How are you styling your family room?

Other than the kitchen, your family room is likely where you spend the most time in your home. It’s a place to hang out with your family and friends, play with your pets, watch TV, read and maybe even nap! If there’s one thing the pandemic has done, it’s made us reevaluate our spaces, and, as a result, perhaps you’re looking to design this space in your home.

With that in mind, we wanted to share five thoughts for creating a family room that you’ll absolutely love:

1. Use neutrals on the walls and for furniture

By picking neutral paint and furniture – such as whites, grays, greiges and taupes  – your family room will withstand the test of time because as design trends change, you can easily update accent colors, décor, and soft goods. Unsure of what color to go with? Look at the fixed elements in your room. Are they warm or cool? From there, it’s easier to decide on the best color choices. You can refer to our neutral blog posts here and here for more advice. For furniture, we recommend looking at a stain resistant fabric like Crypton or Sunbrella and use an eight way hand tied springs.  Temple and Sherrill make some beautiful pieces.

Neutral Color Palette

Photography: The Home Aesthetic & Builder: Matthew Meyers, Marin Homes

2. Pick accents and patterns in the same color family

Think about the color family you’d most like to use throughout the space as accents and in patterns. Colors evoke different emotions, so keep that in mind depending on the type of mood you’d like to create.  Need a peaceful space? Think blues or greens.  Curtains, rugs, and pillows are great places to introduce patterns. Just be sure to stick to no more than three different patterns and ensure they are different scales. This will help the room from feeling too busy.

Accents and Patterns

Photography: The Home Aesthetic & Builder: Josh Loewen, JB Indy.

3. Choose a rug to anchor the space

Using a rug in the family room is a great way to define the space, especially if you have hardwoods and/or and open floor plan. Even if you don’t have these elements, you can still layer a rug on top of carpet. Most family room spaces will need at least an 8×10 rug, but likely larger. When placing a rug, make sure the feet of your furniture sit on top of the rug. Using a quality rug pad underneath will also help increase its overall life. We love purchasing rugs from Loloi Rugs.

Anchored Rug in Family Room

Photography: The Addison Group & Builder: Josh Loewen, JB Indy

4. Make it functional

Different families enjoy different activities and are at various life stages. For those with children, be sure to think about both surface and storage for toys and games. There are many creative solution ideas from decorative totes, hideaway storage in coffee tables and benches, and more. If you love to entertain, consider a sectional sofa to maximize seating. If you love to read, utilize or add built-ins or bookshelves to display books.

Functional Family Room

Photography: Hot Plate Media & Builder: Josh Loewen, JB Indy

5. Use meaningful décor

Make sure to customize the space with items that are meaningful to you. These could be family heirlooms and photos, items you’ve brought back from your travels, art pieces that speak to you, etc. Be deliberate in what you choose and be selective. If you have too many items to look at in a room it can make it feel cluttered and overwhelming.

Personalize Your Family Room

Photography: The Home Aesthetic

By following these five tips, your family room is sure to shine. It will be a space that feels purposeful, will be beautiful, and most of all – you! And, if you need some additional help beyond these tips, feel free to reach out to us for a design consultation. We’d love to help create your dream family room.