Postbox Project Family Room Reveal!
Today I get to share one of my most recent Postbox Designs Room Makeover projects! And for all of you out there with the giant Great Room who need help decorating those tall ceilings…stay tuned…this post is for you!
(P.S. If you want to see oodles more Postbox Room Reveals check them out HERE!
This mom of two requested a formal, traditional family room that was catered for the grown-ups. The TV and hang-out area was in a different space, so this area is meant for more formal get-togethers (but still needed to be comfy enough to relax comfortably and works for kids and dogs). As a fun bonus, she also requested a “bar area” since this room is adjacent to her kitchen.
Like so many people, she was overwhelmed with the idea of decorating this large room, that she was stuck. So it stayed empty…until now! While she knew what she liked, she needed some help pulling it all together, and needed to see her items pulled together to visualize her space (like so many of us!) Here is the Family Room “Before”:
This room has SO many gorgeous features like the fireplace, beautiful wood floors…and look at those windows!
She filled out a Design Questionnaire, did some quick room measurements and photos, and created a Pinterest board. And then she turned over the design reigns to me to turn her shell of a room into something beautiful.
I always create TWO versions of every design.
That way she has double the options AND they are meant to be mixed and matched. Here’s Version #1:
A large Pottery Barn sectional (with a stain resistant fabric) is the base of the room, then tailored traditional elements were layered on in neutral colors. A mix of nickel and golds create a customized look (mix those metals friends!). And if you have small children, a leather ottoman is a great choice for a coffee table. It is easy to wipe down, and no trips to the ER for stitches (like my little guy when he fell into our wood coffee table!)
So…How Do you Decorate A Room With High Ceilings?
This room has breathtaking 18’+ ceilings, which makes a huge statement. But how do you fill those oversized walls? And even more importantly, how do you fill high walls without spending a fortune?
Decorating with High Ceilings Idea #1:
For the first idea, I suggested creating a Gallery Wall of neutral botanical prints (Item #18). These prints were a steal from Etsy and she can either print them off herself on her home computer, or get them professionally printed. In gold Pottery Barn frames with large white mattes, they will make a big impact for a low cost. A good rule of thumb is to hang artwork that is at least 2/3 the width of your sofa.
She has the flexibility to hang as many rows as she wants to fill up the volume of her empty walls. Other items like oversized paintings (#16) and a large chandelier (#14) also match the scale of a room with high ceilings.
I also created a bar area in her hallway to serve both this Family Room AND the kitchen. But to keep maximum walkway space, we went for a “skinny” console that was still packed with storage.
And so she could see every item in her space before buying a single item: Here is her 3D Perspective!
Decorating with High Ceilings Idea #2
Another tip when decorating a room with high ceilings is to keep the large scale with tall curtains! These curtains are 120″ high, which will balance the high windows and high ceiling. Hang your curtains so the bottoms JUST skim the floor. (In her second version is custom floor to ceiling window treatments for an amazing focal point!)
And this Floor Plan was also part of her Postbox Designs Room Makeover Package:
Decorating With High Ceilings Idea #3: How to Fill Up a Large Family Room with Furniture
I always create two versions for every room, and they are designed to be mixed and matched, so she could get oodles of options! So while Version #1 showed off a large sectional that worked with the scale of her Great Room, Version #1 shows a different layout. This version has two sofas facing each other on either side of the fireplace. Large furniture like this coffee table and oversized Pottery Barn rug help fill the scale of the room. When you have a huge Great Room such as this, you don’t want to get dinky with the furniture! In a layout like this one (see the Floor Plan below), we created ample walkways so the room feels airy and open.
And to help fill up these tall walls, in this version, I found a beautiful oversized painting (#19) that will fit the scale of the room.
Decorating with High Ceilings Idea #4: Custom Window Treatments
So what happens when you have high ceilings with windows as a focal point…just like in this room? This entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and beautiful fireplace is the shining star of the room. There is no way you are going to find 17′ high curtains in any retail store, so I’m a big fan of Smith + Noble, not only can you customize your curtains with a million options, but you can see what they look like as you build them. You can get free samples, and they even assign you someone to help you through the process (for free!). P.S. Not a sponsored plug-I just think they rock! Yes, it is going to be expensive…but this will be an investment you have to only do once.
When you have a huge Family Room, it can be hard to know how to fill it up! So with this specific project, the Floor Plan was a really important part of it. She is a symmetrical girl (as am I!), so this mirror image layout works out well!
So which option will she go with? Will she mix and match? We just have to wait and see, but I’m thrilled that she is going to have a room that she can actually use…and will look beautiful to boot.
So If You Are Decorating a Room with High Ceilings:
-Use a single framed piece of art that is at least 2/3 the width of your sofa (48″x36″ or bigger works well). If you have a smaller print, make it bigger by using a frame with a large matte. In my home for larger prints, I actually had a carpenter custom make my frame from crown molding and plexi glass for pennies of what it would cost to have it professionally framed (he created mine for $40 in material instead of the $400 custom framing quote I got!)
-Create a Gallery Wall that allows you to be flexible with the size of the frame grouping. I would suggest each frame be a MINIMUM of 11×14 (bigger is better!)
-Use large scale furniture pieces, especially the main pieces (tables and sofa)
-Keep the scale of the room with a large area rug (8×10 or 9×12…or larger)
-You might have to break the room into 2-3 groupings (think TV area, small conversation area, a bar area, etc)
-Use an oversized light fixture, use a minimum of a 48″ wide fixture
-Hang your curtains as high as possible (if you can’t afford to go custom, 120″ H is a fairly common length)
What Color to Paint High Ceiling Rooms?
I only wanted to paint my 18′ high walls ONCE (you should have seen me on my tippy toes on that extension ladder-darn my shorty 5′-4″ stature!). So get the perfect paint color the first time around. Check out my 8 Favorite Paint Colors Guide + tons of other Freebies in my FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY!
Wanna see more High Ceiling Family Rooms?
Check out my very own recent Farmhouse Family Room….my room also has 18′ high ceilings and it was a puzzle to figure out how to fill up those walls! See what I did to makeover my room right HERE
Do you have design questions on your own room? Jump on over to Facebook where I answer every single question!
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