Fireplace Reveal & Family Room Updates

If you have followed the blog for awhile, you'll recall that I was never a fan of the orange brick fireplace in our family room. I tried to work around the color attempting to tone it down with accent walls & accessories until I finally faced the fact that it had to go. So when Hubby went out of town for business, I got to work tackling the fireplace. Despite the job being much larger than I anticipated, I am loving the transformation. Before it was just too dated, brown and boring. Now we a have classic, sophisticated & bright focal point that draws you in and flows perfectly with the adjoining kitchen.

If you are curious as to the process, I've got a detailed post on exactly how I created the "greige wash" look lined up for you all next week. Today's post is all about the fluff….so without further ado onto the eye candy.

To really appreciate the changes, cast your memory back to what the space use to look like. And if you're curious click here to check out the floral stencils that adorned the walls when we moved in. It was very reminiscent of the Laura Ashley wallpaper boarder I had in my childhood bedroom. You can read into that how ever you wish;)

So here was my attempt to work with the natural brick:

And here is what the room looks like now, much more refined and relaxing.

I switched out the mirror over the fireplace.  It now occupies the prime real estate to the side of the fireplace both balancing the ridiculously enormous television in the opposite corner and helping to raise your eye & carry it around the room. (Side note: Hubby's only request was for a large television and we were graciously gifted the set by his folks. In a house of 3 males, I would rather decorate around a large TV than have them disappearing to the basement. After all this house has to function for all of us.)



Over the fireplace I hung my DIY artwork. It is place holder until I am able to commission a piece of Kerry Steele's beautiful work for myself.  Slowly but surely I am liking my piece more and more, despite the scale being too small. Who knows what will eventually hang here. That's one of the things I love about my home; spaces are always evolving.

As for mantel accessories, two of the three blue and white pieces were on there prior to the makeover.



The covered ginger jar I bought at Hobby Lobby for a whopping $15, while the white and blue crested containers were rescued from my basement storage. The topiaries use to flank my kitchen window, but suite the fireplace better and help draw your eye upward.

The rug and coffee table were also swapped out as I subbed them with their counterparts in the living room. The rug is a much more neutral backdrop and the coffee table provides greater play and serving space. The impetus for the swap came when I found Bear picking & attempting to consume both the foam core & pleather upholstery on the round ottoman…not a proud parenting moment.

The couch didn't remain untouched either. I opted to reattach the chaise lounge for added seating and comfort. I also removed many of the pillows to give a more serene feeling to the space. I am weighting my options as to what I would like to add back. Any suggestions? I was thinking something with navy…perhaps another set of fretwork pillows.



I also added our computer armoire to the back corner where the kiddies' play table use to reside. It is a simple Ikea piece we brought over from our old house. Once we moved, I used it to house my jewelry and purses in the master. Now that the littles use the computer I wanted to relocate it from the office to a space where it would be visible to my eyes. Plus the kiddies are constantly clicking on the wrong applications so having the computer steps away from the kitchen makes it easy to resolve problems while still cooking dinner.



And my beloved horse and more blue & white pottery accessorize the armoire.  I picked up 2 sets of blue and white pottery and I just can't decide which pair I prefer. Care to cast a vote?  Safety note: the horse it fastened to the top of the armor to prevent accidental tipping.



Finally, the two leather club chairs now sit in front of the bank of windows opposite the couch.
I absolutely love this new layout as it places the emphasis on conversation not just television viewing (it has actually been like this since Christmas but I don't think I've officially shared the space with you all). And if you've got eagle eyes you can see that I've added fringe trim to the drapes as well helping pull the blue around the room. I was toying with adding a greek key tape to the edges, but decided to give this remnant trim a test run (it was leftover from the living room valances).



So that is the family room's new look. And just to keep it real, here is where the family portion comes into play.





Yes, the room can read a little more formal than most family rooms, but it is still super functional and kid friendly.



And here is the remainder of the family room check list:

• Update family pictures over couch
• Add pillows possibly
• Accessorize kids table & coffee table
• Upholster armoire bench (I have a great piece that was in my house as a child).
• Find a fireplace screen

By the time I have it all done, I'll be rearranging for the holidays.
C'est la vie!

Linking up to Thrift Decor Chick: July Before & After Party; StoneGable; Savvy Southern Style