It’s been a little over a week since our family room got a full makeover! If you missed it, you can see the full transformation here. Today, I want to take you on a “close up” tour of the room. Our new room is family friendly, even though on the surface it looks like you should walk around with booties and gloves on! The team at A Well Dressed Home, helped me create a room that is beautiful and livable.

I truly believe, no matter what your stage in life, you can have a home that is just as beautiful as it is livable. I shared lots of tips on how to teach  your children to respect your home here. Let’s talk about how you can create a livable, beautiful family room too!

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How to Create a Livable + Beautiful Family Room

Before you add one thing to your room, add some character to the room with paint and trim. Any home can look custom with a few touches. Try adding crown molding, taller baseboards, wainscoting and / or  a fresh coat of paint.

This doesn’t have to happen all at once. We painted our house 2 years ago, added crown molding and new baseboards 6 months ago. Make a plan that works for your budget and implement a plan to get it done according to what works for your family.

Our wall color is Ralph Lauren’s Edwardian Linen, mixed by Dunn Edwards. After trying out dozens of paint options, my kind sister in law shared her paint color with me! It is the perfect creamy white. We have it through our whole house. The baseboards and moldings are painted with Behr’s Swiss Coffee mixed by Dunn Edwards.

Here’s a look back at our trim we added to the coffered ceiling and our paint color BEFORE the makeover…

Lighting is where you can really give your room a personality all it’s own! Chances are your children and pets can’t reach the over head light in your room, so have some fun with what you select. Yes, balls and legos may find there way in direct contact with your light, but the everyday finger prints and wear and tare will be spared. Go ahead and select a light with crystals! They always come with a few extra, so if an accident happens, it’s not the end of the world!

Most of the lighting in our home is from Lighting Design Company. They have the best selection of lighting! If you don’t see what you are looking for, you can call them and they can special order lights too. I called and had them order my light for me. Click here for details on my light. 

Our table lamps are stylish AND heavy so they won’t knock over easily if a flying object hits them. I love the gold base and crackle finish. The curves of the base soften the lines of the room.

My desk lamp is made of alabaster. I love it!

When you are designing a room for a family, durability is KEY!!! We had leather sofas before, which are so so durable, but weren’t the “look” I wanted anymore. The couches I was looking at in stores just didn’t seem to have the fabric that would hold up to 5 kids, one husband and lots of visitors. When I saw A Well Dressed Home touting a beautiful couch, with the lines I wanted in a color similar to what I was looking for, I had to know more!

One of the benefits to using a designer is they have access to higher quality fabrics than you can get from local big box furniture companies. The fabric on our new couches is virtually indestructible! The day they arrived, my daughter sat on them with her brand new maroon pants. The dye from the denim transferred onto the fabric leaving a pink hue on the cushion. I simply took a wet rag and wiped it off. The next day, my youngest son, rubbed his chocolate fingers on the back of the couch. Once again, at little water took it right out. You can pour bleach on this fabric and it will be fine!

The ottoman in our room was purchased, then recovered in a gray velvet fabric that is also indestructible!  You can contact their team to find out more about my couch and ottoman.

The chairs in the room are also covered in a high quality fabric and can be scotch guarded for even more protection. You can find my chairs here.

We have 5 children, 4 of them are boys. Having pieces of furniture that won’t tip when they are run into is a must! Find side and end tables that have a little weight to them.

My kids are always hiding in the drapes. I am always pulling them up to mop or clean. This leaves them with wrinkles, looking unkept. Having drapery that is wrinkle free keeps your home looking tailored and neat. I can’t even tell you have much I love the Cozy Linen Drapes from Q Design Centre! The fabric drapes beautifully and I don’t have to worry about it wrinkling because it is wrinkle free! I selected ones with a 6″ 2 fold pleat in Polar. They will also send you samples so you can see the colors and fabrics in your home.

Click on the photo to shop our drapes!

If you are thinking about getting some for your home, get the samples now! They have a sale once a year, the week of Black Friday. If you know which color and fabric you want, you can order that week and save yourself some time and money. They also have the most gorgeous drapery hardware. We switched ours out from wood to brass and LOVE them!

When we were designing the family room, I knew one thing had to stay the same, our family collage. Our family room just wouldn’t feel like home without the faces of the ones we love the most! Emily suggested using a champagne colored  frame that wasn’t too gold or silver. I found these Bowery Frames at Framebridge and knew they would be perfect! You send them your art or photos and they frame them for you. They ship them back to you all ready to hang!

My dad loves rocks and has taught me to love them too.

I have a large geode we found together sitting on a side table.

I’ve mentioned how much my mom loves blue and white. There is a ginger jar filled with my favorite white hydrangeas that remind me of her.

My mother in law was the ultimate in party throwing! I have entertaining books on my desks that conjure up memories of party tips she has shared with me. Find ways to bring your family and memories into your room. This is what gives your room heart and soul.

Coffee Table Accessories

Desk Accessories

Side Table Accessories

This is huge! Pillows and throws are what a family lives on, literally! They must be washable or don’t even give them a second thought! I look for pillows with a zipper that can easily be slipped off for washing. Below are the pillows we used in our makeover.

A cozy throw is fabulous and luxurious! There are many that can not be washed! Check the tag before you purchase! We used the Eva throw from Pom Pom at Home because it is fabulous AND washable! I also love these throws we have in baskets behind the couch.

Your room will look neat and clean if you have enough storage. Shop for good baskets to store blankets and toys. I like to store toys in baskets behind our couch. Each one holds toys, puzzles, and books.

I found a large clean lined basket for throws that I love! It is hard to find large baskets that don’t look too country!

We love our new family friendly family room! Here, we will spend hours making memories and sharing lots of laughs! I hope you can use some of these tips to create a livable+ beautiful family room of your own! Never miss a post! Click on the button below to receive our weekly email…

A special thank you to A Well Dressed Home for designing this room and to my sponsors Lighting Design, Frame Bridge, Q Design Centre and Pom Pom at Home. These are some of my favorite brands! 

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