sound fab to us. And the picture frames would also really cozy things up so great ideas all around!
xoxo,
Sherry
I love the moodboard you created, specially the idea of giving the kids their own space. And well, green and purple is soooo pretty!
Thanks so much for the design advice — I LOVE the moodboard and the suggestions! I like the light green paint, but we have two other rooms painted a very similar color (our dining room and sun room). Would that be too much green, or tie the rooms together? I love the idea to move the bookcase, but to make it fit we will have to remove the door (it is closed in the photograph. No big deal as we don’t close it often, and I know you love removing doors (from the recent post about your bathroom closet!). The idea for the kids area is perfect, so we will progress with that as well. I think we could move the rug to this area and agree with you about it looking very angled, but we have a terrible carpet stain to hide. We can play around with a shag rug (as suggested in the comments) or work to find a coffee table/ottoman that will help. I plan to de-clutter the desk and paint our current one white (it’s very minimal, you just can’t tell under the junk!) and get a new white chair as suggested. Again, thanks so much. My in-laws are at our house priming this room as I type!
Hey Amy,
So glad you love the moodboard! We’re really excited about the change and think it’ll definitely be dramatic as well as functional. And we’re so glad to hear that you have similar green tones in other spaces. We love that because it’ll make your whole home feel cohesive and balanced (we only use three wall colors in our 9 room home to keep things feeling open and related to one another).
Oh and as for having to remove the door to accommodate the bookcase- that’s a happy accident. That’ll unify the space and invite people into the room more than you know (even doors that are always open have a way of making rooms feel more separate and closed off). Hurrah! We’re also so happy that you can paint your current desk (we’re all about DIY projects and saving money) so that’s great news.
Be sure to keep us posted with lots of pictures!!!
xoxo,
Sherry
LOVE this! I would love to see some “in progress” shots of this project… I know how project time-lines get really stretched with kiddos in the house, but if in-laws were priming this room on my wedding anniversary… I imagine the space already looks totally different! I love the addition of low child-sized furniture… what better way to let them know they have their own place in the family room?
I’m so curious to hear how this is working out for Amy’s family.