The transformation of the family room is finally completed!
The second room that we tackled in the renovation of our French Country home was the family room.
After renovating the kitchen, this room seemed like a walk in the park.
The family room, in it’s original state, had turquoise painted walls, blue carpeting, a red brick fireplace and popcorn ceiling.
It was stuck in 1972, like the rest of the house, and appeared dark and small, though it was really a good size room.
This is what we saw when we walked into the house for the first time.
Not only was it outdated, but it hadn’t been cleaned out. It was pretty much a mess.
The house had sat empty for quite some time and the family had never completely cleaned it up. Stuff was everywhere!
I’m sure this contributed to the fact that it never sold…..that and all the pink shag carpet, flocked wallpaper, and avocado appliances!
It was pretty overwhelming and I’m always a little shocked when I look back at the “before” photos.
The first thing we did in this room was scrape the popcorn ceiling.
Then we removed carpeting, and installed wide plank, hand scraped, oak hardwood floors.
Just those two things made a major impact. But we didn’t stop there.
Next to the fireplace there was a built in bookcase {see above photo}. Interestingly, it only took up half of the wall, leaving the rest of the space empty. It made the entire wall look a little off.
Working with a tight budget, and trying reuse and repurpose wherever we could, hubby cut the bookcase in half, and then took the top half and used it as a base to extend the cabinet across the entire wall.
He trimmed it out, built doors, and added shelves. Now it fills the entire wall to the left of the fireplace, balancing out the space beautifully.
All the walls were painted as well as was all the wood trim. We used Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray for the walls, and SW Snowbound for the trim.
The red brick fireplace was also painted in Sherwin Williams Pavestone.
We added crown moulding, and also added moulding to the tops of the doors, extending the
frames so that they appear taller.
The family room was pretty easy to update with most of the renovation being cosmetic.
I’m always amazed at the difference paint can make to a room.
It feels so much lighter and bigger now.
The one thing that we didn’t do was replace the double sliding glass doors that open up to the patio.
I would love to replace them with french doors, but that will have to happen down the road.
I’m so pleased with the end result.
We spend so much time in this room and now it’s a comfortable, relaxing space.
Sources:
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Trim Color: Sherwin Williams Snowbound
Fireplace Color: Sherwin Williams Pavestone
Jute Rug: Ballard Designs (no longer available)
Fringed Burlap Drapes: Ballard Designs
Sofas: IKEA Ektorp
Pillows on Sofas: Hobby Lobby
Throws: IKEA
Large Mirror: Hobby Lobby
Giant Moss Balls: click HERE to see how we made them!
Everything else is either vintage or antique, picked up at various places, or I can’t remember where I got it!
If you like the transformation, be sure and pin it!
We’ll be working on the transformation of the dining room next, and then…..the final reveal of the
master bedroom so stay tuned!
Cheers,
Cindy
Just beautiful!
Thank you, Barbara!
Love the color you chose for the fireplace. Many people go with a stark white paint and it can stand out like a sore thumb in some cases.
Bonjour,
Rénovation particulièrement réussie, de très bon goût!
Les fauteuils sont magnifiques, où peut-on les trouver ? ou à défaut quelque chose de similaire.
Merci
Maryline
Les chaises sont vintage et ont été recouvertes de tissu de script français de Ballard Designs.
I loved this color on your brick that I bought it for our large vaulted brick fireplace wall. It turned out awesome! Wish I could post a pic here! Thanks for the inspo!
Jennifer, that’s wonderful!! I’m so glad that you love it!
Hi Cindy, I’m in the process of transforming my kitchen cabinets. I love the breakfront in your Family room. May I ask for the paint product and colors. Many thanks. Roseann
Hi Roseann! Here is the link to the post that has all of the colors listed: https://wp.me/p5Xug9-eP
Prayers for your family during this difficult time .
Love your room. I’m in the process of re painting my living room and love the colors you have chosen. Is the crown molding and ceiling painted the same color? Also what color is the trim painted?
Hi Georgie! Yes, the crown moulding and the ceiling are painted the same color. The color is Sherwin Williams Snowbound.
Your room is gorgeous! Thank you for sharing all the information and details. Could you share a bit more about the fireplace grill and doors replacement? We recently purchased our home and the one thing I want to change is the brass doors and trim around the fireplace opening. My husband is very handy, but hasn’t worked with anything of this nature. Any information or tips would be greatly appreciated.
I love the paint color! What color is it? Thank you!
Hi Karyn, the wall color is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.
Stunningly gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your amazing ideas! I’m in LOVE with your french style. Now maybe I need to paint my fireplace too! 🙂
Thank you so much Sue!
Where are your chairs from? The ones with writing on them. I absolutely love the whole room!
Thank you!
Barb
Hi Barb! The chairs are vintage, and they have been reupholstered in french script fabric. I believe Ballard Designs sells an upholstery fabric very similar. Hope that helps!
Absolutely love your home! Cindy it says your white slip covered couches are ikea in photos, just checking to see if they are the ones used here and how they’ve held up?! Changing out our sofa soon and love the look of yours 😉
Thank you
Mary
Hi Mary! Yes, our sofas are the IKEA Ektorp sofas. I love them! They have held up very well, and I love being able to remove the slipcovers and wash them! They are such a great price, I was a bit skeptical about buying them, but I have to say, I will buy them again! Hope this helps! Thanks so much for commenting!
Are the covers the Vittaryd white? Do they wash well?
The covers we have are now discontinued from IKEA, and I believe they have replaced them with the Vittaryd. Mine wash extremely well, I wash in hot water with detergent, bleach, and Oxyclean. I dry only until they are slightly damp and then put back on the sofas. They still look brand new!
I am in love with your glass globe flower vase with the metal stand….where did you find that?
Hi Andrea! The base is an old salvaged lamp base, picked up at a flea market, with a glass globe flower vase, from Hobby Lobby, sitting on it!
So beautiful! I’ve been following you on here as well as your etsy shop. You have such wonderful things! One quick question…did you paint the base, and if so, with what? Thanks so much. I plan on DIY-ing this one!
Thanks Andrea, I appreciate it so much! I didn’t paint the base, I left it as I found it!
Cindy, I stumbled upon your blog today. Love what you have done! I really like how you listed the sources of your pieces such as Ballard, Hobby Lobby. Your look reminds me of my own. I am a French freak and love vintage and farmhouse. Thank you for your blog!
Thanks you so much Michelle!
Lovely! What color is the brick fireplace?
Thank you Leah! The color of the fireplace is Sherwin Williams Pavestone.
How did you get it to look like the spaces in between the fireplace bricks are darker? Can you share your fireplace painting technique?
Hi Audrey! The grout between the bricks is not darker, it’s all painted the same color. It probably just appears darker because of shadowing and lighting.
Found that rug on Ballard. Is that the natural or driftwood color? Are you happy with it? Easy to clean? Is it rough on bare feet?
Hi Karen! I have the natural color. I’ve had it for about five years and still love it. I’ve never really cleaned it, only vacuumed on a regular basis. It’s very soft on the feet. Hope that helps!
That helps a bunch, thanks so much!
Amazing transformation Cindy! That room was so tacky before….it’s lucky you could see beyond it! Y’all did a great job!
Thank you Florence!
Absolutely fabulous!
Did you paint the mortar on the fireplace a different color than the brick? In the pic it seems a little different color.
Hi Colleen! The grout is the same color as the brick, it’s probably just the lighting.
What type of paint did you use on fireplace
Hi Suzy! We used Sherwin Williams latex paint in a semi gloss finish, color Pavestone.
Hi Cindy, I love your blog and decorating. On the IKEA sofas, there are several shades of white. Which shade did you choose and now that you’ve had them for awhile are you still happy with them and how are they on comfort?
Thank you Beth! We have the Vittaryd White slipcover. I love, love, love our Ikea sofas! They are very comfortable and the slipcovers are so easy to take off, wash, and put back on. They still look brand new, even though we use them a lot! If they ever wear out, I’m buying another one!
Hi there, I love what you did to this room, very similar to what my husband and i are working towards at the moment! i do have a question…. i saw a few questions back that you said you had the “bleckinge white” cover, and this one says its the “vittaryd white”? we got the sectional about a month ago and they dont carry bleckinge white anymore so we had to get the vittaryd white and I hated it!!! it wasn’t comfortable and I read a few places it wasnt nearly as nice as the bleckinge, so I was just wondering which one do you have, or do you have both? and if so, which one do you like better?
thanks!!!
Hi Missy! We have the Blekinge White slipcover and love them. Unfortunately, I don’t think IKEA is selling them anymore, I think they have replaced them with something else. However, you can still find them on eBay.
I swear, everything you touch is exquisite!!! I signed up for e-mails but am not getting them so will sign up agin. Your home is just gorgeous. YOU know how to do white, right!!!!!
Thank you Pinky! I’m sorry you are having trouble signing up to get our posts! Once you enter your email to sign up, you should get a confirmation email with a request to click a link to confirm. It may be going to your spam box, so be sure and check there. If you still have trouble, let me know, and I will enter your email for you!
Soft and pretty! Do you mind if I ask, what exactly are your window panels? Love them! Do you have standard 8′ ceilings?
Thank you Jen! The window panels in the family room are the fringed burlap drapes from Ballard Designs! Yes, 8′ ceilings!
Another stunning and amazing transformation! Those large cherub wall sconces are so gorgeous! Can’t wait to see the master bedroom!
Hugs, Leena
well…have just found your site and appreciate your skills. You are so good with accessories and love your taste. Your hubby’s idea to redo the bookcase is pretty amazing and it all looks so pretty and soothing. I better sign up right now!
Aww…thank you so much Jillian! I really appreciate your following along!
I’m amazed!!
The fact that you can look at something so ugly and then transform into something so beautiful. The rest of the room of course is as lovely, the only thing that comes to my lips are “WOW”….Great job!!
So lovely!
Your style is the most like mine,in the thousands of bloggers I have seen!You are my FAVORITE! Thank you for shareing where to buy the things in your home.I hope we can get some of the grill replacement metal work, does it come in sheets? Second thing I would love to see up close what you have in the white/blue cabinet in the living room.One idea, the sofa would be nice in front of the bed and the chair and a small table by the window for morning toast and tea.Of course you will hide some of the beautiful cane work on you bed, but I bet you would and your sweetie would sit in there more often! Love Ava PS. My loved Nana’s name was Evelyn.
Thank you Ava!Yes, the grill replacement comes in sheets, in a couple of different sizes!
Wow! What an amazing transformation. I love your style. Thank you for adding this post to the Bloggertrunities Share Thread. I’m sharing it on this week’s Friday Faves.
Thank you so much Laurie!
Love your home and blog! So excited to see the master bedroom as I am positive it will be gorgeous! As several have already commented, the Ektorp sofas are beautiful, I have been playing with purchasing these or something with some down over foam core. Are these soft like a down covering? Also, they have 2 different whites, I was leaning towards the Stenasa white do you know if that is what you have? Again you are doing a fabulous job! I truly love it all.
Blessings, Candy
Thank you Candy! I have to say that I am in love with my Ektorp sofas. I did a lot of research before I bought them, because I was hesitant about the quality with them being so inexpensive. We’ve had them them for about eight months now, and I am still in love with them. They are extremely comfortable! The seat cushions are filled with high resilience foam and polyester fiber waddiding, they are very comfortable when seated, and they easily regain their shape when you rise. I rotate cushions every once in awhile, because we tend to sit in the exact same spots! The cover I bought is the Blekinge White. I’ve already decided that if/when these sofas wear out, I’m buying two more!
Absolutely amazing. I’m a little stuck on painting with grout. Do you water it down? Add paint to get the color? It really looks amazing.
Thank you Toni! We painted over the grout of the fireplace with the same paint as we painted the brick. We didn’t water it down, just used a brush to get the paint down into the grout.
This transformation is absolutely gorgeous!! I can’t believe this. The layout of your fireplace and bookshelves is exactly the way mine is (my bookshelves were already in place.)..even the offset fireplace; raised brick hearth all the way down…the same!!! This has inspired me to paint my bricks which I have been wanting to do since I “remodeled” the rest of the room. I am using an antique mantel around my fireplace. Now off to get some paint!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome Susan! Thank you so much for the compliments and good luck on painting your fireplace!
Bravo Cindy, c’est absolument magnifique, j’adore !!! Je viens de découvrir ton blog et c’est superbe. Bises. astréor
Merci beaucoup,Astréor!!
Your room is beautiful! My family room fireplace looks so similar to your before. I can’t wait to paint it! What did you do with the old fireplace doors?
Thank you Suzanne! We removed the old fireplace doors, they were original to the house and in pretty bad shape.
Hi Cindy, I found your blog couple months ago and love your house and how you decorate. You are giving me lots of inspiration for my own home. Thank you for sharing with us, your readers! 🙂
Thank you Vicki!
Lovely! Where did you find the ottoman/coffee table? So big and nice. Also, I cannot find those throw pillows on Hobby Lobby site … any idea how I may locate them? Love your home!
Thank you Jillian! We bought them several months ago, so they may be sold out online. Your local Hobby Lobby may still have them in stock.
Fresh and beautiful! I love all of your colors. All of your hard work and determination created a dream come true. Thank you so much for posting paint colors and places of purchase. That is something we can all certainly appreciate. I just want to know if you found any treasures in those items left behind.
Thank you Julie! We did find a few treasures that were left with the house!
What color did you paint the bookshelf? Is there something specific that you need to do to prep it?
Hi Carol! The bookshelves are painted in Sherwin Williams Snowbound. The section of the bookcase that was original to the house that we salvaged and used for the new base was primed with an oil based primer, then painted with the latex. The sections that were new wood, we just painted without any prep.
You are awesome Cindy! Thanks to you, I just found the paint color for my brick fireplace and the bookshelf next to it. I never thought about replacing my short mantel with a long one. What a difference that will make. Thank you for posting!!
You are awesome Cindy! Thanks to you, I just found the paint colors for my brick fireplace and bookshelf. I never thought about replacing my short mantel with a long one until I saw yours. Thank you for posting!!
We are in process of scraping our ceilings. Did you then put up drywall or did you do a skim coat and paint after you scraped? I’m very interested in your process, because we are having troubles with wavy ceilings. Also, what color did you paint the ceiling?
Hi Julie! We didn’t put up drywall after scraping our ceilings. After we scraped, we wiped them down really well, cleaning off any leftover residue, then painted with Sherwin Williams ceiling paint in Snowbound. Thankfully, we haven’t run into any wavy ceilings yet.
What a true inspiration you are, Cindy! You are taking DIY in a whole new level … So inspiring! I also love that you still keep budget and expenses as low as possible. More bang for your buck so to speak. A few questions … Do you use flat or eggshell paint formula? I would also like to hear more details regarding your Ikea Ektorp sofas … Pros and cons. You make them look amazing!!! Thank you for all of the thorough information you provide us with … bravo!!!
Thank you so much Kim! We use flat on the walls, and semi gloss on the wood trim. I love, love, love my Ektorp sofas! We purchased them in January, and because they are so inexpensive, I was a little skeptical. But after 8 months, I am very impressed with them. Even hubby is impressed, and he really had his doubts. They are extremely comfortable, and the slipcovers are easy to remove for washing. The slipcovers come out of the wash looking brand new. Honestly, at this point, I only have positive things to say about them! As a matter of fact, I’ve made the statement several times that if and when they do wear out, I am going to be purchasing another one! I may purchase a second set of slipcovers at some point, just to swap out when one set is being washed. I truly love them!
That is very good to hear! I love the sofa and love seat combo you selected. What exact slipcover fabric did you choose? Again … so well done!
Kim, it is the white slipcover for the Ektorp sofa! But they have several colors to choose from.
Your home is truly gorgeous!! I would love to see the outside of your home. You call it a french country house, is that because that is what you are making it or is the architecture french in style?
Melanie
Thank you Melanie! At some point we will show the exterior, but like the interior, it was very neglected and needs lots of work! The architecture of the home is French Country, actually according to an architect, it’s French Country Ranch.
Well you have made it heavenly inside so I can’t wait to see what you do to the outside.
Thank you so much! I checked their website and they have the perfect set!
Beautiful transformation, Cindy. I love how your home is decorated, you have great taste. I love the Frenchy things like: altar sticks, icons, French clocks, etc. Wished I lived near you I would love to see your home.
Thank you so much Nancy!
I love every space pictured on your blog!!! Such serene, inviting rooms! Do you mind sharing where all of your candle holders on the fireplace mantle are from? I’m looking for a similar collection to sit on top of our living room fireplace but have so far had no luck! Thanks so much for opening your lovely heart and home!
Thank you Sara! The brass one {on the right} is vintage,the tall white ones {one on left, one on right} are actually salvaged, vintage lamp bases, that we turned into candle holders, and all of the others are were picked up several years ago, and I can’t remember where I bought them! I did notice recently that there are some very similar ones from http://www.countrydoor.com that have this look, and they are very reasonably priced, if you’re interested!
As usual, it is simply beautiful! Great job ! Love all the before and after photos and who knew an OD could be so handy around the house !! Good work !!
Jan
Thank you Jan! I think JB is finding talents that he didn’t know he had! Hope you and your new hubby are doing well, we miss you!
Where did you get those chairs? I love them.
Myla, the wing chairs are antiques, we found them at an antique shop several years ago. They have been reupholstered in new fabric.
I can’t believe those are Ektorp sofas, from Ikea! I thought I had a handy husband, but yours wins the prize! How long did the whole house take to remodel?
Thank you Barbara! I love our Ektorp sofas! We have just begun with the “whole house” remodel! We have the kitchen/breakfast room, family room, and dining room completed. The master bedroom is just days away from completion. The home is 3800 sq. ft, so we are a long way from it being totally redone!
Beautiful! I really love that wall color too! So stunning…my family room looked a lot like how yours was…outdated brick and just super outdated. Love what you did with yours!
Pinning!
Thank you so much Deb!
I found your blog from Anita at Cedar Hill. Since then I have been reading back, back, back. I want you to come to my house & help me edit!!! You have done a perfect job on each and everything you have touched so far. I am just in love with your house. Reading about it has become an addiction, a lovely one. Can’t wait to see that bedroom!!
Thank you so much Debe! That means so much to me!
Absolutely STUNNING!! I still can’t get over what you two did. That fireplace and entertainment center are truly a work of art now. We appreciate so much your giving us all the info – paint colors used, where to buy furniture, etc. because THAT ROOM, we all want to live in that house…..Oh My….
Thank you again for all your wonderful postings on this transformation.
Thank you so much Linda!
Very nicely done.
Thank you Debbie!
Wonderful transformation! You have a truly lovely and inviting home.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Wishing you a beautiful day,
Linda at Beautiful Ideas
Thank you Linda!
What an amazing transformation! I am super impressed with your hubby’s rebuild of the wall with shelving using some of the wood; it looks terrific! The room looks so fresh and inviting now.
Thank you so much Geri!
Your workmanship and decorating skills are marvelous, and I look forward to the next transformation. I do have a question regarding your fireplace. Did you paint the grout as well as the brick? The grout appears darker but I’m not sure whether that is simply shadows. Thanks, Sue
Thank you Sue! Yes, we painted the grout the same color as the brick. It’s probably just shadows that makes the grout appear darker.
Wow, what a difference! The fireplace especially is such a dramatic change…did you paint each brick – it looks like you didn’t get any on the grout. And did you thin the paint any? I’m still trying to convince my husband to paint ours. Ya’ll did an amazing job. I’m blown away by the changes you’ve made.
Thank you Cecilia! The grout is painted as well! It would have been way too time consuming for me, to paint each brick! I painted bricks and grout, using a brush. It did take two coats for full coverage. I didn’t dilute the paint.
I LOVE your room. It’s one of the best I’ve seen on Hometalk.
I want to paint our out-dated fireplace as well. Did you clean it before painting it?
Thank you Kathy! Yes, we just cleaned it with a damp cloth, wiping it down, then painted.
Is the paint just regular latex wall paint or is it something special to paint the bricks?
Ginny, we used regular Latex.
Your family room looks like a magazine cover shot. Beautiful!!!
Thank you Linda!
Wow, wow, wow! You make me want to buy a dingy old house and start over! Beautiful job my dear.
Thank you Patricia!
Wow…I wouldn’t have believed it was the same room! So beautiful 🙂 – Karen
I always love touring this gorgeous room. Y’all did a fantastic job making it over.
Thank you Kim!
I love your living room. Such an amazing transformation! I noticed there was a vent on the bookcase wall. What did you do about it?
Thank you Dori! The vent is still there. We cut a hole in the back of the bookcase for the vent. Once we displayed a few things on the shelf, it’s not noticeable, and air flow isn’t blocked.
Magnifique!
Wow, what a beautiful and amazing job you and your very clever hubby have done. After seeing those before pictures it was so dark and dated. What you have accomplished is so beautiful light and airy, yet filled with warmth and coziness. Love it all
Thank you Sue!
An amazing transformation! I love every element and detail of the room. Looking forward to the bedroom reveal.
Thank you Shirley!
I just adore your beautiful home and all your hard work has paid off…….Thanks so much for sharing….x
Thank you Janette!