Call it the nesting instinct, but Aimee
– then eight months pregnant – decided her family room needed to
be reborn.
This dark, dated space had seen better days
– several decades ago. With dark paneled walls, lots of
brickwork, a popcorn ceiling and burlap-style drapes, this space
was a monument to 1970s decor.
Call it the nesting instinct, but Aimee – then eight months pregnant – decided her family room needed to be reborn.
This dark, dated space had seen better days – several decades ago. With dark paneled walls, lots of brickwork, a popcorn ceiling and burlap-style drapes, this space was a monument to 1970s decor.
Now, with a new addition to her family on the way, Aimee’s renovation clock was ticking. She wanted to turn her dated family room into a contemporary space that was child-friendly and had lots of storage space for toys, videos and games. She wanted to keep the existing neutral camel carpeting, but pretty much everything else had to go.
The first thing we did was brighten all that paneling and brickwork with a fresh coat of cream paint. We also applied some heat-resistant black paint around the fireplace opening to make it stand out against the cream brickwork.
Next, we tackled the room’s lack of lighting. Since patching a popcorn ceiling is a real pain in the neck, we employed a sneaky little trick to avoid all that patchwork. We installed a number of recessed lights around the edges of the room, running the wiring around the perimeter at the juncture of wall and ceiling.
Then we installed some decorative crown molding, which added architectural interest while camouflaging all those wires. The end result was a much brighter space, with the lights complemented by wall sconces on either side of the couch.
The burlap drapes in front of the room’s patio doors were sent right back to the potato farm they came from. I selected a luscious striped silk that incorporates our color palette of pewter, ebony and camel. A simple center-split drapery really frames the view of the patio and dresses up these large doors.
With a toddler on hand and a new baby on the way, this family room really needed to get organized. So we designed some custom cherry cabinetry to flank the fireplace. One cabinet acts as a multimedia center for the TV and audio-visual equipment.
The other cabinet is strictly for the kids, with deep drawers to hold lots of books and toys. Some black shelving above the cabinetry makes a dramatic stage for photos and other collectibles against the light cream walls.
One of the ways to add interest to a neutral color scheme like this one is by adding lots of contrast. Aimee had inherited a beige sofa and loveseat that we moved into the family room, but this neutral color just didn’t pop out enough against our light walls.
So we recovered the sofa in a dark, durable pewter fabric and added some throw cushions in shades of cream, camel and ebony. Apart from their style and elegance, all the fabrics in this room were chosen for their durability, a key factor to consider when two kids will be using this space.
To create a conversational grouping for the adults, I brought a couple of distressed leather club chairs, which will stand the test of time and the extra “distress” they’re sure to get from the kids.
A gorgeous mirror over the fireplace and some special family photos framed and displayed on the walls really finish this space off.
With a high-contrast neutral color scheme, beautiful built-in cabinetry and a lighting boost, this space has gone from dark to divine.
