Recently I just completed a Postbox for a fun, young family of three (with baby on the way!) who wanted their space to finally reflect their real style. She loves anything Fixer Upper with a farmhouse style to it, without getting TOO country. With two young kids (and two dogs!), not only did it have to look beautiful, but be durable and easy to clean. Having three tykes myself, I have been through the thrills of good furniture choices (slipcovers & indoor/outdoor rugs) and the busts (white sofas & silk curtains).
If you have young kids or pets, pay special attention to the fact that all of the items I chose for this family are uber durable, easy-to-clean, and are super budget friendly. As per the homeowner’s request, I kept the palette very neutral, but it is far from boring!
So check out this Family of Four Fixer Upper Family Room (stay that five times fast):
Like a lot of my clients, they did have a couple of pieces they wanted to incorporate in the design. Luckily, I adored their two existing pieces (#7 and #8), and their neutral look blended right in. This striped rug (#1) has stripes that will hide stains, but it is also an indoor/outdoor rug so it cleans up easily wiht water. For inexpensive window treatments, try pairing up white sailcloth curtains-that you can also throw in the washing machine (#2) with simple bamboo shades (#3), I rock this look in my own house!
When you have a tight space, try using open pieces of furniture like their existing side table (#5) and this rustic coffee table (#10)-it will make the area feel more spacious. And for almost every family with young kids I recommend slipcovers (#9)….they are lifesavers! Throw a couple of farmhouse inspired pillows and you have a comfy cozy farmhouse sofa (#6 and #13).
Like jewelry makes the outfit, accessories make the room. Fun, whimsical (but neutral colored) accessosries can fill up a shelf, coffee table, or side table. Being made of wood and iron, you don’t have to worry about breakables around toddlers! (#11 and #14). The homeowner had a great request-she loved seeing fig trees in oversized seagrass baskets-so I made sure to include that for her in her Mood Board!
And finally, they have one large empty wall that needed some filling up. A great, budget-friendly way of doing that is a Gallery Wall (#12). I even gave them a list of black and white free printables to start off her gallery wall for nothing!
And speaking of gallery wall….
In their floor plan, I floated the sofa and chairs, which left a space behind the sofa. Instead of letting it go to waste, I gave them a couple of suggestions for furniture for that wall. One option is a skinny console table (#1) that gives loads of storage, but without a big footprint. Another option is a long but thin bench (middle top image). For this couple I suggested a vintage pew bench (#4) as a fun option for extra seating. It is also as an homage to her pastor father!
Similarly, to help ground the table or bench, I suggested an oversized gallery wall to fill up most of the wall space. I love mixing in black and whites of family photos, but I gave her a couple other suggestions. He plays the guitar so one idea is to frame a piece of music (#2) that is sentimental (an old church hymn from your childhood, your wedding song, etc.). A final idea is framing a vintage map of your hometown or place that is special to you (#3)-you can do your town you were born in, your college town, the city you met…the list is endless!
I always start my process of creating a new Postbox with a Pinterest board-if my homeowner doesn’t create one, I start one for them and use those as ideas to start off, here were some of the farmhouse style images I used in their project:
P.S. If you need more inspiration, check out my Pinterest boards HERE
Has this inspired you to give your family room some more love? I custom design every room I work on-no two rooms are alike! Every one of my clients fills out a Design Questionnaire with their tastes, wants, and budget. They have a chance to include existing pieces they want incorporated, or any specific requests. I work from there and create a space that works for your lifestyle and loves. Most clients of mine tell me they know WHAT they like, they just need some help pulling it all together. Not only do I create your floor plan, Mood Board, and 3D renderings, but I even give you samples of your materials and a custom Shopping List. Just click and buy!
It is a whooooooole lot of fun in one little box!
Email me and we can chat about your project! kristin@postboxdesigns.com
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