Freshened Family Room
August 4, 2010
Picasso went through his monochromatic blue period ~ clearly, I am going through my own blue phase. I went through my first blue period when I was first married over ten years ago, but it was more of a cobalt blue fixation back then. Then I rejected blue altogether and banished it from my house. Blue was forbidden for years! But being a fickle and forgetful gal, I’ve returned to yet another blue and white phase, this time I’m drawn to soft gray blues, robin’s egg blue, soft turquoise, and intense hues like peacock blue.
My home office? My living room? My master bathroom? Yep, they’re mostly blue. I make no apologies, I happen to find the shade is extremely calming, and complements just about everything. Think about it. Soft blue works with chocolate brown, red, pink, orange, gray, green, white, everything ! So I prefer it over other colors, as long as it has plenty of gray in it.
Now I’ve gone and saturated the family room with blue too, but more by force than by choice. Allow me to explain.
Here’s our family room two years ago:
Let’s just pause for a moment and soak in its ordinariness.
*silence*
Now let’s look at it today:
Much improved. Now, we’re getting somewhere, whew.
The dark olive green couches we’ve had for a decade, but the fabric is waaaaay too dark and drab for me, hence the reason I’ve never photographed our family room. To reupholster the green monsters in my fabric of choice will cost me muy moola so that’s on the back burner. But then I had a middle-of-the-night genius! idea to switch them with the slate blue PB slipcovered sofas from the guest space. Now why didn’t I think of that months ago??? The room was instantly lightened by making the switch.
The family room lacks its own window, so we moved the family photos to another room, then added mirrors above the sofa instead. The power of mirrors to pull light into a room never ceases to amaze me. This trio mimics the divided white panes in our kitchen’s garden window which is directly across, and also lightens and enlarges the space.
I had a pair of these Grand Palais mirrors from Ballard sitting in my garage for over a year ~ they were ordered for the living room last year but ended up being too big to fit above the living room mantel, so I ordered a third, then spray painted them with Rustoleum’s ‘Heirloom White’, a favorite shade.
Since the kitchen is all white, and the adjacent dining room is very neutral, I felt the dark family room was in need of a splash of color, so I started with this $5 dollar brass lamp from the Goodwill. It got a dose of Rustoleum’s glossy ‘Night Tide’ spray paint leftover from my laundry room makeover, which is a gorgeous shade of deep teal or peacock blue. So did the satin ribbon that trims the drum shade ~ oh yes you can spray paint fabric ribbon !
Just a little hot glue to trim the linen shade with the ribbon did the trick.
So I admit these colors all all very summery ~ if I had my act together, this all would have been better timed and I would have made these changes back in May, but I’m so easily distracted.
The peacock blue velvet throw pillows and white tray are from Pier One.
Although these are summery colors, they still make sense for August. I’ll tweak the room for cooler weather in October. As I mentioned here, deep blue and dark orange can look incredible together, so for fall I’ll mix it up with a pumpkin throw and other earthy tones, and I’ll bring out the fall candles.
I’m desperate for a new rug for this room, currently loving these, the first from Overstocks, the second from Dash & Albert. 
Maybe Santa will be generous this year.
So there’s the new ‘summer’ look for our family room . . .
. . . just in time for all the fall decor in all the catalogs.
Spruced up any of your spaces lately?
.
Tags: family room, spray paint
Love it!!! Huge change!
Robyn, Penny, & others . . . the paint on the walls is the same as the kitchen and dining room since they all are part of the same large space. Benjamin Moore’s ‘Camoflauge’ ~ a very pale gray green. LOVE it.
:-)
Kate
Or is it ‘Camouflage’ ?
Beautiful! What color is the paint on the walls?
Really? Camouflage? It looks so different in your living room than in your kitchen. Sadly, I tried it and it looks horrible in my space. So sad, because I love it in yours.
Beautiful, Kate! The transformation is pretty staggering (and gorgeous, of course). I’m loving the Night Tide spray paint! Since we’ve moved out to get our floors refinished I’m on the verge of lots of “sprucing” – we’ll see what changes come about!
Wow – boy do you have a magic touch. Everything you touch turns out classy and magazine worthy! It’s a gift darling. Love your room!
Gorgeous I love it! That’s totally my before living room I’d love to have your after!
Absoutly BEAUTIFUL!
WOW I love blue now.
You always amaze me. There’s just something about your sense of style that is very relaxing and soothing. I like it. A lot.
Hi there-
Will you post the link to the overstock carpet? I love it!
Thanks.
Oh no Robyn, that’s terrible to hear ! Just proves that paint changes on different walls and in different light. Also, we all have different tastes, thank goodness for thousands of paint swatches.
:-)
Kate
Brilliant use of the mirrors! Love the new look! I’d have a hard time leaving that room, so comfy and inviting. Bravo to you, girl!
Oops! The overstocks rug link:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-tufted-Santana-Abstract-Wool-Rug-79-x-99/5035969/product.html
The Dash&Albert link:
http://www.dashandalbert.com/product/view/diamond-navy-khaki-indoor-outdoor–RDB103
I get so insanely jealous of your keen eye for color, accessorizing and pulling off different patterns. You have a gift my friend. So light and fresh. I want to come over and have girl talk on those couches sipping mimosas please.
Beautiful!!! I was hoping you were going to show us how to recover our couches – lol. I have a really dark brown sectional in my family room and I really want to either have slipcovers made or try to make them myself so I can lighten the room up. Your family room is GORGEOUS – I love the colors. And the rugs you want are beautiful. I love the geometric one. It’s great!!
XOXO
Jen
Love those sofas! Love the colors! Oh, the lamp! Everything is beautiful.
Just wondering… what’s the story behind the coffee table?
Debra
Your home is beautiful! Love everything that you created in this sweet home!
Gorgeous!!!
Absolutely beautiful. I’m with you the blue/gray/white bandwagon. There’s something about walking into that pallete and saying “ahhh”.
Color! Love people who use lots of color, Love Love Love what you’ve done!
Don’t you just love spray paint!
Loves it!
I haven’t been in Pier One in ages…but I need that tray.
Debra ~ that’s a thrift store find, painted a taupey yellowish color leftover from some paint from our kitchen when it was a Dijon yellow color. Not thrilled with the coffee table, and I might convert it to an ottoman!
Kate
So Fresh!
I love the mirrors on the wall – they instantly brighten up the space :)
I have similar colours in my living room, but I LOVE the addition of the peacock blue!! It really ties it all together… I just might have to take me to Pier 1!!
Where can I find a white tray like the one you have on your coffee table? Love everything about the room!
what a great transformation! good idea on the mirrors above the couch, it almost makes it look like a window.
Beautiful. You definately have a magic touch
I love the room!!! It’s soooo beautiful!!!
This is so very inspiring to me right now as I am trying to incorporate more blue into my home. I’ve had the Old World look going for way tooo long with golds and reds and now I’m doing blues and greens. I never considered decorating with blue before either but I can’t help but love the teals, blue/grays like you’ve used throughout your home.
I did not know you could paint ribbon, who woulda thunk it!!!!!
~Beth
Wow! I love your makeovers! You’re my decorating hero! I gotta tell you that your site has inspired me to be more creative with a spray paint can. I think the scale of these couches is a better fit for your living room. Looking forward to more of your terrific posts.
This made me SMILE! :) I was a cobalt blue girl myself…and I too banished it from my home…along with the RED, gold, etc…but just like you, I am loving blue again. However, my living room is still VERY much like your before…almost identical ordinariness here! Your transformation looks AWESOME!
What a major difference! I’m in Orlando right now for the MOPS Convention, but I had to comment on this b/c I love your rooms so much. Wish I could emulate your style! Can you please write a book? ;)
Love the paisely throw pillow. Great color combo!
UGHH I am so jealous of all the light. Do you have any ideas for someone with dark stained trim everywhere. I love, love white trim, and my husband hates it. He really likes the look of wood. I am at my whits end trying to figure this out. I am thinking about painting the wall where the fireplace is cream colored other then the brick red I have now. Any suggestions.
Kate, seriously, you really know how to turn water into wine! And I love it! And for the fall, that blue and orange (rust) is going to look so fab!
Hey, on a side note, are you going to Blissdom in January?! Janell and I have been talking about it and I’m excited about going and nervous at the same time! I was wondering, how did you prepare yourself to be in a room full of women you don’t know, but admire and have been blogging with? If you are going, I’d love to meet you!
L.Duncan (home23duncanboys.blogspot.com)
This is a beautiful room!! I’m trying to go in this same direction for our living room too :)
Oh I love it! That lamp is beautiful!! Me likey!!
Love it! We have the PB Slate Blue Chair in our library…you’ve given me some new ideas to work around. The space is beautiful.
OMG…I didn’t even think this was the same house! I really thought that was a window on first look, of course I love the colors…I use them as accents in my house. It is truly amazing what you do…love it!
I am also going through a blue phase–love your living room! I could just sit in it for hours…may I? The mirrors give it such sparkle, and the turquoise lamp is an inspired touch.
Love the mirrors above the couch! The room is beautiful and so is your dining room.
I’d say you did more than just freshen it up! It is gorgeous in there! The mirrors make a world of difference – wow! I’m also going through a blue phase (for the first time ever). I just can’t seem to get enough of it. With you and Picasso, I’d say I was in good company. :)
Seriously love it!!
Beautiful room!! Where did you get the paisley pillow from?
I seriously think I could do my whole house in blue (in all the different shades you listed!) and white!! Its beautiful!!
I am IN LOVE with those mirrors. The entire room looks spectacular!
Ahhh I love it all!!!! My absolute favorite colors. And there is plenty of summer left to enjoy your “summery” family room. :)
LOVE the before and after!
Wowza! What a fabulous makeover! I LOVE everything about it…you are so gifted!
LOVE IT! As I’ve been following your blog, a few of the many things you’ve taught me are:
1. to be daring to think out of the box, so I used enamel paint to paint my bathroom tiles.
2. just changing the colour of something makes a world of difference. So I ventured out and tried new colours.
3. to think of cheaper ways to revamp something.
4. not pay someone else to do something I can do myself (even though I take longer).
Now I’m keeping my eyes w i d e open for mirrors..