Family Room Reveal

I'm so excited to finally share our new and improved family room with you! It took me almost three months to get to the finish line. Kind of double the time I first thought it was going to take me, but as they say, better late than never! ;)
The biggest project here, as many of you already know, was the built-in unit or entertainment center, six complete weeks were dedicated to building it. Then, the holidays arrived, and even though it was almost finished, the room looked messy with the entertainment center not having doors. I also needed to buy some accessories and decor pieces.

Anyhow, it is done and I'm very happy with how things turned out in this room!

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I wanted to give this makeover a name, and the two words that I think better describe it are Fresh & Functional. Let me show you why...

Let's start with the before. A room that was the storage space for whatever I didn't need in other rooms in the house. The lack of storage and dated and miss-matched furnishings were the biggest problem.

THE BUILT-IN UNIT

I now have to say that those six weeks it took me to build this unit were more than worth it! This is the project that brought a huge change to this room!

I flipped the function of the room, leaving the tv on the left and the sofa to the right. It works way better. We don't even have to turn the tv around, not even while watching in the adjacent kitchen.

The other side of the room was refreshed with a couple coats of BM White Dove paint. I was so tired of the brown paint, it darkened the room tremendously.

Now, most of the budget I had for this room was used to buy the materials for the built-in, and the rest of the room got a frugal makeover. I reused the curtains, they're still in great shape. I'm growing tired of them, but for now, they're staying. The wall art was a lucky find at my closest Target for only ten bucks, well, it had a damaged corner that I fixed. ;)

 |  Wall Art  | Curtains - similar  | 

THE FIREPLACE

I did nothing to the fireplace or mantel other than bringing a new piece of art. They opened an At Home store five miles from my home and that's where I found the abstract canvas for $20. It adds to the overall modern feel going on in this room.

I'm glad I decided to add a lighting fixture on the ceiling. It brings the eye all the way up, making the room higher than it's normal 9'. The drum shade was used above my kitchen table for many years until I changed it about a year ago.

|  Rug  |  Coffee Table  |  Drum Pendant Light - similar  |  Rolled Arm Accent Chair  |

THE SOFA

I was looking frantically for a sofa at the beginning of December because I wanted to have an almost finished room before my guests arrived for the holidays. I went for a white sofa because I think it's easier to clean up than a colored one. Among the hundreds of sofas I got to see, I chose this one because of its clean lines, fabric texture, and price. We like it. However, we're not liking that the cushions you sit on, keep on slipping out of place all the time. It's frustrating! We're reaching out to them to try to fix this issue.

I got the side table and the Kate Spade lamp at HomeGoods. Love the squiggly lines on the base of the lamp.

|  Kate Spade Lamp - HomeGoods |  

I also love my new flat woven rug. Not very soft, but it feels durable. I got the 9 x 12 size which covers pretty much all of the room.

THE CHAIRS

I ordered these chairs online, I was a bit skeptical when I noticed their price, but I'm very pleased with them. They are on the small side, which is good for us having a small room. They have this soft, velvet kind of fabric that I like and give the room a cozy feel, yet the entire chair feels very sturdy.

GREENS

I decided to pair up my mostly neutral décor with green. In my opinion, that's the beauty of having a neutral room. I can change the color of my accessories, flowers, etc. to any color I want.

On the other side of the sofa, I only added the floor lamp, I might bring a smaller side table later on.

UPDATE: I built a dog crate that doubles as a side table for this spot. You can see it right HERE.

|  Cantilever Floor Lamp  |  Wall Art  | Curtains - similar  | 

Back in this corner of the room, I added a fiddle leaf. I hope this one thrives here. The other I have in the living room is not doing well lately.
And I think the black and stripe basket makes for a good contrast here. I had bought that basket for a totally different purpose in my office. Ha, for the five bucks I paid for it I better go and grab another one! :D

|  Black and white Bin  |

THE COFFEE TABLE

At the beginning of this makeover, I was almost certain I had to change the coffee table, but it didn't happen. When fixing this room for the holidays I run out of time looking for furnishings, so I had to bring the old thrifty coffee table back into the room and hey, it didn't look that bad! 

For now, it's staying, but I'm still looking for its replacement.

THE SHELVES

I can't stop patting myself on the back for adding those long doors to both end shelves. It means the display shelves (the ones that hold next to nothing for the space not to look busy) aren't that many.

Those tall storage shelves are the only ones I've organized so far. I need to add some more shelves to better utilize all that space.
This is the one close to the fireplace, holding decorative pieces I use around the house.

Above the tv, one blue and white canister sits in each cubby.

I found the one with little legs at HomeGoods.

 | Blue and White Canisters  |

The other end shelf is the one closest to the kitchen table.

|  Swing Arm Wall Sconce  |  

This entire left cabinet is used to store kitchen wares. Here again, I can add more shelves.
On the lower part, I have the Kitchen Aid mixer that I can't fit in my kitchen, other pans, and kitchen gadgets, and napkins and paper plates.

I shoved tons of stuff here on the other base cabinets. Oh, the second one belongs to the mister. That's the space for him to store his work bag and any stuff he wants to keep in there.

Right in the middle, I added these metal baskets to break the seal of the white/doors. I might add drawers later on. For now, those baskets that I stole from my son's room, are working nicely. :)

Baskets - HomeGoods  | Door Knobs  |  

Well, I think that's it!

Oh, I still think the wall sconces are a bit too big for the space, but heck, they're staying! :D

And of course, here's the shameful before and beautiful after:

Thanks so much for sticking by my side throughout this entire project. You're the BEST!! And Thanks Tons for pinning and sharing!! 😘

Here are the links to all the work done for the built-in project:

The Doors and Final Reveal

The Tools That Made It Easier

The Door Knobs

The Painting Process

Installing the Top or Header

Building and Installing the Shelves

The Countertop

Building the Base Cabinets

Family Room - The Before

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