family room updates & a woodland tree

One of my home goals for 2024 is to finish remodeling the family room.?We are DIYers so we do things in stages over here.?We have upgraded our family room space considerably, and it just needs a few more projects and it will be perfect for our lifestyle.?Today I am sharing the family room updates we have completed so far, and what my aspirations for 2024 are as well.

In the family room we also set up our faux flocked Christmas tree during the holiday season.?I decorated it with a woodland theme so as a bonus I wanted to share it with you today.?I had wanted to share all the details during the holiday season, but alas, time ran out.?

Since it’s a woodland theme it lends itself to the winter season in general.?As it lingers longer let me share some of the details, but mainly I love the glow and ambiance it provides to the family room.?

Family room updates

Removed wall between family room & kitchen

The biggest change we made to this space was to remove the wall between the kitchen and the family room.?It opened up the space, allowing the family to interact while in either room.?We love to cook over here, and we watch plenty of sporting events, movies and shows as a family so it truly was a game changer for our family lifestyle.?

Removing the wall makes the space appear so much bigger and airier.?This is a picture where you can see the wall, blocking the view into the family room.?It’s was an easy removal since it wasn’t a load bearing wall.?Please know our contractors did this for us.?We did not tackle this part of the project on our own.?

Installed new flooring

The contractors also installed new flooring throughout the entire house at this time since the wall removal left a gap, prompting the flooring project.?I reviewed the new flooring here {fabulous details on wood flooring options}.

We live in a ranch style house so this made the whole floor plan cohesive.?The previous owners had a few different types of flooring, including wall-to-wall carpeting, and a couple of different hard surfaces.?

Repainted space

Now that the space had been opened up, it is airier and brighter so we wanted a paint color that would reflect this change.?We painted the family room and the kitchen using Farrow and Ball’s paint color Blackened on the walls and All White on the trim.?I love the brightness and crispness of the space now.

We love it so much, we have painted the bedrooms the same color scheme.?The living room and dining room are probably not far behind.??

Moved sliding glass doors & window

To accommodate the removal of the wall and shifting of the spaces we also move the sliding glass door and window further down in the family room so the alignment made sense in the space.?

Once again the contractors handled this piece since it involved cutting into walls and new siding on the outside of the house, etc.?We know our limitations, lol.

Replaced key furniture

Our old family room was furnished a la French Pierre Deux country style, which in its hey day was fabulous!?Unfortunately, they closed down many years ago.?I loved it for many years, owning the look and furniture for a couple of decades while our kids grew up, but it was time for a change.

We opted for more of a provincial farmhouse vibe, which is a simpler aesthetic.?The star of the show is the Coburn sectional from Arhaus, anchored with a hygge style rug.?A tufted coffee table plus a rustic, antique cabinet sits across from the sectional rounding out the French provincial vibes.?

Updated vintage window pane mirror

I am only going to talk about this mirror briefly here since I will be sharing more details in a subsequent post.?Mr. M gave me this mirror for my birthday almost 30 years ago.?

He had me at vintage window, but he also had it backed with a mirror and painted it green, which he knew was my favorite color.?I recently updated it with black paint for the family room remodel.?More details coming soon…..?

Added new light fixture over kitchen table

The only lighting fixture we added to the whole space so far is the chandelier over the kitchen table.?A glavanized tub is accented with a three light distressed chandelier.?I had wanted to DIY something similar, and when I saw this light fixture come through my feed one day,?I knew it was the perfect piece.?

Refurbished kitchen table set

A few years ago we refurbished our kitchen set, which you can read all about here {kitchen table and chairs set refresh}.?I am so happy we updated the look since it works perfectly in the new space.

And although that’s a bunch of great stuff we are still not done.?I can’t wait to start making more changes this year.

Future projects to complete family room updates

Update fireplace facing using German shmear technique

The fireplace has a stone facade, which has a very glossy, thick, yellowish-white coat of paint.?None of it is good.?Why we have not updated it already is beyond me, but it’s one of those things.?I would like to strip it and apply a German schmear application.

Add reclaimed beam as mantel shelf to fireplace

I also want to add a mantel.?Yes, another spot to decorate and style.???I’m thinking a reclaimed wooden beam in keeping to the rustic, provincial vibes.?

Install built-in cabinets around fireplace

The family room had two corner built-in cabinets in each far corner next to the fireplace, which were also removed when we broke down the wall and redid the floors.?Corner built-ins are tricky to style, and really are not efficient on space due to the angles.

I hope to add flush built-ins, flanking the fireplace.?I am envisioning cabinets on the bottom and shelving on the top for displays and decorating.?Fingers crossed we can make all this happen.?(Note all the stuff sitting in the corner waiting for the cabinets ?).?

Replace sliding glass doors with French doors

I absolutely love French doors.?Whether they invite us into our outdoor spaces or transition us from one room to another, they just add so much ambiance to a space.?I hope we can do this this year but time will tell, since I know it will be an expensive project, but I have some ideas to help in that department.?Stay tuned.?

Improve lighting fixtures

Lighting is so important in interior spaces.?The fan | overhead light and canned lights definitely need to be replaced.?I am just not sure what the replacements should be though…?Any ideas are welcome; please share in the comments?The built-ins will also have lighting fixtures.?

Add & finalize wall decor

Last but certainly not least, is the jewelry for the walls.?Artwork and wall art also need to be determined and finalized.?I love prints and pantings, I also love architectural pieces and plates, plus family photos and anything that tells our story.

Details about the woodland tree

Tree details

The 4-foot flocked faux tree has been installed in the family room for the last several years.?Unlike our traditional family Christmas tree in the living room, I do like to decorate it in different ways and with a variety of themes from year to year.?

This year it was a woodland theme, which makes sense to extend into the winter months.?The organic vibes of the woodland theme aligned perfectly to the rustic provincial feels of the family room.

It’s all about the ornaments

The ornaments are everything on this woodland themed tree.?Birds, mushrooms, nests, pine cones and more give all the woodsy feels.?Also the pine cone ribbon left over from this project {how to make a holiday candle ring from fall burlap leaf wreath} was the perfect garland.

One of my grandmother’s vintage, lace tablecloths is the perfect trees skirt.?It’s cozy and comfortable adding to the wintery woodsy vibes.?(Ignore Misty’s bed nestled under the tree; she thinks it’s her tree ?).?

Winter feels

The flocked tree branches are the perfect backdrop for a wintery scene.?Our main family Christmas tree is always a real tree we pick out as a family.?As we shop for our tree I always admire the flocking they adhere to natural trees, but the mess always scares me away.?This is my happy medium.

The twinkle lights that lingered in our family room after the Holiday glitz was gone made for a soothing couple of weeks into the new year.?More winter projects and Valentine’s day fun and so much more are planned and coming to the blog really soon.

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”

Paul Theroux

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sharing @ between naps on the porch