Welcome to the next stop on our home tour, the family room!! If you missed any of my other room reveals, you can check them out here.

Next to our kitchen, the family room is the most used space in our home, and I'm so happy with how it all came together. I wanted to create a space that was light and airy, but also cozy and warm. Although the decor is very neutral, I played with texture to add warmth to the space, as you can notice from the shiplap, brick, and textiles.

The Hard Finishes

When building our home, a "must-have" for us was an open to above family room. I love all the natural light it brings. On the contrary, I find that an open to above space can sometimes feel empty and bare; cue the shiplap! My husband thought I was joking when I first told him we would run the shiplap 20ft up the wall - jokes on him! LOL The wall treatment is what makes the space. It's simple, yet it makes an impact (and yes, he loves it too!). Everything from the walls, to the cabinetry, is painted Oxford White by Benjamin Moore.

Another "must have" for me was built-ins next to my fireplace. Our old home was quite small and it didn't have much shelf space. These were designed and built my Bloomsbury Fine Cabinetry, and they make my #shelfie dreams come true. I'm also slightly obsessed with the polished nickel cupboard latches - aren't they pretty?!

The mantel design was also done by Bloomsbury, and it matches the detail on the built-ins perfectly. I chose a painted brick for the fireplace facade, and I love how it adds a little rustic feel to a rather polished space. While we meant to use left over brick from the exterior of our home, I found this faux painted brick at SS Tile & Stone that worked perfectly. You would never know it isn't real! A big topic of debate was TV or no TV over the mantel. We finally compromised on the Samsung Frame TV, and we're both VERY happy with this decision.

Lighting

The only things missing from our family room are picture lights - 1 above each set of shelves (4 in total). I like to layer lighting in a space, however I haven't been able to find anything that I LOVE. We opted to move on without the picture lights, but the wiring is in place for when I find the perfect pieces. The chandelier in this room posed a bit of a challenge. The ceilings are quite high, so I needed something that would fill the space, but I didn't want anything that was visually too heavy. We were lucky to find the chandelier I wanted at a great price, as it was the last piece available, but this also meant that it was a final sale. As we started to attach the rods to make it longer, it appeared crooked and there wasn't anything that could be done - it simply wasn't meant to hang at the length that we required it too. Although I love the light, the length still drives me a little crazy LOL.

One of my favourite pieces in our family room is the table lamp. I love it's texture and size. I had originally purchased it for the console table, but it works much better here.

Furniture

Let's start with our sectional, because I can't say enough good things about it. We purchased it for our old home, knowing that we would one day build. What's great about this couch is that you can add pieces to it to make it larger/ smaller. Once we moved into this house, we had to purchase one extra piece and you would never be able to tell which one it is; the couch holds up SO well and the material is very forgiving! We've spilt everything from breastmilk to red wine on it, and there isn't a single stain (and no, we did not scotch guard it).

Our coffee table is also one of my favourite things in this space; I was eyeing it for years! One thing to note about this table is that it is unfinished, which means that it stains and scratches. Personally this doesn't bother me, I think it adds to the character, but I know this isn't for everyone. Our side table was actually a Target find, and I still can't believe it, because it looks SO good.

The rocking chair is the one I used in the girls nurseries, and I'm really happy we found a home for it in our family room, because it's near and dear to my heart.

Decor & Textiles

I get so many questions about my family room rug, so I thought we should chat about it. I love how it's neutral and it adds another element of texture. It's also imperfect, which again, isn't for everyone, but I love all the little knots and pulls in it. Jute is very durable, which is one reason why we chose it for our family room, however we chose a bleached jute, and it does stain - red wine and poop are the worst culprits LOL. The good news is that due to its imperfect nature, the stains seem to blend right in. For our family right now, it's been working perfectly.

Most of the decor in this space is from my shop and HomeSense, with the occasional antique. I use A LOT of coffee table books when decorating, most of which can be found here and here. I linked as much of the decor pieces as I could below in the "Shop this post" section.

 

I hope you enjoyed the tour! It was quit lengthy, but I wanted to include as much detail as possible. If there is anything I missed, please leave your question in the comments below.

Xo

Caroline

back of grey couch and painting
Shelf styling with baskets and accessories
Family room with black French doors
Aerial view of family room

SHOP THIS POST

Sectional
Rocking Chair
Coffee Table
Side Table
Rug
Pillows
Throw
TV
Built-ins
Gas Fireplace Insert
Table Lamp
Chandelier
You're doing great banner
Coffee table books (1,2)
Jugs
Clock - similar
Magnifying Glasses
Marble Links
Baskets (built-ins)
Baskets with lid - similar
Basket (coffee table) - HomeSense