Janis’ Design Dilemma
When Janis contacted us for help with her family room, we snatched up our paint swatches and snapped into action. Here’s her letter:
I need help pulling my family room together but I already purchased a lot of new furniture- I read about you too late!- and all the current furniture in the space will be going to relatives. I’ve already bought a creamy-tan sofa, two darker tan tweed chairs, and a subtly neutral and sage green patterned chair but I can buy more seating if you think I missed something (and can eliminate one tweed chair if necessary). I still need a wall color, a new coffee table, art work or a mirror for above the sofa/fireplace, a new fireplace surround and hearth?, window treatments, an area rug, and adequate lighting. I could also paint the current TV cabinet if you think that’s a good idea. We plan to mount a small flat screen TV to the wall between the sliding glass door and the kitchen window. I like traditional with a twist- I’m trying for a younger look and I like Pottery Barn and Target among many other stores. I also like subtle patterns and colors for a soft and inviting look. Oh and the counter in the foreground of the picture will be replaced with a warm taupey-gray Silestone counter (in Mountain Mist) and the adjoining kitchen will have maple cabinets with a light cherry stain. Thanks so much for your help! – Janis
With all the furniture above getting handed off to relatives, we truly had a blank slate to work with (aside from factoring in Janis’ new couch and chairs). So without further ado, our sophisticated, traditional with a twist mood board with pretty sage and jade tones accented by a few soothing neutrals:
And now for the mood board breakdown.
1. Our color palette will be a nice balance between warm and welcoming neutrals set off by a few tones of green (from sage to jade and everywhere in between). We plucked our accent color from the sage green patterned chair that Janis already purchased (not pictured) and decided to add some dimension and interest with some bolder green accessories while tempering everything with neutral window treatments, furniture items, and a plush new area rug. As for the wall color, we think a subtle silvery sage color (try Benjamin Moore’s Tea Light) will complement all the new items that Janis will be bringing into the space, including the new Silestone counter and travertine fireplace surround that we dug up. And removing the floral border before painting the walls will de-emphasize the different ceiling heights and allow the entire space to feel loftier and less closed in.
2. We searched high and low for a comparable sofa to the one that Janis already purchased (not shown in her snapshot above as they haven’t arrived yet) and this sophisticated two-cushion sofa from Pottery Barn is extremely similar in shape and in tone. It’ll look great for decades thanks to the crisp and timeless lines and the chic and classic creamy tan color. As for the layout of the space, we’d actually suggest facing the sofa towards the fireplace to accent that as the focal wall and immediately make the room seem more balanced. We’ll also bring in a sofa table (stay tuned…) to make sure the view of the back of the sofa from the adjoining kitchen is a pleasant one. And then Janis can bring in her two matching tweed chairs and place them on either side of the fireplace and position her sage green accent chair somewhere nearby for as much comfortable and welcoming seating as possible.
3. Janis also requested some art work and maybe a mirror for her space. We though this series of botanical canvases will look crisp and fresh in place of the single framed piece on the left wall, and the price is seriously right (you’d be hard pressed to find three frames for this price, and since these pieces are canvas, they’re ready to hang). We also dug up a pretty fabulous mirror for above the fireplace (but you’ll have to be patient for the full details…).
4. With her new sofa facing the fireplace, the perfect coffee table along with a chic new rug will help to ground the seating area. We love this curvy coffee table, and the copper and black finish paired with the glass top will add some interest and look less matchy-matchy than another dark wood piece would. And the fact that it’s 15% off is the icing on the cake.
5. This gorge chair represents the two tweed chairs that Janis already purchased (and the soft curves play off the ones in the coffee table) so we added this similarly styled chair to the mood board so Janis (and the rest of you!) can get an idea of how her new chairs will fit into our design. And since it’s $200 off, it’s actually quite a steal!
6. We instantly fell in love with this lamp to complete Janis’ fresh, traditional-with-a-twist vision. The black nickel base will tie in with our black metal coffee table, and there’s something extremely timeless yet oh-so-current about it. So chic! Nestled beside one of her tweed chairs on either side of the fireplace, this lamp will allow for cozy fireside reading, while another stylishly mismatched table lamp (coming right up…) on a delicate side table (like this) will keep the other chair from looking overly balanced and expected.
7. Another item that will definitely polish the space in a snap are these gorge bicolor silk window panels which, once hung high and wide around each window will frame the view without robbing Janis of any natural light (or the view).
8. We adored these richly colored jade bottles from ZGallerie. Placed on the mantle (or even on the TV table on the right side of the room, which we think that Janis should paint in a glossy black color) they’ll add a punch of color that Janis can also bring in with pillows, throws, and other ceramic accessories.
9. Here are our two natural stone items that will be added to the space, the first in the form of a natural and neutral travertine mosaic tile fireplace surround and the second in the form of those Mountain Mist Silestone countertops that Janis already had her eye on. You can see that both natural elements will work perfectly with all the other items that Janis will be bringing in, and the variations in tone and material will keep the room feeling luxe as well as super interesting.
10. Here’s the aforementioned sofa table to ensure that once Janis places her sofa towards the fireplace that the back view is just as pretty as the front (and for under $100 it’s a total steal).
11. Here’s the super swanky mirror that we dug up for above the fireplace. We think it will expand the space, reflect tons of light, and emphasize the entire fireplace wall for a definite focal point in the room.
12. And of course no family room can be cozy and complete without a plush and inviting rug to ground the seating area and provide softness under foot. We’re partial to this subtly patterned wool rug by JC Penney in Capuccino (in fact it used to live in our living room, and now happily resides in our guest bedroom) and we think it’ll look just gorgeous with all the lighter neutral tones in the space (and the honeycomb detail will be visible through the glass coffee table too- fab!).
13. And last but not least, our other current and fresh looking lamp for the space. We think this one will balance out the floor lamp (which will flank one of the tweed chairs by the fireplace) and plopping it down on a curvy and sleek side table like this will provide reading light for the other chair and ambiance to spare.
So there it is. Janis’ fresh and fabulous family room makeover. We can’t wait to hear what you guys think!
Update: Janis sent us her after pictures and they’re nothing short of amazing! Check them out right here.
Update #2: 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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What a wonderful mood board! Love it!
I’m in love with the couch!
Another outstanding batch of suggestions! I need lamps and an 8×10 rug under my dining table. I wish these items weren’t always so expensive. Even the sale price on the rug above seems like a lot to me. Is it, though?
LOVE it all! Thanks for a great job and all your research on my behalf. Fantastic! Thanks again, Janis
Hey guys,
So glad you’re diggin’ our ideas- especailly you Janis. We can’t wait to see how it all turns out. Keep us posted!
And as for your rug question Jbhat, unfortunately they can be pretty expensive when it comes to big sizes (5×8 and up) and especially when you’re looking for soft and inviting wool ones (this is actually a great price for a 5×8 wool rug with such a luxe detail- which is why we snatched one up about six months ago).
It’s rare that we spend over a hundred bucks or so on a piece (save for a sofa, an arm chair, or another large item of furniture) and it’s easy to think that a big flat square on the floor should be less expensive than those other 3D pieces… but the right rug can really polish off a space, ground or define a certain area, and create an inviting and cozy feel. So you usually get a lot of bang for your buck after all!
There are definitely even cheaper materials out there (like natural jute rugs and synthetic stuff) but there are also $1200 5×8 wool rugs at places like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel so when you find something that looks posh and high-end (like the honeycomb design above in wool) at a less expensive retailer like JC Penney it’s usually safe to say that it’s a great deal and can certainly take your space to the next level. Hope that helps! Happy rug hunting…
xoxo,
Sherry
I absolutely love this board! Especially the beautiful botanical prints…although I’m about two years late in the game and they’re no longer available at Ikea. Anyone seen anything similar anywhere recently? Thanks in advance!
:)
You might want to check out a site like art.com or allposters.com (search “orchid”) for something similar. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks Sherry! You’re so sweet to reply. I will check it out! :) :)