Family Room Ideas for a Comfortable, Functional and Beautiful Room
In this post: Family room decor should be comfortable, functional and beautiful. These family room ideas will create a room that achieves all three.⇒
Sometimes I feel like I spend my entire life in the family room.
When you work from home, it’s easy to spend the whole day in one spot. I’m not a fan of working at a desk, so despite the fact that I decorated a lovely French Country home office, I often work for hours at a time on the family room couch.
I decided a long time ago that our family room had to be as pretty as any room in the house. Yet it also needs to provide comfort and it definitely needs to function for the whole family.
So when styling this room, concessions needed to be made.
The family room is arguably the most important room in the home, and hence, the most difficult to decorate.
In our old home, our family room was lovely indeed, but we often relaxed in the bedroom because the arrangement of the family room simply wasn’t welcoming enough.
When we moved into our new home, I was absolutely insistent that our family room function as the center of comfort it is meant to be, yet I refused to sacrifice my love of design to achieve that goal. Here are my tips for how to fulfill those varied needs with careful planning and research.
Room Layout
The very first issue that has to be addressed is the layout of the room. Unlike the kitchen and most bedrooms, which practically design themselves configuration-wise, the family room is often an open equation with many potential solutions.
The key is to determine what the most common uses of the room will be and figure out your focal point based on thinking that through.
For us that meant a big comfy sofa to sink into after a long day, with an easy viewing line to the television. A sectional is not necessarily my favorite look for such a room, but it’s ridiculous to sit uncomfortably in the place you relax the most. So I committed to the deepest, most accommodating one I could find and went about decorating the room accordingly.
In a room that features a fireplace on a key wall, one next has to evaluate how the TV placement will relate to the mantel.
TV Placement
We opted to keep our fireplace as the primary visual centerpiece of the room, enhancing its beauty with a brand new mantel (you can see the details of that transformation in this post).
I decorated the surrounding area in keeping with its elegant feel. The charming French chair provides comfort and additional seating, while the needlepoint pillow adds a note of pretty color to the pale tones of the space.
This required us to then find a workable spot for the TV.
Now, I’m not a huge television fan, but hubby is quite another story. He likes to watch TV from pretty much the moment he opens his eyes in the morning, so for this room to satisfy both of us, the screen needed a place of prominence.
Rather than hiding it in a bulky armoire, I decided to embrace the technology and make it an integral part of the room. The huge sectional sofa manages to simultaneously face the beautiful fireplace and the ugly entertaining TV.
Decorative Accents
With such a large sofa dominating the room, there’s not room for much more furniture, but I always like to add some small decorative pieces to help give the room character. This antique gilded bench rests under a carved mirror and is just the touch of elegance the room required to take it from banal to lovely.
I also added a wonderful iron sideboard to house the electronic components. We had holes drilled through the back to accommodate the wires and left just enough room between the console and the screen to showcase a few decorative items. The open grillwork front allows the remotes to work the equipment.
I wanted to be careful to keep the embellishments in the room clean and streamlined, but these gorgeous candlestick holders make a classic statement, flanking the sideboard. Atop the sideboard I added some photo books I had created with pictures from our travels, a delightful way to personalize the room.
The coffee table offers an opportunity to display accessories that add both beauty and functionality. I love to nestle in the couch with a book and a cup of tea, and the teacup is one I love from Royal Albert. The candle on the golden tray adds a heavenly scent. A gilded Italian serving dish sits at the ready to present sweets or other snacks to much on.
An assortment of throw pillows dances across the expanse of sofa. The subtle leopard patterned rug serves as the perfect underpinning for this light but warm toned room.
While I was insistent on comfort and functionality, I was also uncompromising on sticking to my go-to color scheme of light clean colors, with gilded and French decorative accents. The pale custard wall color envelopes the room with a warm glow and the cream seating makes the room feel light and happy to me. The sofa is slipcovered for ease of cleaning and we never hesitate to eat in this room.
Any comfy sofa can benefit from soft throws to wrap oneself in and lush pillows to curl up against. This one, above, bears a favorite floral pattern.
Another French vintage piece, the mantel mirror has exquisite detail. Essentially, my formula for this room was to find plush comfortable seating and a huge TV, then add gorgeous French details as one would add jewelry to a classic outfit.
I really had to resist overdoing it when styling the mantel, but I wanted to be sure to be able to see the stunning details without much distraction.
I just love the way the light streams into this room and I knew I wanted to capitalize on that. The white plantation shutters keep the sun streaming in, while conveying a feeling reminiscent of a vacation home.
Our family room connects to the kitchen with a bar counter divider. French cane back barstools maintain the themes of beauty and comfort.
Our family room was the room that took the longest to complete (apart from the rooms requiring actual renovations), but we’re delighted with how it tuned out and we truly use it every single day.
There might have been several layouts that would look more lovely, but none that would function for us quite as well as this one does.
And since it’s become my de facto office, that means everything!
Family Room Ideas Resource List
To get the look, click on the items below for direct links to the products. Where actual items were no longer available, I’ve provided similar options. If an item is out of stock but may be restocked, I left it on the list.
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.)
IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:
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- 5 Ways to Upgrade Your Family Room for Luxury and Comfort
- Room Refresh: A French Style Chair and a Seasonal Mantel
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Gorgeous! Every bit of it!
Thanks so much, Jane!!
Absolutely Beautiful!!!
Thank you, Martina!
Hi Lory ~ I really enjoyed seeing how you styled your family room. I think it’s PERFECT both in functionality and with French style to please the eye. I also enjoyed learning where you purchased the major furniture pieces. One question I have ~ where did you create your photograph albums? They look like nice ones. I would like to do something similar with our trip photos. Thank you for sharing this beautiful room in your new house. I’ve been looking forward to each new room as you complete it and share it! Have a great day!!
Oh, thanks so much, Leila! The photo books were done through iPhoto and ordered direct from Apple. I actually was thinking of doing a post on the books themselves, because they’re something I really enjoy doing. I’ve also done a few gift books for people and they’re always received with gratitude… 🙂 How nice that you look forward to the room reveals. That’s such a nice thing to say!
Hi Lory ~ Thanks for your info about the photo books. I tried my hand at creating a couple of them but this was back in 2009 and I had a lot of help from the CVS photo clerk (LOL)! I haven’t tried making any since that time so I know I’ve forgotten what I learned in that one afternoon. I just remember there were different fonts to choose from for the captions, different background patterns and different ways to position the pictures. It was fun but I would love to learn again from a pro like you! If you decide to write a post about the books, I WILL read it! Continue to have fun setting up your new house. I look forward to your decor for the upcoming Holidays!
I’m definitely keeping your comment in my inbox as a reminder to get on that post… 🙂
Stunning!
Thanks!
This is lovely. I am a huge fan of your paint colors. They add so much but they don’t ‘take over’. Thank you for sharing another beautiful room.
Thanks, Elizabeth! I’m so glad the paint colors resonate with you because they took me forever to pick out… 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
I love it! Functional, comfortable and elegant…you’ve just shown us that a room can be a cozy, family friendly space and still be beautiful.
Thanks, Kimberly! Glad you appreciate the result… 🙂
It is exquisite in every way!
Wow, thank you so much!
Hi Lori! I love the warm, yet fresh and functional styling of your family room. The custard yellow on the walls is sublime. We’re about to repaint, and I’d been thinking of a similar shade…I think you’ve convinced me! I also like that you have some depth, and light and shade with the wooden floors and natural timber furniture. As much as I love French Provincial style, I think lots of people reinterpret that as ‘paint every single thing white’, and that to me, can be a bit stark (not to mention impractical!). You’re singing my song. Love, Mimi xxx
Thanks, Mimi! I’m always a fan of pale yellow – it can read cream, but also has a sunny warmth to it. This one is Benjamin Moore, Mannequin Cream. And I agree about highs and lows. I do enjoy painted furniture, but I also love the beauty of wood patina and the contrast of light against dark emphasizes the lights. So glad you stopped by… 🙂
Oh my…beautiful!
Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY!
Blessings,
Cindy
Thank you, Cindy!!
Your room is beautiful! I’ve been looking at Pottery Barn sofas. Is the slipcover on yours white or cream? Thanks!
I thought I answered this, but don’t see my reply here. In case you didn’t get the response, the slipcovers are cream… 🙂
I am loving all your gorgeous details. I wish I could have more white furniture but with my boys and a dog, I really can’t at this time! Beautiful home!
Shelley
Thanks, Shelley! I actually had a dog all these years up until a few months ago. I would just keep a throw on the couch, but also the slip covers are a huge help… 🙂
I love this room. Very pretty and inviting. Where are your mantel vases from?
Thanks, Mary!! The vases are from Tina at My Enchanted Home.
What a pretty room!
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
Thanks!!
I just love your simple classic elegance. A touch of gold is what every room and girl needs.
Thanks, Ellie! I do love my gold… 😉 It’s the one area where my style is the same in both decor and fashion (which is otherwise polar opposites – being head to toe black in fashion and pale colors in decor.)
Yet again, another beautifully thought out space! I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much!!
The room turned out absolutely beautiful!!I love the mix of patterns, especially the florals which are my weakness. I to have the large flat panel tv in my den, and I was wondering how you dealt with the sub woofer – that heavy black speaker is driving me nuts!
Thanks, Liz!! Yes, it’s nice to find people that still love florals… 🙂 I truly believe they have a place even in more modern or transitional decor. As far as the speakers, I look at them as a necessary evil, because I am a huge music fan. It helps that the system has small speakers, so they don’t really bother me. I’m not sure which the subwoofer is, but we just have the small one that I have centered over the TV and then we have 4 more mounted, one in each corner of the room. Everything else electronic is tucked away in the console unit that I had my handyman drill a hole in the back of for all the wires. The room gets surround sound which is cool when watching movies and, of course, it’s great for music. It’s a Bose system used with Sonos.
I love it! Elegant and functional, amazing! The strong classic pieces really carry the room.
Great job!
Hugs,
Patti
Thanks so much, Patti!
Lory,
I am looking to add a mantel in our dining room. Where did you purchase your mantel in the den?
Love, love, love your decorating!
Ruth
Thanks so much, Ruth! The mantel is from The Mantel Shoppe (888) 762-4050 http://www.emantel.com They were wonderful to work with and to was real easy to order… 🙂
Lory,
I love your choices and that you discussed what a dilemma it can be to work
around a TV. Thanks so much for sharing….everything turned out beautifully!
Thank you so much! I still don’t love the way the TVs look, but might as well embrace them, right… 😉 Thanks for visiting!!